User:Pete James Kondoff
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Pete James Kondoff, Biographical Data From 1960
In 1955 Pete James Kondoff re located from his birth place in Detroit, Michigan to Toronto, Ontario and became a chief design engineer for a local design engineering firm. Five years later he was asked by friends and associates to join in the formation of a new ethnic association. Due to his exceptional analytical and organization abilities he was elected Executive Secretary and Managing Director of the newly formed non political ethnic organization. Today this organization is well known world wide as the United Macedonians.
From 1960 through 1970, Pete James Kondoff formalised the organization along democratic North American principles and; initiating their constitution, edited several of their publications, and initiating associate chapters in Hamilton, Windsor, Detroit, Gary, and Rochester. He culminated his formal association with the United Macedonians by chairing an international convention held at the Inn On The Park in Toronto at which a new international executive was elected and many dignitaries attended.
In 1962, 63 a major disaster struck Macedonia. Initiated with a flood in 1962, followed by a massive earthquake in 1963. Known as the spokesperson representing this ethnic community Pete James Kondoff was the first to be notified by the Toronto Star about the earthquake and then quoted on their first page the very next morning. With four other associates including his wife they initiated formation of a Canadian Macedonian Skopje Flood/ Earthquake Relief Committee and under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Red Cross funds were being collected and sent into the disaster area.
Following the disaster another committee was formed to invite the head of the Macedonian Orthodox Church to Toronto and initiate the formation of Macedonian Orthodox Churches in North America. Pete James Kondoff and approximately 15 others are Founding Fathers of the Macedonian Orthodox Cathedral, St. Clements of Ohrid in Toronto with a congregation of more than 2000 members and four other churches.
In 1969 Anton Pavlov, Mile Niklovski, Mary and Pete James Kondoff initiated the radio program Makedonski Glas on Chin and still aired weekly.
As a Founding Father of the church, St. Clements of Ohrid, , Pete James Kondoff was elected to its very first board of directors and followed by four more directorships which include the office of Executive Secretary.
As a former WW ll U.S. veteran, executive member of the United Macedonians, and officer of St. Clements of Ohrid Macedonian Orthodox Cathedral, Pete James Kondoff helped to initiate formation of a veterans group of Macedonians which then amalgamated with the Canadian Legion Chapter 617, Dam Busters Squadron . As a full member of Branch 617 Pete James Kondoff was elected four terms in succession as an executive member of the branch and eventually 1st Vice President of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 617.
In June of 1989 “A Symposium On The Macedonian History” cosponsored by a department of Columbia University and the Pan-Macedonian Ass'n Inc. came to the attention of a local Macedonian Human Rights Association and Pete James Kondoff was informed of the fact that not a single organization from the Macedonian community was invited to participate. The Human Rights organization brought this to his attention and asked that he seek the circumstances which initiated a selective pro Greek event at an American institution with no one expressing an opposing view point., Requested by the human rights organization to act on their behalf Pete James Kondoff sent a formal letter which was addressed to the chief executive of the university. The Executive Vice President of the university immediately wrote back to inform him that they were not aware of the symposium and invited Pete James Kondoff and others to attend to represent the ethnic community and present any opposing view points
A special meeting of Macedonian organization was called by the Macedonian Canadian Human Rights Committee decided to accept the invitation and formally send a delegation. The newly formed Canadian, U.S. Diocese of the Macedonian Orthodox Church of North America. also asked to be represented. The chair of the meeting was Pete James Kondoff chosen to head the delegation of three including Vesna Karapetrova Karapancev, and Vasil (Bill) Yancoff, producer of the Macedonian TV program
After returning from Columbia University an assembly was called. This assembly concluded with a personal request by the chair Pete James Kondoff to initiate the formation of a formal organization to properly represent the entire Macedonian community. The chair was directed to initiate such a process by formally inviting all Macedonian organization in Canada to send an official representative to the Rogers Stadium Restaurant (Sky dome) hosted by John Bitov Sr. This has since become the Canadian Macedonian Federation
Pete James Kondoff was also a director of CMP (Canadian Macedonian Place Senior Citizens Association) where he served four years concluded by his founding the Canadian Macedonian Historical Society, a tax deductible federally charitable educational institution.
As an individual Pete James Kondoff represented the ethnic Macedonian community in Toronto and Canada on many occasions; As a teacher he also, chaired of the Ontario Drafting Teachers and became the president of the Technical Teachers of the Ontario Educational Association (OEA). As a professional engineer,: he was elected president and chief presiding officer to the 3rd. “Technical Educational Conference” held at York University; chaired the Willowdale-Thornhill chapter of the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario Executive Member and Secretary of the Engineers in Education (Association Professional Engineers of Ontario) and a cosponsor of Engineering Week 1982. As teacher and a manufacturing engineer, he was also: Elected chairman of the Toronto chapter of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Chapter 26, founder of the student chapter of Chapter 26 at George Brown College, and the last chair of the professional advisor committee on the Engineering Technologist at George Brown College, editor of the chapter 26 SME Bulletin.
As a professional Pete James Kondoff qualifications are; Registered Professional Engineer, A.P.E.O., retired Teaching Specialist, retired Manufacturing Engineering Consultant and Inventor College and University Lecturer on Manufacturing Engineering Senior Life Member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers
Honours are; Listed in Who’s Who in Ontario Officer of the Sons of Martha, Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario Officer of the Order of Honour, Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario Judge, National Productivity Awards 1983 Fellowship Nominee, Society of Manufacturing Engineers
As a member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers;
a/ 3rd., 2nd, chair elect, and chair, b/ secretary for 3 years, c/ bulletin editor for 6 years, d/ certification chair for 3 years, e/ SME chair of Engineering Week, our first coop venture in co-operation with the Prof. Engineers of Ontario with the president of SME also officiated at the inaugural ceremonies during Engineering Week, f/ initiator of the George Brown College student chapter, g/ senior and lifetime member since 1952, h/ and chair of “Educating the Innovator” during Engineering Week for 3 years in succession.