Mike Cheokas

Mike Cheokas

Georgia State Representative

United States

Mike Cheokas was born in Americus, Georgia and is a graduate of the Westminster Schools of Atlanta.
After attending Emory University in Atlanta, he relocated to Athens, Greece where he continued his studies at Pierce College in that city.
Mr. Cheokas worked in the import export field in Greece with Elias Xafas, S.A. of Athens - before returning to the United States. Mr. Cheokas is president of Cheokas and Cheokas, Inc., which is a retail and real estate development corporation located in Americus, Georgia.
Community Leadership:
*. Past Chairman and board member of South Georgia Technical College Foundation
*. Past Chairman of New Horizons Habitat for Humanity.
*. Co-Chairman of the Rosalynn Carter Institute.
*. Graduate of the Georgia Legislative Leadership Institute.
*. Graduate of the Advanced Health Policy Institute.
*. Member of the Americus Rotary Club
*. Past Vice President of the Americus Jaycees.
*. Member and Past President of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church in Macon, Ga.
Mr. Cheokas was first elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2004. He represents
District 151, which includes Sumter, Schley, Marion, Chattahoochee, Stewart, Webster,
Terrell and parts of Dougherty counties and currently serves as:
*. Chairman of the House Small Business Development Committee.
*. Past Chairman of House Information and Audits Committee
*. Past Vice Chairman of House Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight Committee
*. Past Secretary of House Appropriations Higher Education Subcommittee
*. Serves currently on the Health & Human Services, Appropriations Higher Education,
Creative Arts (Motion Pictures and Music) and Education (K-12) Committees.
*. Former Member of the Board of Directors of the Georgia Department of Education.
*. Currently, Chairman of the Technical College System of Georgia Foundation.
Mr. Cheokas is a Past Board Member of the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association,
and has participated with the U.S. State Department on Nation Building projects in Pakistan and Nepal through the World Learning Organization.
Mike and his wife, Gaynor G. Cheokas, Dean of the College of Business at Georgia South
Western State University have 3 adult Children: Brittany, Arthur and Lexie.

Greek heritage
My paternal grandfather, Apostolos “Mike” Cheokas arrived at Ellis Island on Thanksgiving
Day in 1904. He worked briefly in Massachusetts before moving to Georgia. Eventually settling in Americus, Georgia. He was born in a small village in Thesally, called Athamania.
My paternal grandmother, Lemonia Benetou, along with her brother Antonis Benetos, immigrated to the United States from Patras on February 25, 1921. She was born in Roviata
(Amaliada) but grew up in Lechena, both in Peloponnesus. My Grandparents were married
in the spring of 1922. My father, Arthur Cheokas was born in 1923 in Americus. At the age of six he moved with my Grandmother to Piraeus to attend school in Greece. When the Second World War broke out in Europe in 1939 he returned to Americus to graduate from High School and immediately enlisted in the US Air Force. After completing his training, he
became a right waist gunner on a B-17 “Flying Fortress” as part of the Mighty Eighth Air Force stationed in England. His battle ribbons included Normandy, Northern France and the Rhineland. After leaving the service he returned to Americus to establish himself in business.
He met my mother, Anna Moraitakis, from Atlanta and after a whirlwind courtship were married. My maternal grandparents also immigrated to the US. My maternal grandfather,
Steve Moraitakis, was born in Asia minor, currently known as a Cesme, Turkey. My maternal grandmother, Helen Roxanna was a school teacher from Chios before they were married. They also settled in Georgia to establish a business and raise a family. My mother, Anna was an accomplished artist and art instructor. Having many of her paintings on display
locally.