The board and members of the America–Georgia Business Council wish to express their sadness at the passing of one of the great American supporters of Georgia, Frank P. Greinke. Frank was an intimate part of the history of post-1990s Georgia, having played a powerful role in its economic, social, and cultural life.
The Greinke family and its company, SC Fuels, were pioneer investors in Georgia beginning in 1992. By 1994, they operated the first Western-style petroleum station in Georgia, and by 1996 they employed over 100 people. Frank directed their efforts to build out positions in retail, real estate, and hospitality industries.
Frank was particularly well known for his numerous philanthropic activities. These included generous donations to and sponsorships of organizations in education and public health—for example his deep assistance to the physically and mentally disabled and those disadvantaged in the early years of Georgia’s regained independence. He was patron of many artistic projects and initiatives to help reenergize Georgia’s rich cultural heritage.
His contributions reached many diverse organizations. These included the Kedeli organization, American Friends of Georgia, the Bakhvi School in the Ozurgeti region, the Levan Mikeladze Foundation, and the Zedashe Folk Group. Frank contributed generously to the City of Tbilisi Flood Relief fundraising drive, and he provided numerous individual educational scholarships and vocational training opportunities for Georgian citizens in California. For many years, he supported the Summer Security Program at the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA).
The Government of Georgia appointed Frank Honorary Consul of Georgia to California in 2007. In this capacity, he sponsored annual Georgian Independence Day celebrations in Los Angeles and hosted official visits of dignitaries. He will be remembered especially for promoting events for the National Ballet of Georgia, the Sukhishvili Dance Ensemble, and the Golden Graves of Vani exhibit at the Getty Villa in Malibu.
Frank was a long-time Board member of the America–Georgia Business Council Board, to which he brought wisdom, insight, enthusiasm, and stature. We will miss him and the spirt that followed him everywhere.
Georgia owes a special debt to Frank Greinke and his family. Along with the late Bob Walsh, also a founding member of this council, he is the unique American who made a profound difference in a seemingly faraway place of outsized importance to the United States. We will remember his intelligence, wit, and charm. And of course his striking physical presence and command, usually with a fine glass of Georgian wine in his hand and an infectious smile on his face.
The America–Georgia Business Council Board of Directors