Mayor Dan Brotman and Friend of ANCA Western Region Ronnie Gharibian
GLENDALE — The Friends of the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region, led by community activist Ronnie Gharibian, organized a welcome reception on Thursday, May 25, for the newly-selected Glendale Mayor Dan Brotman.
Mayor Dan Brotman From l to r: Aida Babayan, Karin, Pilavian, Ronnie Gharibian, Mayor Brotman, Maral-Demirjian, Ayana Hamamjian, Sako Tchakian and Alex-Izmirlian
The event was held at the Glen Arden Club in Glendale to warmly welcome Brotman to his new posting, introduce members of the community, and provide an opportunity for ANCA Western Region supporters to meet and greet the many public officials in attendance.
As the city with one of the largest Armenian constituencies in the worldwide Armenian Diaspora, and home of the headquarters of the ANCA Western Region, Glendale serves as a home away from home for many Armenian community members as City leaders consistently and ably serve their needs both locally and globally. The ANCA Western Region and its local chapters work closely with the City to address issues ranging from the need to combat Armenophobia to standing in strong solidarity with Artsakh facing the threat of genocide and ethnic cleansing at the hands of the genocidal regime in Baku, in addition to finding ways to build on the sister city relationship between Glendale and Martuni to deliver tangible results to both cities and communities.
Ronnie Gharibian, Ayana Hamamjyan, Ardy Kassakhian, and ANCA Western Region Community and Coalition Development Director Edward Barsoumian Former Mayor of Glendale Ardashes Kassakhian Attorney Garo Ghazarian introduces former Mayor Ardashes Kassakhian
The event was organized to express gratitude to the City of Glendale for providing a safe haven for many of our community institutions and organizations to thrive. Nearly one hundred community leaders and organizational representatives attended the event to show their support and appreciation including the Western Diocese, Western Prelacy, Armenian Cultural Foundation, Armenian American Museum, Armenian Consulate, Armenian Educational Foundation, Hamazkayin, Homenetmen, St. Mary’s Church, Chamlian Armenian School, and numerous ACF and ANCA Western Region local chapters.
“It’s an incredible honor to be Mayor of a city that has such a rich Armenian community. I’ve made many friends, and hope to deepen my ties to the community in this coming year”, said Mayor Brotman, after being introduced by Ronnie Gharibian, Friend of the ANCA Western Region.
Ayana Hamamjyan, Ronnie Gharibian, Police Chief Manny Cid, and Edward Barsoumian Ayana Hamamjyan and Ronnies Gharibian with Fire Chief Timothy Ernst (middle)
Dan Brotman was first sworn in as a Glendale City Council Member in April 2020. Brotman has over twenty years of professional experience, first as an economist at the Federal Reserve and then for 16 years in various finance roles at Cisco Systems. Brotman first moved to Glendale in 2015 to teach economics at Glendale College and has since been involved in several community organizations. He co-founded the Glendale Environmental Coalition and was Chair of the SoCal 350 Climate Action Legislative Committee, and was most recently selected as Mayor of Glendale on April 4, 2023, succeeding former Mayor Ardashes (Ardy) Kasshakian.
The reception also honored Kassakhian’s decades of involvement, service and dedication to the Armenian-American community and to the City of Glendale during his mayoral term. He was introduced and thanked by his colleague, attorney and Glendale’s Civil Service Commissioner, Garo Ghazarian. “Thank you for honoring me with the privilege to serve the city I grew up in and love. I will continue to work with you (the residents of Glendale) to make Glendale the best city that it can be, and I’m ready to support our new mayor in every way possible to make sure that his successes are our collective successes,” said Kassakhian.
Ronnie Gharibian, Aida Babayan, Tamar Tufenkdjian, Karin Pilavian, Silva Kechichian, Ardy Kassakhian, Ayana Hamamjyan, Maral Demirjian, and Sako Tchakian Sako Tchakian, Maral Demirjian, ANCA Western Region Board Member Lena Bozoyan, Glendale Councilmember Ara Najarian, Ayana Hamamjyan, Karin Pilavian, and Ronnie Gharibian
Friend of ANCA Western Region, Ayana Z. Hamamjyan, introduced Glendale’s new executive leaders, including Chief of Police Manny Cid, and Fire Chief Timothy Ernst who were also welcomed to the City at the reception and were given well-wishes by community members, organizations, and officials for a long, fruitful career serving the residents of Glendale.
Attendees of the Welcome Reception for Mayor Dan Brotman
The event was well-attended by city leadership including the entire Glendale City Council, Glendale Community College Board Members, Glendale Unified School District Board Members, as well as the City Manager, City Clerk, Glendale Police Department Deputy Chief, GUSD Superintendent, and GUSD President.
Glendale is home to the largest Armenian community in Los Angeles County, and is the vibrant central hub of Armenian-American culture, with many businesses, schools, churches, and organizations that serve the needs and interests of the Armenian diaspora.
The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.