Category: 2019

GLENDALE—The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region’s Education Committee announced that the 2018 National Teacher of the Year Mandy Manning will deliver the keynote address at the 3rd Annual Armenian Genocide Education Awards Luncheon on Saturday, March 23.

“The ANCA-WR Education Committee is proud to have the National Teacher of the year Mandy Manning, as a keynote speaker and honored guest at the 3rd Annual Armenian Genocide Awards Luncheon.  Mandy began her career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Armenia and continues her interest on Armenian issues” said Alice Petrossian, Chair of the ANCA-WR Education Committee.

As an educator with 19 years of experience, Mandy Manning has taught across the curriculum, worked with students of various grade levels, and has even taught in different countries, including Armenia and Japan. Currently, Manning is an English and Math teacher who teaches refugee and immigrant students in Spokane, Washington. According to the Council of Chief State School Officers website, in her classroom, Manning uses experiential projects like map-making to help her students process trauma, celebrate their home countries and culture, and learn about their new community.

Manning began her career as an educator in the Peace Corps in Armenia, and has taught in Japan and in schools across the U.S. Over the years, she has taught students who have arrived from diverse populations including the war-torn countries of the Middle East.

Manning is a National Board Certified Teacher. She has previously been awarded with the National Education Association Foundation’s California Casualty Award for Teaching Excellence in 2017 and the Kim Plemons Leadership Award from the Spokane Education Association in 2015. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Eastern Washington University, a Masters of Arts from West Texas A & M University, and a Masters of Fine Arts from Northwest Institute of Literary Arts.

All community members are invited to the 3rd Annual Armenian Genocide Education Awards Luncheon, to show their appreciation, celebrate and honor educators for their dedication to teaching about the Armenian Genocide. This year’s luncheon is scheduled to begin at 11am at De Luxe Banquet Hall in Burbank. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available online. Please reserve your tickets immediately as last year this event sold out early. For additional information, visit the ANCA-WR website or call (818) 500-1918.

The Armenian National Committee of America- Western Region (ANCA-WR) is a grassroots public affairs organization devoted to advancing issues of concern to the Armenian American community. For nearly a century, the ANCA-WR has served to educate, motivate and activate the Armenian American community in the Western United States on a wide range of issues.

WASHINGTON—Speaking before a capacity crowd of young Armenian public policy professionals at the ANCA’s Aramian House, Armenian American Congresswoman Jackie Kanchelian Speier (D-CA) shared her powerful life story of overcoming personal tragedy and emerging as one of America’s most powerful political leaders.

“Today, as we honor the strong Armenian women who lead our communities, we have the privilege of speaking with one of the strongest women in Congress – one who embodies her ancestors’ will to survive, one who has overcome great adversity – from Jonestown to being a #MeToo victim long before that phrase was coined,” said ANCA Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Director Tereza Yerimyan, in her welcoming remarks. “Representative Speier comes from a long line of women who have instilled in her that she must fight for what’s right, that she must uncover the truth even if it means risking her own life.”

Reading heartbreaking passages from her memoir, “Undaunted” – Congresswoman Speier described the harrowing story of how she survived being shot at point-blank range during a Congressional investigative mission to Jonestown, Guyana, site of the Jonestown cult massacre in 1978. She would go on to read a passage describing how she overcame the tragic passing of her husband, Dr. Steve Sierra, who was hit by a drunk driver.

“It’s really a story of resilience, and for each of us, it’s about the ability to recover. Sometimes, we don’t think we do, but we all have that well of strength, internally” said Rep. Speier.

Turning to the ANCA Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Fellows and youth in the room, Rep. Speier stated, “I hope that you hear in my story something that is your story – something that will crystallize the sense of knowing that your future is in public policy. It is around making this country and Armenia stronger – the ties between them stronger – and that we could see greater democracies flourish around the world.”

Asked about the future of U.S.-Armenia relations particularly following the 2018 Velvet Revolution, Rep. Speier, who serves as Co-Chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus said this is a “golden opportunity” for both countries to strengthen ties, noting that she looks forward to working with the Caucus leadership to take concrete steps to advance shared priorities.

Sue Aramian, who along with sisters, the late Martha and late Margot, are the patron saints of the Aramian House, joined her niece Jocelyn Micollucci in toasting Rep. Speier’s indomitable spirit. “For you to be here, Congresswoman, with your book and your story, is a fulfillment of a life-long dream of my medz-hayrig and medz-mayrig and my aunt. I welcome you, and I thank you. To your health and prosperity.”

Also offering remarks was Armenia’s Ambassador to the U.S. Varuzhan Nersesyan, who praised Congresswoman Speier’s leadership on human rights and women’s rights while being an outspoken advocate of Armenian American concerns. Addressing the “new generation of ANCA youth leaders” in the room, Ambassador Nersesyan encouraged them to “follow her path, her inspiring life story – both an Armenian story and an American story.”

Permanent Representative of the Republic of Artsakh to the U.S. Robert Avetisyan and Soorp Khatch Armenian Church Pastor, Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian, joined community leaders in praising Rep. Speier’s memoir.

The evening ended with Rep. Speier graciously signing copies of her book – urging one and all to be “undaunted” in all they do in life. The ANCA Endowment Fund has a limited number of signed copies of Rep. Jackie Speier’s “Undaunted” available for purchase.

YEREVAN (Azatutyun.am)—Armenia will buy more Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter jets from Russia after receiving the first batch of such aircraft, according to Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan.

The Defense Ministry in Yerevan confirmed last week the signing of a Russian-Armenian contract on the delivery of four Su-30SMs to the Armenian Armed Forces. A ministry spokesman hinted at more such acquisitions in the near future.

“Yes, we will not content ourselves with the four planes,” Tonoyan told reporters on Wednesday. He described Su-30SM as the “best modern multirole fighter jet” of its kind.

The Armenian Air Force has had no fighter jets until now. It currently consists of 15 or so low-flying Su-25 jets designed for air-to-ground missions.

The Russian newspaper “Kommersant” reported on February 1 that Yerevan will use a Russian loan to buy four Su-30SMs at internal Russian prices set well below international market-based levels. It did not specify their total price.

The Armenian Defense Ministry has refused to disclose the cost of the acquisition, saying that that is “classified information.”

Tonoyan made the comments five days after his latest visit to Moscow during which he met with Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu and the head of a Russian government agency overseeing arms deals with foreign states.

Tonoyan’s office said that he and Shoygu discussed, among other things, supplies of Russian-made “state-of-the-art and precision-guided weapons” which would give the Armenian military “preventive superiority” over its adversaries. It did not elaborate.

The Russian Defense Ministry noted the “friendly and constructive character” of the talks between the two ministers.

A founding member of the American University of Armenia, where he was President Emeritus, and life-long community activist and educator, Dr. Mihran Agbabian, passed away on Tuesday in Los Angeles.

Agbabian was born in Cyprus in 1923 and he grew up in Aleppo, Syria, before moving to Beirut, Lebanon to study at the American University of Beirut. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Physics (1944) and Bachelor’s degree in engineering (1947), and he came to the United States in 1947 to continue his education at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) where he received his Master’s degree. He completed his studies at the University of California at Berkeley where he received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering in 1951.

After working as a structural engineer at several engineering companies, he co-founded the engineering consulting company, Agbabian Associates, in 1963.

In 1984, Dr. Agbabian was appointed as the Fred Champion Professor of Engineering at the University of Southern California. He served as Chairman of the Civil Engineering Department and Director of the Environmental Engineering program from 1984 to 1992.

He is the founding president of the American University of Armenia in Yerevan which started its operation on September 23, 1991, the same day when Armenia declared its independence. The University, known to all as AUA, is affiliated with the University of California system and is sponsored by the Armenian General Benevolent Union. The university is a graduate school and has graduated more than 2000 persons with Master’s degrees in Business Management, Industrial and Earthquake Engineering, Political Science and International Relations, Public Health, Law, and Information Technology, most of whom are employed in Armenia. It also has a University Extension program and it offers special courses in English and Environmental Management,

After serving AUA in the capacity of founding president, he retired in 1997, and he was appointed by the Board of Trustees as President Emeritus, working on special assignments for the growth of the university.

Dr. Agbabian was married to Elizabeth Apkarian who has worked with him serving their community. They have three sons, Paul (married to Kate Nyberg); Bryan (married to Valina Ghoukassian); and Michael; as well as three granddaughters, Sabrina, Erika, Lori, and a grandson. Arman.

He was elected Member of the US National Academy of Engineering (1982) , the Armenian National Academy of Sciences (1990), and the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences (1995). He has received the University of California at Berkeley Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Citation and the Caltech Distinguished Alumnus Award.

He has an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Yerevan State University and he is Honorary Member of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute and its Past President, and he is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 1955 he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition Organization of New York for outstanding contributions as an immigrant.

Agbabian received the Movses Khorenatzi Medal (2001) from the President of the Republic of Armenia for exceptional achievement in educational development. The Armenian Church has recognized Dr. Agbabian. He has received the Sahag-Mesrob Medal from His Holiness Catholicos Karekin I, the St. Mesrob Medal from His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, and the St.Vartan Medal from His Holiness Catholicos John Bedros XVIII.

Dr. Agbabian has served the Armenian community in a number of organizations. He was member of the Central Board of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, a founding member of the Armenian Film Foundation, vice president of the Armenian Missionary Association of America, vice-chairman of the Board of Haigazian College, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Armenian Assembly of America, and General Chairman of the First Congress of the Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America.