Glendale, CA – The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) announced this morning that it will be honoring Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti with its very prestigious ANCA-WR Man of the Year Award.  The honor will be bestowed upon Mayor Garcetti at the organization’s Annual Gala Banquet on November 30, 2013 at the Ray Dolby Ballroom located in the heart of Los Angeles, California.

“The ANCA-WR Board of Directors has named Mayor Eric Garcetti as Man of the Year not only to acknowledge and thank him for his 12-year tenure as a close friend and ally of our community while representing Little Armenia in the City Council, but also to solidify our long-standing relationship with him at the start of his first term as Mayor of our great city. We enthusiastically look forward to continuing to work closely with him and his administration to advance the Armenian Cause, address issues of importance to Armenian Angelenos, ensure proper representation of our community in City government, and generally improve life in Los Angeles for all its inhabitants,” stated ANCA WR Chair Nora Hovsepian.

In just his first 100 days as Mayor, Garcetti has already taken many steps in showing his continued steadfast support for the Armenian community and his commitment to building on his strong relationship with the ANCA-WR.  The ANCA-WR met with Mayor Garcetti just a day over a month ago during which time the two parties discussed issues of mutual concern and collaboration moving forward including, finding innovative ways to improve the Los Angeles Sister City relationship with Yerevan, proper representation in city government, and the critical role of the ANCA-WR in serving as a median between the community and the initiatives proposed and implemented by the Mayor’s office.

During his tenure as councilmember representing Little Armenia, Mayor Garcetti consistently called upon the U.S. Government to recognize the independence of Artsakh and the Armenian Genocide.  His long list of undertakings for the betterment of the Armenian community also include helping initiate the sister-city partnership between Los Angeles and Yerevan, advocating for city council to add Armenian language to election ballots and materials, and providing funding to support programs and projects of many community based organizations and projects such as the Armenian Relief Society, Homenetmen L.A., Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry, and the Armenian Youth Federation among others.

In an effort to ensure a high Armenian-American voter turnout, ANCA-WR and its local chapters activated their grassroots efforts for the Los Angeles elections.  The long list of ANCA-WR activities leading up to Election Day included heavy voter registration and community education initiatives, GOTV efforts, and equipping each candidate’s campaign with community volunteers.

“Mayor Garcetti has time and again demonstrated unparalleled leadership not just on Armenian issues, but also on critical issues that impact the daily lives of Angelenos from all walks of life.  As Councilmember, he raised his district to new heights by increasing jobs and youth programs, cutting violent crimes, adding green space, helping balance the budget, while leading unmatched pension reforms and we are proud to see him continue on the same path now as Mayor,” stated Executive Director of ANCA Western Region Elen Asatryan.  “We are truly excited to have him join us at our annual banquet as we honor him with the ANCA-WR Man of the Year Award,” added Asatryan.

This year, the ANCA-WR Annual Gala Banquet will be coupled with the much anticipated ANCA Grassroots Conference slated Thanksgiving Weekend. The banquet will take place on Saturday, November 30, 2013 at The Ray Dolby Ballroom, the site of the Oscar’s Governors’ Ball. Legendary chef Wolfgang Puck will be catering a special menu for the ANCA-WR Banquet. The event will begin with cocktail hour at 7:30 p.m. and formal program and dinner at 8:30p.m. The event is expected to sell out well before November 15th.

Individuals interested in attending the Annual Gala Banquet and Grassroots Conference are encouraged to contact the ANCA-WR office at (818) 500-1918 or purchase tickets online at www.itsmyseat.com/ANCAWR. To obtain updates on the conference, like the ANCA Western Region Facebook page at Facebook.com/ANCAWesternRegion or visit ancawr.org.

That same night, the ANCA-WR will also honor Legendary Coach Jerry Tarkanian with the People’s Champion Award; Manas Boujikian with the Legacy Award; Primate of Artsakh, Archbishop Barkev Martirosyan with the Khrimian Hayrig Award; Assemblymember Katcho Achadjian with the Legislator of the Year Award; and Filmmaker Ara Soudjian with the Vahan Cardashian Award.

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.

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