LOS ANGELES, CA—Earlier today, the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region announced that Steve Artinian will Chair the organization’s 2015 Annual Gala Banquet set for October 25th, and Ara Khachatourian and Ayk Dikijian will Co-Chair the third ANCA WR Grassroots Conference to take place on October 23rd-24th. The announcement comes on the same day the organization launched the websites for the two events, allowing community members to learn more, rsvp and register to be part of the much anticipated ANCA WR Weekend.

“The ANCA-WR Board of Directors has every confidence in the exemplary leadership, talent and vision of its own Board member, Steve Artinian, to Chair its premier event, the Annual Gala Banquet. Steve has assembled a stellar team of former Banquet Chairs as well as an impressive group of dedicated sub-committee chairs and volunteers to ensure that this year’s Gala Banquet is an unprecedented success, and we are grateful for the time, dedication and commitment of each of them toward this effort, said ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian.

“On the same weekend, our third Grassroots Conference will once again provide an opportunity to bring our community together to address current issues of importance in advancing the Armenian Cause, and our Board has every confidence in the leadership of Ara Khachatourian and Ayk Dikijian in heading this year’s wonderfully dedicated Grassroots Conference Committee as they aim to reach new heights of distinction and activism,” Hovsepian continued. “We are proud and honored to have such an esteemed and experienced group leading the planning efforts of our two signature events and are certain that our community members will attend and support both events as they have in past years.”

Steve Artinian is currently the Treasurer of the ANCA WR Board. Professionally, Steve is Vice President of Marketing of Home Organizers, Inc., and its wholly-owned subsidiaries Closet World, Inc., Closets By Design, Inc., Closet Dimensions, Inc. and CBD Franchising, Inc. with locations throughout the US and Canada. Steve served 4 years as the regional chairman of Homenetmen Western USA and became chairman of the 2014 ANCA Telethon Committee. In addition, he also served as Co-Chair of the Western Prelacy PR Committee for the visit by His Holiness Aram I, as well as chairman of the PR and Marketing committee of the 2015 historic Los Angeles March for Justice on April 24. He sits on several committees for Homenetmen, ARS, ANCA-WR, the ACF and the Armenian Bone Marrow Registry.

Former chairs of the ANCA-WR Annual Gala Banquet who are graciously lending their expertise and time to join Steve in the Steering Committee of the 2015 Gala include Linda Adran, Arsho Beylerian, Elizabeth Boyadjian, Aida Dimejian, Christina Jabarian, Jassig Jarahian, Karo Khanjian, Aida Yeghiazarian, and Souzi Zerounian-Khanzadian.

The Annual Gala Banquet is the much-anticipated signature event for the ANCA-WR and the Armenian-American community, where over 1,000 activists, supporters, donors, and public officials come together to acknowledge the work of the organization and to pay homage to annual honorees whose contribution to the Armenian Cause is recognized each year. Previous honorees who have been acknowledged at this event include former attorney general and current California Governor, Jerry Brown; CA Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin De Leon, California State Assemblymember and Candidate for California’s 24th Congressional District Katcho Achadjian, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Primate of the Diocese of Artsakh, Archbishop Parkev Martirosyan, rock band System of a Down, and legendary late coach Jerry Tarkanian.

The Bi-Annual ANCA-WR Grassroots Conference on the same weekend will examine issues facing the Armenian community post-Genocide Centennial and create organizing spaces with experts in fields of academia, politics, grassroots activism, and the arts to work towards a cohesive plan to address issues affecting Armenians around the world and to mobilize for the advancement of the Armenian Cause. The Grassroots Conference provides a series of lectures, seminars, and workshops to educate grassroots activists and provide them with the tools necessary to engage individually and collectively in these efforts.

ANCA-WR Grassroots Conference Co-Chair Ayk Dikijian is a 7-year attorney at one the largest civil litigation firms in Los Angeles.  He was formerly the chair of the ANCA-Professional Network and has since worked on various ANCA endeavors such as “America We Thank You: An Armenian Tribute to Near East Relief” and the last ANCA Grassroots Conference in 2013.

ANCA-WR Grassroots Conference Co-Chair Ara Khachatourian is the English Editor of Asbarez Daily Armenian Newspaper. He has been in that position, off and on, since 1992. He was Media Director at Rock the Vote, as well as Media Relations Director at the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region. He has been an ANCA-WR Board Member and has chaired the ANCA-WR Grassroots Conference Committee in 2011 and 2013. He was also part of the March for Justice organizing committee.

Together, they are leading an exemplary group of dedicated activists who are diligently working to ensure that this year’s Conference is successful in every way.

Both events will take place at the legendary Hyatt Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, California.

Announcements of this year’s exciting Grassroots panelists and Banquet honorees will be forthcoming.

To obtain up to the minute updates on the 2015 ANCA Weekend, like the ANCA Western Region Facebook page at Facebook.com/ANCAWesternRegion, follow ANCA WR on Instagram or Twitter @ANCA_WR, and visit ancawr.org.

To RSVP, reserve seats and learn more, please go to www.ANCAWR.org.

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.