Dr. Robert O. Krikorian to serve as Master of Ceremonies at 2025 ANCA Eastern Region Gala
Career U.S. government official and educator to lead October 11 program honoring national and community leaders in Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region (ANCA-ER) is proud to announce that Dr. Robert O. Krikorian will serve as the Master of Ceremonies for the 19th Annual ANCA Eastern Region Gala, to be held on Saturday, October 11, 2025, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C.
The Gala will begin at 7:00 p.m. with a reception, silent auction and awards program honoring distinguished leaders for their service to the Armenian Cause and the Armenian homeland. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available at givergy.us/ancaer2025.
Dr. Krikorian has devoted more than two decades to public service in the U.S. government, where his leadership in national security and foreign policy analysis helped inform American engagement across Eurasia and the wider world. His career in the Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research included senior positions as Director of Analytic Standards and Integration, Analytic Ombudsman, Director of Analytic Support and Production and Senior Advisor for Strategic Intelligence. Earlier, he served as a diplomatic historian, focusing on the practical and policy-relevant applications of historical knowledge.
Born and raised in Worcester, Mass., — home to the oldest Armenian community in the Western Hemisphere — Dr. Krikorian is a descendant of survivors of the Armenian Genocide, with roots in Kharpert, Malatya and Adana. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Clark University, a Master’s from The George Washington University and a Ph.D. in History and Eurasian Studies from Harvard University, where he also taught courses in Russian and Middle Eastern History. He has additionally served on the faculty of the Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University and lectured at the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute, training U.S. diplomats for postings in the South Caucasus and beyond.
Dr. Krikorian has written and spoken extensively on the modern history and politics of Armenia and Eurasia. His scholarly and professional work has been shaped by on-the-ground experience, including service with international development organizations in Armenia during the late Soviet period and work with the United States Agency for International Development in the aftermath of the 1988 Spitak earthquake. He is also a proud veteran of the First Artsakh Liberation War.
Beyond his distinguished public service, Dr. Krikorian has been a valued mentor and speaker to Armenian American youth through the ANCA’s leadership development programs, including the Rising Leaders Program, the Kasparian Summer Academy, the Leo Sarkisian Internship and the Maral Melkonian Avetisyan Fellowship. He has also served as a mentor to Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program participants and other young professionals pursuing public service careers in Washington, D.C. His guidance has inspired a new generation of Armenian Americans to embrace civic duty, professional excellence and leadership in national life.
“Dr. Krikorian’s life reflects the highest ideals of public service — in the best of our American and Armenian traditions,” remarked Dr. Ara Chalian, Chair of the ANCA Eastern Region. “His decades of work in the diplomatic community, his record of world-class academic scholarship and his longstanding mentorship of young Armenian Americans all distinguish Dr. Krikorian as a role model for our youth and an important inspiration for us all. We are honored to have him lead this year’s Gala.”
The ANCA Eastern Region Gala is the largest annual gathering of Armenian American grassroots advocates, community leaders and public servants east of the Mississippi. It is an evening of reflection and renewal — celebrating those whose work strengthens the voice of the Armenian people in the United States and advances the Cause of freedom and justice for the Armenian Nation.
For tickets, sponsorships, and more information, please visit givergy.us/ancaer2025 or email ergala@anca.org.
