ANCA Eastern Region welcomes Nairi Diratsouian as Executive Director
The Armenian National Committee of America, Eastern Region has named Nairi Diratsouian, ANCA ER Legislative Affairs and Community Relations Director, as Executive Director in a public announcement during the first-ever ANCA ER Grassroots Seminar, held in Watertown last March.
During her time as Legislative Affairs and Community Relations Director, Diratsouian worked closely with activists across the Eastern Region to strengthen and expand local ANC engagement, contributing to a measurable increase in grassroots participation and coordination across more than 30 communities. Her work has centered on developing the infrastructure necessary for sustainable, locally driven advocacy, ensuring that committees across the region are equipped with the tools, training and strategic guidance needed to lead effectively.
This has included the development and implementation of internal tracking systems and standard operating procedures for local leaders designed to support a wide range of advocacy efforts, including proclamation and resolution campaigns, August recess engagement and broader legislative outreach. These resources have helped create greater consistency across the region while preserving the flexibility needed for local committees to lead initiatives within their own communities.
Diratsouian also played a central role in coordinating and scaling the region’s Advocacy Days, working alongside regional leadership, local organizers and the national ANCA team to build a cohesive and effective program. From developing training materials and preparing advocates to organizing logistics and facilitating congressional outreach, her work helped ensure that participants were equipped to engage meaningfully with lawmakers.
Her work has further contributed to strengthening alignment between local, regional and national teams, supporting more strategic outreach to congressional offices and improving communication and follow-up systems across stakeholders. These efforts have enhanced the ANCA Eastern Region’s ability to respond to emerging priorities while maintaining sustained engagement at local, state and federal levels.
Alongside these efforts, the Eastern Region has seen a marked expansion in youth participation and leadership development, reflecting a growing emphasis on building long-term advocacy pipelines. Through increased engagement in regional programming, including Advocacy Days and the first-ever ANCA ER Grassroots Seminar, students and young activists have taken on a more active role in advancing advocacy efforts across the region. Diratsouian has worked alongside regional leadership and local organizers to help identify and train activists, while strengthening pathways for program participants to remain engaged beyond initial involvement. These efforts have focused on connecting Rising Leaders, Leo Sarkisian Internship alumni and student advocates back to local ANC structures, ensuring sustained participation and continued growth of the region’s grassroots network.
Diratsouian’s involvement with the ANCA began in 2019, when she participated in the Rising Leaders program as a freshman in college, followed by the Leo Sarkisian Internship later that year. In 2020, she joined the ANCA Eastern Region as an Advocacy and Research intern and has since grown within the organization, taking on increasing responsibilities across communications, legislative affairs and community relations. She most recently served as Legislative Affairs and Community Relations Director beginning in 2022, prior to her appointment as Executive Director.
“Nairi Diratsouian is a natural leader whose vision and dedication have consistently advanced our mission in step with the broader priorities of our organization,” said Dr. Ara Chalian, ANCA Eastern Region Chairman. “Under her leadership, the ANCA Eastern Region has reached new heights, strengthening both our impact and our resolve. We are deeply grateful for her tireless commitment and lasting contributions.”
In her new position, Diratsouian will continue working closely with local ANC chapters while expanding efforts to integrate Armenian student organizations, including Armenian Students Associations, as well as young activists across communities into the broader ANC network. A key priority will be strengthening connections between program participants, student leaders and emerging youth advocates with their respective local ANC structures to ensure sustained engagement and long-term leadership development.
She will also work to foster greater collaboration across local committees, encouraging the sharing of resources, strategies and best practices to strengthen regional coordination and collective impact, while expanding training opportunities to equip both student and community-based activists with the tools needed to lead advocacy efforts at the local level. At the policy level, she will help guide coordinated state and local advocacy strategies while continuing to refine systems that support effective outreach to congressional offices and strengthen communication across local, regional and national teams.
Diratsouian is a graduate of Ramapo College of New Jersey, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, with minors in Crime and Justice Studies, Public Policy and Political Science. She remains actively involved in her community beyond the ANC through the AYF-YOARF, having served at both the local and regional levels, including on her local Hai Tahd Committee, chapter executive and the Central Hai Tahd Council, and is currently serving her second term on the AYF-YOARF Central Executive.
