ANCA-WR Welcomes Abrahamian and Khodanian on Staff

GLENDALE—The Armenian National Committee of America—Western Region (ANCA-WR) welcomed Serob Abrahamian and Dickran Khodanian this week as its new Government Relations Communications coordinators.

(L to R) Serob Abrahamian and Dickran Khodanian (Photos: ANCA-WR)

“The ANCA-WR Board of Directors is very proud to have such a dynamic and energetic staff to lead our efforts to advance the Armenian Cause,” said ANCA-WR Chairperson Nora Hovsepian in a statement. “Both Serob and Dickran have grown up in this community, are graduates of our Armenian schools, and have their organizational roots in the AYF [the Armenian youth Federation]…. They will serve as passionate advocates for our Cause and will surely help us take the ANCA-WR to heightened levels of success.”

Abrahamian will work to continue the exemplary efforts of the previous government affairs director, Tereza Yerimyan, who is currently the program director for the ANCA Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program in Washington.

As government relations coordinator, Abrahamian will develop and cultivate relationships with government officials (federal, state, and local), their representatives, candidates for elected office, and community-based organizations.

“It’s a great honor working for the ANCA-WR. Being the voice for the Armenian-American community is a serious role that should not be taken lightly. I’m ready to establish relationships with public officials and to grow the already existing relationships we have with current officials,” said Abrahamian.

Abrahamian joins the ANCA-WR team after a three-year stint in Armenia, where he worked one year in Goris in the IT sector and then completed his Master’s in Political Science and International Affairs at the American University of Armenia, in Yerevan. Before his three-year move to Armenia, he participated in Birthright Armenia, teaching English communication at Yerevan State University.

Prior to moving back to Los Angeles, Abrahamian was interning at the Ministry of Nature Protection, where he worked both in the Water Resource Management Department, researching policies from around the world that would help solve issues in the Ararat Valley, and in the International Communications Department, writing and editing English communication.

In Los Angeles, Abrahamian was an active member of the AYF Western U.S., where he served on both local and regional executives. He also participated in the ANCA-WR internship program in 2011.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Abrahamian holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was an active member of the University’s Armenian Student Association.

As communications coordinator, Khodanian will manage all aspects of media relations, from developing publicity strategies and marketing campaigns to writing news releases and preparing statements and arranging interviews. He will also assist in the continued development and use of the ANCA-WR brand, among other tasks.

“I look forward to taking grassroots activism to the next level by joining the ANCA-WR team,” said Khodanian. “I’m also excited to be continuing the legacy of many before me who have set the stage for success through their achievements with the ANCA-WR.”

Khodanian returns to Los Angeles after completing his Master of Arts degree in history, with a specialization in Modern Armenian history, from Boston University; while in Boston, he was also the assistant editor of The Armenian Weekly. Prior to that, he spent six months in Armenia volunteering and working with the AYF’s “With Our Soldiers” campaign. While volunteering through Birthright Armenia, he worked at the National Library of Armenia, Civilnet, and the Shirak Regional Museum. He also participated in ANCA’s Leo Sarkisian Internship Program and the Capital Gateway Program in Washington, in 2015.

Khodanian has previously served as the assistant editor of the English section of Asbarez News and has also been involved in the AYF on a local and regional level.

Born in Fresno and raised in Los Angeles, Khodanian holds a Bachelor of Arts in History, with a minor in Armenian Studies, from California State University, Northridge.

The ANCA-WR is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western U.S. 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.