PRESS RELEASE
Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
ancawr@anca.org

April 7, 2004

Contact: Ardashes Kassakhian
Telephone: 818.500.1918

ANCA-WR WELCOMES NEW GOVERMENT RELATIONS DIRECTOR

ANC Activist Armen Carapetian Brings Experience and Knowledge to
Organization’s Advocacy Work

GLENDALE, CA’The Armenian National Committee of America ` Western
Region (ANCA-WR) announced this week that Armen Carapetian has joined
the organization to serve as its Government Relations Director.
Carapetian will be working with ANCA-WR Executive Director Ardashes
Kassakhian.

As Government Relations Director, Carapetian will represent the
ANCA-WR before federal, state and local officials. He will be
responsible for educating public officials on a range of issues
important to Armenian-Americans living in the Western United
States. Carapetian will work closely with local ANC chapters to
promote issues of concern to Armenian-Americans.

Carapetian, a longtime ANC activist, most recently led the successful
effort to pass an Armenian Genocide resolution in the Maryland State
Legislature in the face of vigorous opposition by U.S. Secretary of
State Colin Powell, the Turkish Embassy in Washington, DC and a number
of major defense companies. In addition to his efforts on various
local projects, Carapetian, an alumnus of the ANCA Leo Sarkisian
Summer Internship Program in Washington, DC, has helped advance ANCA
initiatives on the Congressional front.

`I am proud to add another talented individual to our staff,’ remarked
ANCA-WR Chairman Raffi Hamparian. `Having known Armen for many years,
I look forward to working with him again in advancing the Armenian
Cause. With the dedicated combination of ANCA-WR Executive Director
Ardashes Kassakhian and Armen Carapetian, the ANC will become a
stronger, more effective advocate for the Armenian-American
community,’ added Hamparian.

Prior to joining the ANCA-WR staff, Carapetian worked for the
Burlington Free Press, which is Vermont’s largest daily newspaper.
Before moving to Burlington, he lived in the Republic of Armenia,
where he worked for the International Executive Service Corps and for
Arlex International, a highly regarded legal and business consulting
firm established by noted Armenian American attorney Tom Samuelian.
Carapetian, who holds a Master’s degree in Economics, also served as
an energy analyst at Pace Global Services of Fairfax, Virginia from
1999 to 2001.

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and
most influential Armenian American grassroots political
organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices,
chapters, and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated
organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the
concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of
issues.

Editor’s Note: Photo attached with caption – ANCA-WR Executive
Director Ardashes Kassakhian welcomes new Government Relations
Director Armen Carapetian on board.
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