PRESS RELEASE

Camp Haiastan
P. O. Box C
Franklin, MA 02038
Contact: Robert Avakian, Executive Director
Tel: 508-528-0505
Fax: 123-456-7890
E-mail: haicamp@ncounty.net
Web:

CAMP HAIASTAN APPOINTS ROY S. CALLAN AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Camp Haiastan Board of Directors is most pleased to announce
the appointment of Mr. Roy S. Callan as Executive Director of Camp
Haiastan. Mr. Callan will be replacing Robert A. Avakian, the current
Executive Director, who will be retiring after many years of service
to the Camp.

Roy Callan has been active in Armenian circles for several decades,
both on the West Coast and in the Mid-West. Born in California and
the grandson of an Armenian priest (Der Levon Parunakian), Mr. Callan
graduated from California State University with a Bachelor’s Degree
and California Lutheran University with a Master of Arts. He moved to
Detroit, has run the AGBU Camp Ararat summer camp in Michigan and is
currently a Social Studies teacher and Athletic Director at the Alex &
Marie Manoogian School in Southfield, Michigan. He and his wife have
also successfully run several businesses together in the Detroit area.

Dedication to family and the Armenian community has been the central
focal point of Mr. Callan’s life. He has been a church school teacher
at St. John ‘s Armenian Church for twenty-six years, an adult and
youth basketball coach for twenty years in the St. John’s Armenian
Church Basketball League, a member of the Knights of Vartan for over
fifteen years, a fund raiser for the Manoogian School, a Detroit
AYF Olympics coach, a Grants chairman for the One Hundred Hyes
Philanthropic Organization and a member and past president of the
Armenco Investment Club.

Roy Callan and Yerchanig Hoplamazian of Detroit were married in 1977
and have three children, Dickran, Vahan and Knar. All three are
Camp Haiastan veterans, having attended as campers in the 1990s.
They all have also been members of the AYF Kopernik Tandourjian
Junior and Senior chapters with Dickran serving as President of
the Senior chapter. Vahan has had the opportunity to serve in the
Armenian National Committee intern program in Washington, D.C. and
is currently an aide to a United States Congressman from New Jersey.
Knar is presently a student at Western Michigan University where she
is majoring in Education.

This next phase in Roy’s life story is the move to Franklin,
Massachusetts. The Callans will move East in June, after completing
the school year. When discussing the move to Franklin he was quite
clear in his motivation of adding to the Camp Haiastan legacy.
He is quoted as noting “…Camp Haiastan is clearly very special; it’s
mission is unique and extremely important to the Armenian community.
Robert Avakian has made immeasurable contributions and is clearly
“Mr. Camp Haiastan”. I look forward to adding my contribution to this
wonderful community asset.”

Stephen Mesrobian, the Board member who chaired the Search Committee,
was most impressed with the Callan appointment. “Roy brings everything
to the table; a committed member of the Armenian community, a
successful businessman, pertinent experience in the area of Armenian
camping, connections to Camp Haiastan, a born teacher, interest in
athletics and a deliberate, sound reasoning process. We have been
fortunate to have Bob Avakian as our Executive Director for so long.
Bob’s unique talents and experiences are impossible to replace.
But, as we enter this next phase in the life of Camp Haiastan, we
think we have in Roy Callan the right person for the right job at
the right time.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress