Armenian National Committee – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918
Fax: 818.246.7353
ancwr@anca.org

PRESS RELEASE

December 10, 2008
Contact: Ani Garabedian

ANC-WR Congratulates Assembly Member Paul Krekorian

– Krekorian Appointed Assistant Majority Floor Leader of the
California State Assembly

Sacramento, CA – The Armenian National Committee – Western Region
(ANC-WR) is pleased to welcome Assemblymember Paul Krekorian
(D-Burbank) to his new post as Assistant Majority Floor Leader of the
California State Assembly. The post is the third-ranking leadership
position in the Assembly after Speaker of the Assembly Karen Bass
(D-Los Angeles) who appointed Krekorian on December 2, 2008.

"We would like to offer our congratulations to Assemblymember
Krekorian on his newly appointed position in the California State
Assembly," said ANC-WR Executive Director Andrew Kzirian. "As an
Armenian-American, the Assemblymember has been a strong activist and
voice for the community within the State Assembly and we look forward
to continue working with him in his new post," he added.

Krekorian, together with Majority Leader Alberto Torrico, will be the
Speaker’s principal representatives on the Assembly Floor. As
Assistant Majority Floor Leader, Krekorian will help to lead all floor
debates in the Assembly on behalf of the Democratic Caucus, and he
will provide policy and political guidance to the Speaker.

"Assemblymember Krekorian is a strong advocate for the Armenian
American community," stated ANC-WR Chairman Vicken Sonentz-Papazian.
"I am confident that his creativity, energy and leadership will set
the standard for the incoming Assembly in 2009," he remarked.

During his first year in office, Assistant Majority Floor Leader Paul
Krekorian introduced AJR 15 (Assembly Joint Resolution), which
designated April 24, 2007 as California Day of Remembrance for the
Armenian Genocide of 1915 through 1923. Krekorian’s AJR 15 urged
Congress and the President of the United States "to formally recognize
and reaffirm the historical truth that the atrocities committed
against the Armenian people constituted genocide," and called upon the
Republic of Turkey to "acknowledge the facts of the Armenian Genocide
and to work toward a just resolution."

In 2008, Krekorian was the co-author of SJR 24 (Senate Joint
Resolution), a similar resolution, which noted that "by consistently
remembering and openly condemning the atrocities committed against the
Armenians, California residents demonstrate their sensitivity to a
need for constant vigilance to prevent similar atrocities in the
future."

To help highlight the enduring legacy of legendary Armenian-American
playwright and author William Saroyan, Assemblymember Krekorian
co-authored SCR 9, which designated the year 2008 as the William
Saroyan Year for enriching the cultural diversity of the state, and in
particular, for celebrating over 100 years of the cultural
contribution of Armenian-Americans to the people of the state.

Assemblymember Paul Krekorian (D-Burbank) represents the 43rd Assembly
District, including the cities of Burbank and Glendale, and the Los
Angeles communities of Atwater Village, Los Feliz, North Hollywood,
Silver Lake, Toluca Lake, Valley Glen, Valley Village and Van Nuys.

The Armenian National Committee – Western Region is the largest and
most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in
the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of
offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States
and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANC-WR advances
the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of
issues.