From left: Hasmik Keyribarian, Dr. Frieda Jordan, Sen. Portantino and Taleen Khachadourian
Dr. Frieda Jordan, Hasmik Keyribarian and Taleen Khachadourian were among 15 women honored by State Senator Anthony Portantino, who hosted the 25th Senate District Women of Distinction Awards Reception Sunday in Pasadena.
Portantino recognized the distinguished individuals in honor of Women’s History Month, saying that the honorees who reside or work in Glendale, Pasadena, Burbank, Claremont, La Crescenta, Los Angeles, and La Verne “have exemplified and extended volunteerism, philanthropy, and leadership throughout all of the communities in our district.”
25th Senate District Women of Distinction awards recipients
The California State Legislature first recognized March as Women’s History Month in 1987 and has since continued the tradition. Each year, members of the State Legislature recognize exceptional women in their district with a celebration commemorating their efforts.
“I am proud to recognize 15 remarkable women who are dedicated to serving our communities with distinction,” stated Senator Portantino. “The breath of their successful efforts are reflected in countless individuals they have helped and inspired. They are all deserving of this special recognition and I am thankful to be in a position to shine a light on them and the difference they make for the 25th Senate District.”
Dr. Jordan of Glendale is the Co-Founder and President of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR), which was established in 1999 to bring the hope of life-saving bone marrow stem cell transplantation. She has served as Associate Director of the HLA and Immunogenetics Laboratory at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and headed the DNA Molecular Typing Division at Foundation Laboratory.
In 2009, Dr. Jordan and her colleagues launched the ABMDR Stem Cell Harvesting Center in Armenia. ABMDR has recruited over 33,000 donors in 31 countries, identified close to 4,400 patients, and facilitated 39 bone marrow transplants to date. Dr. Jordan has also conducted workshops worldwide and co-authored numerous medical papers.
Over the past 20 years, Hasmik Keyribarian of Glendale has devoted herself whole-heartedly to the Armenian American Medical Society, an organization that provides professional development opportunities for health care providers and resources for the community to lead healthy lives.
Through her work with the Armenian American Medical Society, she has led efforts to organize the annual Glendale Health Festival, which provides free vision, dental, and medical care for nearly 1,000 children and adults in the community. It is through her unwavering involvement in the Armenian community that she found herself volunteering with various organizations including the Armenian Education Foundation and the Western Diocese.
Taleen Khatchadourian of Glendale has been an active member of the Armenian American community for many years and dedicated her time to Rose & Alex Pilibos Armenian School and organizations such as Homenetmen (Armenian General Athletic Union and Scouts) and the Armenian General Benevolent Union. Ms. Khatchdourian has served as Board Adviser to the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry since its inception, co-chairing its first Walk of Life and receiving the Volunteer of the Year Award in 2009 and again in 2015.
Recently, Khatchadourian joined Guidelight Group and has worked to assist transition aged teens and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities by advocating for their needs and navigating the resources they require to live their best life. Ms. Khatchadourian is the current Board President of the Armenian Autism Outreach Project, with a mission to support individuals and families effected by autism, while educating the community for a meaningful integration for all individuals.
Other honorees of the day included, Vannia De La Cuba, Dr. G. Gabrielle Starr, Dr. Hilarie Dyson, Edith M. Fuentes, Joanna Linkchorst, Juliana Serrano, Carmenita Helligar, Janet Kim, Catherine Kim, Celeste Voce, Suzanne Weerts and Dr. Devorah Lieberman.