Assembly Member Adrin Nazarian is a product of the San Fernando Valley where he graduated from Ferrahian Armenian School before receiving his B.A. in Economics from UCLA. Upon graduating from UCLA, Nazarian participated in the prestigious CORO Fellowship in Public Affairs program, and then served for two years as an aide to Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) before being appointed by Governor Gray Davis to the California Trade and Commerce Agency. Nazarian went on to serve as Chief of Staff to then-Assistant Majority Leader Paul Krekorian in the California State Legislature and continued in that capacity when Krekorian was elected to the Los Angeles City Council. In 2012, Nazarian was elected to the California State Assembly, where he serves communities within the San Fernando Valley as one of two Armenian Americans currently in the state legislature. He and his wife, Diana, live in Sherman Oaks, with their sons, Alex and David.
Garo Ghazarian is currently serving a second term as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Armenian Bar Association. He also serves as Chairman of the City of Glendale’s Civil Service Commission, charged with the oversight of the 1,500 employees of the city. Ghazarian is the Dean of People’s College of Law (PCL) in Los Angeles, and the Proprietor and Chief Litigator of a law firm based in Encino, California. He is an active member of many community organizations, including the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) and the Armenian Center for National & International Studies. Ghazarian has appeared as a guest on several major television outlets and has lectured and presented extensively to state and federal law enforcement academies, major universities, and the National Strategy Information Center (NSIC) in Washington D.C.
The event will also feature Raffi Hamparian, ANCA National Board Member, as Master of Ceremonies.
“We are very fortunate to have these distinguished individuals be part of our annual event,” stated Matt Senekeremian, Chairman of ANCA-SF. “We look forward to hearing their insights on issues important to the Armenian American community as we celebrate the progress we have made in advancing the Armenian Cause.”
A landmark event for the San Francisco Armenian American community, the annual Hye Tad Evening brings together hundreds of individuals who support the local ANCA’s efforts to advance the concerns of the Armenian Americans on a broad range of issues. Past keynote speakers have included former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Marshall Evans, former Foreign Minister of Armenia Raffi Hovanissian, U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, U.S. Congresswoman Jackie Speier, Hrant Dink, and Regip Zarakolu.
This year’s Hye Tad Evening will take place on Saturday, March 1, 2014 at 6:30 pm at Saroyan Hall, 825 Brotherhood Way in San Francisco. Tickets are $125 for adults and $75 for students. Interested parties may purchase tickets by emailing haig@ancawr.org or by calling (415) 387-3433.
The Armenian National Committee of America-San Francisco 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 ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.
