BURBABK—Members of the Armenian National Committee of Burbank (ANC Burbank) met with Deputy City Manager, Joy Forbes at Burbank City Hall on Feb. 24. The meeting is part of an ongoing effort to nurture and strengthen ANC Burbank’s ties with city leaders, by encouraging regular meetings with local officials.
ANC Burbank Board members Silva Kechichian and Annette Kargodorian were present. A variety of topics were discussed, including increasing community involvement and language services.
Silva Kechichian ANC Burbank chair commented, “We were hoping for an interactive conversation where we could share with Ms. Forbes some of our recent activities and stress that ANC Burbank continues to address issues faced by Burbank residents. I thought her feedback was very helpful and offered a new perspective on some of our objectives.”
Ms. Forbes stressed the importance of participating in neighborhood leadership and other city sponsored programs. Both parties discussed the idea of establishing meetings to include residents from diverse backgrounds as well as City Council members, to create a forum in which ideas and issues could be exchanged.
During the meeting, ANC Burbank acquired about increasing translation services as well as the availability of information and forms in Armenian. Ms. Forbes explained how the rules vary between cities and states. She also provided guidance as to how ANC Burbank could achieve such an increase.
Joy Forbes first joined the City of Burbank as an intern in the Redevelopment Division. She quickly rose within the Planning Division to her current position as Deputy City Manager in 2009. Ms. Forbes oversees the Public Information Office as well as the staff of the City Council office. She works closely with the City Manager and Community Development Department on issues of economic development and to ensure City Council goals are achieved.
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The Armenian National Committee of Burbank advances the social, economic, cultural, and political rights of the area’s Armenian American community and promotes increased Armenian American civic participation at the grassroots and public policy levels.
