GLENDALE – California State Assemblymembers Anthony Portantino and Katcho Achadjian were welcomed by a full house at the inaugural Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) Meet and Greet at Phoenicia restaurant in Glendale yesterday evening.
The two representatives had flown down from Sacramento just for the event in an opportunity for them to meet members of the community and talk to them about the important issues California was facing today. Both representatives were on a plane back to the state capital after the event.
Attendees of the first Meet and Greet filled the room to capacity, enjoying their food and drink and socializing until the program started.
“It’s never easy to know how a first-time event will go but with the popularity of Assemblyman Portantino in our community and with the addition of Armenian American Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian, I was not surprised that our event was a huge success,” said ANCA-WR Board Member and lead organizer for the event, Pattyl Aposhian.
“What we learned was that there is a high demand for events like this where members of our community come and meet their elected representatives and leaders while also networking and socializing with each other,” Aposhian concluded.
After a short introduction by ANCA-WR staff, Portantino, who is in his last term, took center stage to discuss the work that he had done as an Assemblyman in Sacramento. A recurring theme throughout the night was the state budget and what legislators, along with Governor Jerry Brown, were doing to make sure that a deal is reached in the near future.
Although the two representatives come from different political parties, Portantino being a Democrat and Achadjian a Republican, they both emphasized the importance of working across party lines to do what is best for California. In a more lighthearted moment, Portantinto quipped that, “it was the Armenian community that finally brought Democrats and Republicans together.”
Both Portantino and Achadjian expressed their thanks and gratitude to the ANCA-WR for being a leader and a voice for the Armenian American community and for their initiative in putting the Meet and Greet series together.
The Meet and Greet series is based on a program started by the Armenian National Committee of Glendale, a local chapter of the ANCA-WR, where citizens were given the opportunity to hear and question local leaders on issues of concern to them.
The Armenian National Committee of America-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 ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.
