Political staffers to discuss campaign experiences at the local, state, and federal levels
GLENDALE—The Armenian National Committee – Western Region announced that vateran political staffers Rostom Sarkissian and Matt Senekeremian will serve as panelists in “Grassroots: Empower and Lead,” a workshop on activism through politics. The workshop is part of the ANC Grassroots weekend that will take place from Friday, November 25 to Sunday, November 27, at the Sheraton Universal Hotel.
Since 1999, Rostom Sarkissian has worked across various sectors of public policy. His experience includes media and government relations, non-profit development, and executive management.
He served as the deputy press secretary of Obama for America in Colorado; and deputy field director for the Democratic Party of Oregon. Locally, he has served as a consultant for the Glendale Teachers Association; for the Burbank City Council campaign of Garen Yegparian; the Glendale City Clerk campaign of Ardashes Kassakhian; and he managed the 2003 campaign to elect Rafi Manoukian to Glendale City Council.
Sarkissian received a master’s degree in public policy from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government. He completed his undergraduate education in Diplomacy and World Affairs at Occidental College, after which he completed the Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs at the center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Matt Senekeremian is currently a Board member for the San Francisco Bay Area ANC; he previously served as the ANCSF district director from 2007-2010. He has spent the last four years working in a number of state and local campaigns and organizations. Most recently, he was the Northern California Field Organizer for Gavin Newsom’s lieutenant gubernatorial campaign. Prior to joining the campaign, Senekeremian worked for two years as an intern for the Neighborhood Empowerment Network, which is a coalition of non-profit organizations, city agencies, and community leaders that empowers communities to become eco-conscious, safer, and ultimately be better prepared for natural disasters. Prior to that, Senekeremian was an intern for Gavin Newsom during his tenure as San Francisco mayor.
Senekeremian graduated from San Francisco State University (SFSU) with a bachelor’s degree in political science, and an emphasis on Public Policy and Urban Planning.
The panelists will discuss the avenues through which activists can become engaged in the political arena. For many years, the ANC-WR has worked at the community level to heighten Armenian American awareness and increase involvement in local, state and federal politics. The panel will emphasize the importance of individuals working at the grassroots level to promote Hai Tahd.
The three-day ANC Grassroots program is a groundbreaking weekend of workshops and panel presentations that will educate the community about civic leadership arising from grassroots efforts. ANC Grassroots will bookend the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region Annual Banquet, which will take place on Saturday, November 26 at 7 p.m.
ANC Grassroots and the Annual Banquet are open to interested individuals throughout the entire United States, and participants are encouraged to register early.
Tickets for ANC Grassroots, which includes the Friday night cocktail in the Starview Room; as well as conference sessions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, which include breakfast, post-banquet dance, and a keynote luncheon on Sunday, are $150. Tickets for the Annual Banquet are $200. Those interested in attending the Annual Banquet and ANC Grassroots can purchase a package for $300.
Students with valid ID can purchase discounted tickets to the Annual Banquet and Conference.
