GLENDALE – The Armenian National Committee of America – Glendale Chapter (ANCA Glendale) has organized the first annual ANCA Glendale Award and Appreciation Dinner in order to celebrate and highlight the work and achievements of distinguished individuals and local organizations who have made considerable contributions to the betterment of our community and the City of Glendale. The event will take place on Wednesday May 17, 2017, at six thirty o’clock in the evening at Impressions Banquet Hall 212 North Orange St, Glendale, CA 91203.
The ANCA – Glendale Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Alice Petrossian for the exemplary contributions she has made towards the enrichment of our community throughout her lifetime, and her dedication to public service, beyond the call of duty. Petrossian currently serves as the President of the Los Angeles County Commission for Women; Chair of the ANCA Western Region Education Committee; Past President of the Glendale Adventist Hospital’s Founder’s Guild; and serves on the Board of Directors of Teach for Armenia. She served as Chair of the California Commission for Teacher Credentialing, President of the California Community Colleges Board of Governors, and Trustee of the California State University System and many other commissions and boards.
Throughout her long history of service, Mrs. Petrossian has also served in the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) as Chief Academic Officer-Deputy Superintendent and has held multiple administrative positions in Glendale Unified School District, including 10 years as the Assistant Superintendent-Educational Services. Throughout her 44 year career, she has been an educational leader and advocate for all students.
The ANCA-Glendale Youth Activist Award will be presented to Clark Magnet High School Associated Student Body Vice President, John Bandek for his commendable leadership, extensive record of activism, and active engagement in both the community and classroom. Mr. Bandek serves as the Chairman of the Principal Advisory Committee at Clark Magnet High School. He is a member of the Glendale Unified School District’s Student Advisory Council, the founder and president of the Science Fair Club and co-president of the Armenian Club. Within the community, John has played a crucial role in the advancement of the Armenian cause. He is a member of the Planning Committee for the Glendale Unified School District’s Armenian Camp, a committed member of the Armenian Youth Federation and an active member of the Homenetmen “Shant” Chapter. Mr. Bandek has spent hundreds of hours volunteering for different organizations.
The ANCA-Glendale Community Service Award will be presented to Susan Hunt for her dedication to raising the quality of life within our community and selfless contribution and service to the ongoing welfare of the community-at-large. Mrs. Hunt joined the District in the Public Communications Office in 1996 as Community Resource Specialist doing community outreach – bringing the good news of our students to the community, and bringing the community in to the partnership for excellent educational opportunities for all. She tremendously contributed to the community by taking on a leadership role in different organizations such as the Youth Coalition, Planting the Seeds of Peace Conference, the Human Relations Coalition, the YWCA of Glendale, and the Glendale Educational Foundation. She is currently an active member and past president of Soroptimist International of Glendale.
The ANCA – Glendale Golden Heart Award will be presented to local business owner and community member Naz Atikian for her compassion and care to the less fortunate, for her readiness to help fellow mankind and for the impact she has made on peoples’ lives. Single handedly, through her own generosity and by conveying her contagious and deep conviction in helping charitable causes to people around her, Ms. Atikian has been an angel for the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR) where she serves as a board member. Ms. Atikian devotes countless hours of her time and energy to various charitable organizations, especially those dealing with children in and outside of the Armenian community. She has been an active contributor to the Armenian Relief Society of Western USA, and works with the Family Rescue Fund, to ease the burden of hunger and poverty in some of Armenia’s poorest communities, and empower families to lead lives of self-reliance, meet their own basic needs and build better futures for their children. Having realized her dream, she devotes her life to helping others achieve their own.
The ANCA – Glendale Hye Tahd Award will be presented to community member and Hye Tahd supporter Zareh Issakhanian for his exemplary dedication, unwavering support and ongoing contribution to the betterment of Armenian-American community in Glendale and the Armenian Cause. Mr. Issakhanian began his community involvement when he first joined the Armenian Youth Federation in New York in 1981. He was an active member and served as the President of the New York AYF “Hayprtik” Chapter. After moving to Glendale, CA he became an active member of Homenetmen Glendale “Ararat” Chapter and served on several different committees in various capacities. Mr. Issakhanian embodies all the virtues of an exemplary community activist, philanthropist and successful entrepreneur who silently devotes his time, energy and resources in serving the causes that are near and dear to his heart.
The ANCA – Glendale Maria Jacobsen Humanitarian Award will be presented to that Glendale Adventist Medical Center. Maria Jacobsen was a Danish missionary and a key witness to the Armenian Genocide, whose compassion and selfless dedication to mankind saved over 3600 Armenian orphans and helped them move to Lebanon, where she helped build the Birds’ Nest Orphanage. This award recognizes Glendale Adventists Medical Center, its administration and staff for their devotion to the welfare of humanity by eliminating the suffering and pain of the less fortunate throughout the City of Glendale and internationally. For the last two years, Glendale Adventist Medical Center (GAMC) and Armenia Fund held a joint medical mission providing free medical services and advanced surgeries. The Glendale Adventist Medical Center initiative is much more than a humanitarian relief effort, as it helps restore what is most precious to people: their health, thanks to which they are able to regain their strength and confidence.
The ANCA Glendale Chapter Board is excited and honored to celebrate the work of Glendale Adventists Medical Center and these five individuals whose commendable service and selfless contributions have impacted the lives of countless people, and whose work is a source of inspiration for future generations.
The ANCA-Glendale advocates for the social, economic, cultural, and political rights of the city’s Armenian American community and promotes increased civic participation at the grassroots and public policy levels.