For Immediate Release ~ June 27, 2013
Contact: Sarkis Kotanjian ~ info@armeniafund.org
Los Angeles, CA – Armenia Fund, Inc., the United States Western Region affiliate of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, is pleased to announce the election of its new President/Chairman, Mr. Antranig Baghdassarian.
On Wednesday, June 19, 2013, the Corporate Board unanimously elected Antranig Baghdassarian as the organization’s next President.
“We welcome Mr. Baghdassarian to our international family of Armenia Fund. We are always encouraged when a generous benefactor decides to step up and lead the fundraising efforts of an affiliate. We wish Mr. Baghdassarian a productive term as we embark on another critical project of pan-Armenian importance, the Vardenis-Martakert highway,” stated Ara Vardanyan, Executive Director of “Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund.
Antranig Baghdassarian was born in Beirut, Lebanon. He attended the Nshan Palanjian Djemaran, where his generation was educated by the likes of Levon Shant, Simon Vratsian and Moushegh Ishkhan.
Upon graduation he studied Dairy Science at the Lebanese Agricultural School. In 1966, he continued his studies in the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization. In 1967, he moved to Denmark to further specialize in Dairy Sciences.
In 1969 he returned to Beirut where for the next three decades Mr. Baghdassarian worked with his father in the family business. During the Lebanese Civil War, Mr. Baghdassarian was active in the Armenian community. He has served various leadership roles in Homenetmen, Hamazkayin, as well as on the boards of local Armenian schools. Together with his wife Seta, he has contributed to the realization of the Armenian Relief Society Center in Lebanon.
In 1990, Mr. Baghdassarian immigrated to the United States with his family.
He continues to be active in the Armenian community at large. Mr. Baghdassarian is the President and CEO of Karoun Dairies Inc. in California. His entrepreneurial spirit and attention to detail have been recognized in the form of 150 Gold, Silver and Bronze medals at the U.S. and World Cheese Championships.
He is married and has three children.
“It is an honor and a privilege to be associated with such a monumental organization as Armenia Fund, where Armenians of all walks of life put their differences aside and lock arms with the only goal to assist the people of Armenia and Artsakh. We have a lot of work to do and no time to spare,” stated Antranig Baghdassarian.
Armenia Fund’s Corporate Board thanks the outgoing chairman of the organization, Ara Aghishian, Esq., who has been an active part of the organization’s leadership since 2001.
Armenia Fund’s Corporate Board is composed of the Armenian Assembly of America, the Armenian Cultural Foundation, the Armenian Catholic Eparchy of U.S., the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the Armenian Relief Society of Western U.S.A., the Nor Serount Cultural Association, the Nor Or Charitable Foundation, the Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Armenia Fund, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation established in 1994 to facilitate large-scale humanitarian and infrastructure development assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Since 1991, Armenia Fund has rendered more than $200 million in development aid to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
