On Sunday, December 8, 2018, over a thousand guests, including clergy and community leaders, public officials, sponsors, and supporters gathered at The Beverly Hilton for the 2nd annual gala of the Armenian American Museum.
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, attended and delivered his message. In attendance were H.G. Bishop Torkom Donoyan, Vicar General, Central Executive, Executive Council, and Ladies Auxiliary members, and Prelacy sponsors.
This year, the Armenian American Museum honored Paul R. Ignatius, former U.S. Secretary of the Navy and Assistant Secretary of Defense, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, and Kenneth L. Khachigian, Senior Partner at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck.
The program began with the flag ceremony and national anthems. The invocation was delivered by the four Governing Board Co-Chairs, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, H.E. Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, H.G. Bishop Mikael Mouradian, and Rev. Berdj Djambazian.
The Prelate commended the tremendous progress made over the past year thanks to the teamwork and support of our community and elected officials, stating, “We have truly made great strides in a short period of time and we hope and wish for the Lord to grant us continued wisdom, strength, and guidance so that we may soon witness the groundbreaking of this historic center which will be a pillar of our community, among our other national institutions, and our bequest to the coming generations.” He commended the evening’s honorees for their inspiring service to society and wished them continued success. He concluded by calling for continued generous support to this worthy project.
Welcoming remarks were conveyed by the MC, award-winning television personality and travel host Laura McKenzie. Messages were delivered by Executive Director Shant Sahakian and Executive Chairman Berdj Karapetian. During dinner, guests viewed a video of the past year’s achievements and enjoyed a performance by the Armenian Pops Orchestra. The program continued with remarks by California State Senator Anthony Portantino, Congressman Adam Schiff, and Republic of Armenia High Commissioner of Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan.
The presentation of awards followed, after which the honorees delivered their messages.
The program concluded with closing remarks by the MC and Chairman.
