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ANC News: ANCA-WR Meets With Senator Jackie Speier

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  • ANC News: ANCA-WR Meets With Senator Jackie Speier

    Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
    104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
    Glendale, California 91206
    Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
    [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) _www.anca.org_
    (http://www.anca.org)

    PRESS RELEASE Friday, October 1, 2004

    Contact: Armen Carapetian 818.500.1918

    SENATOR JACKIE SPEIER TO BE ONE OF MANY HONORED GUESTS AT OCTOBER
    ANNUAL BANQUET

    ANCA-WR Meets with State's Highest Ranking Armenian Democratic Public
    Official

    Glendale, CA - California State Senator Jackie Speier (D-San
    Francisco, San Mateo) visited the offices of the Armenian National
    Committee of America- Western Region (ANCA-WR) on Tuesday, September
    28 to discuss issues of concern to Armenian-Americans in California
    with community leaders. Members of the ANCA-WR Board of Directors and
    the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) greeted the Senator and were briefed
    on the issues that the Senator has been working onin the State
    Capitol.

    Senator Speier will be amongst the many public officials in attendance
    at this year's Annual Banquet which will be held at the Ritz-Carlton
    Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, California on October 24, 2004. ANCA-WR
    Chairman Raffi Hamparian welcomed Senator Speier to the ANCA-WR
    headquarters and thanked her for steadfast support of legislation and
    issues that affect Armenian-Americans in the state. The Senator is
    the state's highest ranking Democratic elected official of Armenian
    descent and the only Armenian-American woman currently serving in the
    State Legislature.

    ANCA-WR Board Member Steven Dadaian briefed the Senator on economic
    developments in the Republic of Armenia and highlighted the necessity
    for the State of California to remain committed to its promise of
    establishing the California Regional Trade Office in Armenia. Angela
    Savoian, Chairwoman of the ARS Western United States, also briefed the
    Senator on the history of the ARS and described the essential social
    services that the organization continues to provide to immigrants.
    During the meeting, Senator Speier reiterated the importance of her
    Armenian ancestry in shaping her commitment to being a public servant
    and fighting for justice.

    Senator Speier's career-long commitment to public service was nearly
    cut short in 1978 when she traveled as legal counsel to California
    Congressman Leo J. Ryan to Jonestown, Guyana as part of a
    U.S. fact-finding mission that was to investigate rumors that people,
    including many Bay Area families, were being held hostage by cult
    leader Rev. Jim Jones. On November 18, 1978, at the end of a two-day
    investigation, gunmen from the Peoples Temple cult ambushed, shot and
    killed Congressman Ryan and four others in his traveling group.
    Speier, then 28 years old, was struck by five bullets and was `left
    for dead' on a jungle airstrip for 22 hours. The day she was shot,
    911 cult members committed mass suicide or were murdered at the
    Peoples Temple compound. Senator Speier has stated that `the
    Jonestown tragedy is a daily reminder that no one is guaranteed
    tomorrow . . . this has absolutely molded my philosophy and my zest
    for work and for life.' To this day, she carries two bullets in her
    body from the incident.

    Two years after the Jonestown shootings, Speier became the youngest
    member ever to serve on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors when
    she won her first election by defeating a 20-year incumbent. Senator
    Speier served in the State Assembly from 1986 to 1996 before being
    elected to the State Senate where she is completing her second term.

    Senator Speier has announced her intent to run for Lieutenant Governor
    of the State of California. If elected, Senator Jackie Speier would
    become only the second Armenian-American to serve in statewide office
    since Governor George Deukmejian (1983 - 1991).

    `Senator Speier's dedication to public service and to the people of
    California is truly admirable and an excellent example for other young
    aspiring Armenian-Americans to follow,' commented Ardashes Kassakhian,
    ANCA-WR Executive Director. `We're looking forward to having her
    attend our Annual Banquet on October 24th and joining us in honoring
    other Armenian-American public officials who have paved the way for
    future leaders,' added Kassakhian referring to the ANCA-WR Annual
    Banquet which will honor Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA) with the
    ANCA-WR Legacy Award and State Senator Chuck Poochigian (R-Fresno)
    with the Person of the Year Award. The annual event draws over 750
    community leaders and activists, public officials, academicians and
    ANC supporters.

    Individuals or organizations interested in attending the ANCA-WR
    Annual Banquet may call the ANCA-WR Offices at (818) 500-1918 to
    reserve their table or individual tickets.

    The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and
    most influential Armenian American grassroots political
    organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices,
    chapters, and supporters throughoutthe United States and affiliated
    organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the
    concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of
    issues.

    Editor's Note: Photo available upon request. Photo caption: State
    Senator Jackie Speier discusses Armenian American issues with ANCA-WR
    Board Chair Raffi
    Hamparian and Board Member Steven Dadaian.

    #####
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