WASHINGTON — A memorial service and luncheon honoring the life of Arpi Vartanian, the Assembly’s Regional Director in Yerevan, Armenia, will take place on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church in Dearborn, Mich.
A longtime staff member of the Assembly, Vartanian served the organization in numerous capacities, both at its headquarters in Washington, D.C., including a stint as Acting Executive Director, and in its regional office in Yerevan, for nearly three decades.
During her tenure with the organization, Vartanian served as the conduit between the homeland and the U.S., helped raise public awareness of Armenian issues with U.S. and other officials, spearheaded educational initiatives, coordinated and participated in meetings with members of government and community leaders, collaborated with national and international organizations, and connected with youth from the Diaspora and Armenia, including leading the Assembly’s Yerevan Summer Internship Program, which was established in 1999.
“We deeply miss Arpi’s presence as a longtime colleague and friend, and we appreciate the opportunity to pay tribute to her at her memorial service and luncheon in her hometown of Detroit at St. Sarkis Armenian Church,” said Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.
In lieu of flowers, the Vartanian Family has asked donations to be made to the Armenian Assembly of America’s “Arpi Vartanian Armenia Internship Fund,” an endowed fund for the Assembly’s Yerevan Internship Program, a program she pioneered and led since its inception in 2007. Gifts can also be mailed to: Armenian Assembly of America, 1032 15th St, NW, Suite 416, Washington, DC 20005.
The Assembly will also honor Arpi’s memory by dedicating an office in her name at the Assembly’s new headquarters in Washington, D.C.
