HARTFORD, Conn. — The Connecticut Genocide Commemoration Committee will observe the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on Saturday, April 25, at 10:30 a.m. at the historic Connecticut House Chamber at the State Capitol, 210 Capitol Ave. The program will honor the memory of the Holy Martyrs of the Genocide and survivors while celebrating the resilience of the Armenian spirit.
The keynote speaker will be Bryan Ardouny, executive director of the Armenian Assembly of America. His presentation is titled “We Gather Not Only to Remember.”
Bryan Ardouny was appointed Executive Director of the Armenian Assembly of America in April 2005 following a one-year stint on the Assembly’s Board of Directors. Previously, Ardouny had served as Acting Executive Director, and Director of Government Relations, at the Armenian Assembly where he spearheaded efforts to maintain Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act during the House and Senate floor fights in 1998 and 1999 respectively.
In 2000, Ardouny rallied congressional and community support for an Armenian Genocide resolution, that was slated for consideration by the House of Representatives, but, despite expectations of approval, was pulled from a vote at the last minute due to the Administration’s invocation of a national security concern.
Ardouny oversaw the Assembly’s continued efforts throughout the years that culminated in the historic passage of the Armenian Genocide resolution in the House of Representatives in 2019 by the overwhelming vote of 405 to 11. The United States Senate followed suit the same year passing a companion resolution by unanimous consent.
Before coming to the Assembly, Ardouny served as Legislative Counsel to a senior Member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Ardouny graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Hofstra University and received his law degree from California Western School of Law.
