Assembly Congratulates Ambassador Hachigian on New State Department Position

Ambassador Nina Hachigian received the Assembly’s Governor George Deukmejian Award for Public Service, named in honor of the late California Governor, from

former First Lady of California Gloria Deukmejian, during the Assembly's 50th Anniversary Gala in June 2022

Washington, D.C. - The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) congratulates Ambassador Nina Hachigian, who served as the City of Los Angeles' Deputy Mayor for International Affairs, on her recent appointment to the U.S. Department of State as the Special Representative for Subnational Diplomacy, a role which enables the U.S. government to work with global leadership and engage with counterparts while advancing its domestic agenda. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that "in an increasingly interconnected global environment...Ambassador Hachigian will spearhead the Department's efforts to engage local partners, foster connections in the United States and abroad...and fundamentally strengthen the Department's ties to our cities and communities." A diplomat and politician who was the first Deputy Mayor of International Affairs in the City of Los Angeles, Ambassador Hachigian was also appointed to the U.S. Department of Defense Policy Board in January 2022. Her prolific career includes a post as U.S. Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, where her strategic partnerships and initiatives resulted in her being awarded the U.S. Department of State's Superior Honor Award for her service. "The Assembly congratulates Ambassador Hachigian on yet another prominent appointment," said Assembly Co-Chairs Anthony Barsamian and Van Krikorian. "Her distinguished career in public service is admirable and serves as an inspiration for young Armenian American professionals to become more involved in government and public affairs." Ambassador Hachigian was honored with the Assembly's Governor George Deukmejian Award for Public Service at its 50th Anniversary Gala in Los Angeles, California in June 2022, where she spoke about U.S. Armenian Genocide affirmation and helping build a strong and democratic Armenia and Artsakh. "We should never take the existence of a homeland for granted," she stated. "The work of the diaspora is to strengthen the homeland as much as possible, and while the transition to democracy is not easy, the main task is to keep looking out for the future of our motherland, and no group is better placed to do that than the Armenian Assembly of America." Ambassador Hachigian has served as Senior Fellow and Senior Vice President at the Center for American Progress, and was co-director of Asia policy for the Obama campaign in 2012. She is the founder of WASA, Women Ambassadors Serving America, which consists of over 200 current and former Ambassadors, a co-founder of the Leadership Coalition for Women in National Security (LCWINS), a founding Board Member of the State Department's International Security Advisory Board, a member of the California 100 Commission, a Board Member of the Pacific Council on International Policy, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

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NR# 2022-47