BURBANK, CA – On September 20, 2002 at the Annual Women in Business Luncheon and Awards Ceremony held at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, over twenty-five exceptional women were honored for their work and dedication in various areas of community life. The women represented various cultures and backgrounds and have all achieved great success in their respective professional fields. The event, which was co-hosted by Senator Jack Scott, Assemblymembers Carol Liu and Dario Frommer, drew over 500 attendees.

The two outstanding Armenian-American women honored at the event were Dr. Frieda Jordan, co-founder and president of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry and Ms. Maral Chalian, Project Coordinator of the United Armenian Fund (UAF).

Maral Chalian, was given the Employee of the Year award in the Non-profit Organization Category for her work with the UAF. Since 1989, the UAF has provided Armenia with over 119 airlifts and 850 sea containers of essential supplies. After receiving her award, Ms. Chalian expressed her gratitude by stating, “What an honor to be recognized for my work with the United Armenia Fund. We are a small office and work as a team to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Armenia.”

Dr. Frieda Jordan was given the Woman in Science Award for her tireless dedication towards educating communities throughout the world about the importance of bone marrow donor registries. Upon receiving the honor, Dr. Jordan expressed her appreciation for all those who have supported her efforts. “I owe my success to the ongoing support and commitment of our bone marrow donors and to the financial aid of Glendale Memorial Hospital, many organizations and individuals from the community. I thank all [of them] wholeheartedly.”

“Both Dr. Jordan and Ms. Chalian have set a remarkable example for others to follow in their footsteps,” remarked Angineh Babaian who serves as Programs Coordinator for the ANCA-WR. “Our organization congratulates these women and acknowledges the contributions that they have made in the advancement of the Armenian Cause. They both deserve our honor and respect for exemplifying the extraordinary contribution that women have and continue to make in our community.”

In July of 2002, Senator Scott had contacted the ANCA-WR to request the names of individuals who could be considered for the various honors granted at the Annual Women in Business Luncheon and Awards Ceremony. The ANCA-WR was pleased to respond to the Senator’s request by submitting the names of both Maral Chalian and Dr. Frieda Jordan. In a letter sent on September 27, 2002, the ANCA-WR thanked Senator Scott for accepting the organization’s suggestion that these two remarkable women be honored.

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 throughout the 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.