LOS ANGELES, CA – The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) announced it will be hosting a special speaking and networking event, as part of its Leadership Speaker Series, on February 24th featuring Charles Mahtesian, editor of the Almanac of Politics. Mahtesian will provide his insider analysis of the 110th Congress, the new leadership in Congress, and the possibility of a new direction for America. The unique event will also draw political staffers from various federal and state legislators’ offices throughout southern California.

Charles Mahtesian is the editor of the Almanac of American Politics, the biennial book often referred to as “the bible of American politics.” Prior to joining the Almanac, he spent eight years as a national correspondent for Governing magazine, where he covered state legislatures, governors, and urban politics. He began his career reporting on elections and congressional redistricting for Congressional Quarterly, where he was also a contributing writer to the reference books, Politics in America and Congressional Districts in the 1990s.

Mahtesian has served as an election night analyst on National Public Radio and appeared on numerous radio and television programs, including NPR’s All Things Considered, C-Span’s Washington Journal, and on CNN and the BBC. He has written for a variety of newspapers, journals, and magazines including The Weekly Standard, Campaigns and Elections, and Congress Daily. He currently writes a monthly column on politics for Government Executive magazine. Mahtesian earned his bachelor’s degree in politics from Catholic University in Washington D.C. and his J.D. from American University.

In 2006, Charles Mahtesian delivered the keynote address during the ANCA’s Leadership Conference held in Washington D.C. Mahtesian provided the conference attendees with a comprehensive overview of the political landscape in the 2006 general election.

The event will take place on Saturday, February 24, 2007 at Los Angeles City Hall on 200 North Spring Street in the Tom Bradley Room, 26th Floor. For more information or to RSVP, please call the ANCA-WR office at (818) 500-1918.

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.