Armenian Church Endowment Fund

His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, President, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)

His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian was born in Arapkir, Turkey in 1951, and began his religious studies at Istanbul’s Holy Cross Armenian Seminary at the age of 13. His studies at the seminary of Jerusalem’s St. James Armenian Patriarchate (1967-1971) culminated in his ordination as a celibate priest in 1971. His later education led him throughout the U.S. and Europe: to New York’s General Theological Seminary, St. John’s University in Minneapolis, the Gregorian University in Rome, and Oxford’s Oriental Institute. He has received honorary doctorates from General Theological Seminary, Seton Hall University, and the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia.

His Eminence was elected as Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) in the spring of 1990, and was subsequently elevated to the rank of bishop, and later archbishop (1992), by His Holiness Vasken I, the late Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, at the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. He is currently serving his sixth four-year term as chief bishop of the largest diocese of the Armenian diaspora. As the president of the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR), he has led the effort to develop the free Republic of Armenia, and bring humanitarian assistance to its citizens. Archbishop Barsamian is a leader in a number of religious and ecumenical organizations, including the National Council of Churches, the World Council of Churches, and the Appeal of Conscience Foundation.

Mark Gabrellian, New York, NY (Chairman, and Board Member since 1999)

Mr. Gabrellian is Managing Director of Gabrellian Associates, a commercial real estate development and management company. Previously, he was a practicing attorney in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., specializing in litigation, banking, and real estate law. He has also served on the Executive Committee of the Board of Hackensack University Medical Center and is associated with Jazz at Lincoln Center. He received his BA from the University of Rochester and his JD from the University of California at Davis. Mr. Gabrellian resides in Manhattan with his wife, Ani, and their two children.

Gregory Zorthian, Greenwich, CT (Vice Chairman, Secretary and Board Member since 1992)

Mr. Zorthian previously served as Treasurer, Head of the Investment Committee, and Head of the Audit Committee. He is a member of St. Gregory the Enlightener Armenian Church in White Plains, New York. Mr. Zorthian is President of the Americas and Global Circulation Director of The Financial Times, and he has spent over 30 years in the media business, holding executive positions at Time Inc., Forbes Inc., and BusinessWeek. He has a BA from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He and his wife live in Greenwich with their two children.

Bruce Ballard, Newtown Square, PA (Treasurer, Board Member since 2007)

Mr. Ballard is a member of Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Armenian Church in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, and has served as a parish council member in the past. He is Chief Financial Officer of The Service Companies, a janitorial/cleaning company that supplies outsourced janitorial services to the casino, premium hospitality, and vacation ownership marketplaces. Mr. Ballard’s prior work experience includes senior financial and operational positions at ARAMARK and FirstGroup America. He holds BS and MBA degrees from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Ballard and his wife, Laraine Kazanjian, live in Newtown Square with their three children.

G. Haig Ariyan, West Nyack, NY (Board Member since 2002)

Mr. Ariyan is the Chairman of the ACEF Investment Committee, a Board Member of the Dadourian Foundation, and a Trustee of St. Nersses Seminary. He is a Managing Director and Head of Private Client Services for Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc. From 1996 to 2005, Mr. Ariyan was Client Advisor at Alex Brown, the predecessor firm to Deutsche Bank, where he was named Regional Executive of the Greenwich office. Since 2005, Mr. Ariyan has run Deutsche Bank’s largest Private Client office in midtown New York City, while continuing to oversee the Greenwich sales effort and leading the launch of the 60 Wall St. branch office. In February of 2009, Mr. Ariyan was named Head of the Private Client Services business in the United States. A graduate of Rutgers University, Mr. Ariyan resides with his family in West Nyack.

Roseann Manoogian Attar, West Bloomfield, MI (Board Member since 2011)

Owner, Martin M. Manoogian Accounting Firm, a family firm that has been in practice for 56 years.  The firm specializes in public accounting for small corporate businesses and personal taxation.  Personally has practiced public accounting for 25 years.  Currently serves as board member for a number of corporate clients. Mrs. Attar attended the University of Michigan, with concentrations in accounting and political science. She is a member of St John’s Armenian Church, Southfield, MI.  Positions held include, parish council treasurer  (5 years), Diocesan delegate (5 years), auditor (3 years), Church school  teacher (20 years), Church choir (6 years). She has been a member of various committees ( Diocesan and local level) and coordinator of youth  out-reach programs. Church affiliations include AGBU Alex and Marie  Manoogian Pre-School board member, Armenian Apostolic Society board member, and St. John Armenian Church School board member. Community affiliations include alumnae board Kingswood School Cranbrook, Delta Delta Delta Sorority Alumnae, Habitat for Humanity  Oakland County, Lions Clubs International and Leader Dogs for the Blind.  Mrs. Attar volunteers for local soup kitchens and food banks. Married to Robert Attar for 18 years.

Gregory Bedrosian, Greenwich, CT (Board Member since 2011)

Mr. Bedrosian is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Redwood Capital Group, an investment banking firm based in New York and London focused on the technology, communications, and media industries. In his over 20-year career, he has been co-founder and partner of two successful independent investment banks and a private equity firm, and began his Wall Street career with Salomon Brothers and Credit Suisse First Boston. An active member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Chatham House, he serves on boards of the Harvard Business School Alumni Board of Directors, the Penn Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board, and the Greenwich Committee on Conservation and Development. Mr. Bedrosian has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He resides in Greenwich with his wife, Elena, and son.

Alyssa Keleshian Bonomo, Greenwich, CT (Board Member since 2009)

Mrs. Keleshian-Bonomo is a member of St. Gregory the Enlightener Armenian Church in White Plains, New York, and previously served on the Board of Directors for Armenia Fund USA. She is the Executive Vice President of K Investments, a family-owned real estate investments company. Prior to this, she spent 18 years in luxury marketing, including 10 years at American Express. She currently serves on the Greenwich Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Hudson Valley Bank CT Advisory Board, and the Convent of the Sacred Heart Alumni Board. Mrs. Keleshian Bonomo has a BS in marketing and entrepreneurial studies from Babson College. She resides in Greenwich with her husband, Tom Bonomo, and two sons.

Charles A. Demirjian, Chicago, IL (Board Member since 2011)

Charles A. Demirjian is the President of Tillotson Limited, a manufacturer of carburetors for lawn and garden, karting, drone aircraft and other small engine applications. Mr. Demirjian also serves as a Managing Director of Forbearance Capital, L.L.C., a privately held investment company, and as an officer of its portfolio companies, including T/CCI Manufacturing, L.L.C., which is engaged in the manufacture of compressors for the heavy duty trucking, bus and military industries. Previously, Mr. Demirjian served as an executive officer for Navigant Consulting, Inc., a publicly traded management consulting firm. Prior to that, Mr. Demirjian was a member of the law firm of Sachnoff & Weaver, Ltd. and an associate with the law firm of Neal Gerber & Eisenberg. Mr. Demirjian is a graduate of the University of Michigan (A.B., 1987; J.D. 1990). Mr. Demirjian and his wife, Suzanne, live in Chicago with their three children.

Michael Dukmejian, New York, NY (Board Member since 2011)

Mr. Dukmejian is the Publisher of Bloomberg Markets magazine, responsible for advertising, circulation, marketing, production, and finance. Previously, he was an Executive Vice President at SourceMedia, Inc., responsible for the publication of the journals Financial Planning, On Wall Street, and Accounting Today, among others. He spent his first 25 years in publishing at Time Inc., where he was group publisher of Fortune, Money Group, and CNNMoney.com, and before that, he held top management positions at Sports Illustrated, Fortune, and Time. Mr. Dukmejian is also a director of Tri-Artisan Partners LLC. He has an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business and a BA from Stony Brook University. He resides in New York with his wife and two children.

Tom Garabedian, Hopkinton, MA (Board Member since 2011)

Mr. Garabedian is a founding member of the Armenian Church of the Holy Translators in Framingham, Massachusetts, is chair of the Diocesan Clergy Benefits Committee, and is a Diocesan Delegate. Mr. Garabedian is a Principal and Consulting Actuary with AonHewitt, an international human resources and risk management company. He serves as Vice Chair of the Hopkinton Zoning Board and is a Commissioner of Hopkinton Trust Funds. A Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, Mr. Garabedian is a graduate of Bowdoin College. He resides in Hopkinton with his wife, Dora.

Stephen Haratunian, Plandome, NY (Board Member since 2007)

Mr. Haratunian is a member of Holy Martyrs Armenian Church in Bayside, New York, and serves on its Permanent Trust Fund committee. He also chairs the Armenian Assembly Endowment Committee. A Managing Director of Credit Suisse, based in New York, Mr. Haratunian is Head of Strategic Risk Management (SRM) for the Investment Bank. Mr. Haratunian chairs the Investment Bank’s Capital Allocation and Risk Management Committee (CARMC), and he is a member of the Investment Bank Operating Committee and the Investment Bank’s Management Committee. He holds a BS from Georgetown University. He resides in Plandome with his wife, Arda, and their two children.

Rebecca Shaghalian Larkin, New York, NY (Board Member since 2011)

Mrs. Shaghalian Larkin is co-head of the North American Equity Derivative Sales business for the Securities Division. She began her career at Goldman Sachs as an associate in Equity Derivative Sales in 1998. After eight years in sales, she led the North American Securities management team for both sales and trading and then co-managed the Global Institutional Sales force. She was name managing director in 2005 and partner in 2008. Mrs. Shaghalian Larkin serves on the Advisory Board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and also serves on the President’s Council of Cornell Women. She earned a BS in Business from Babson College in 1991 and an MBA from the Cornell University Johnson School of Management in 1998. She and her husband, John, have three children and live in New York City.

Charles Simonian, New York, NY (Board Member since 2009)

Mr. Simonian is a portfolio manager at Sigma Capital Management, a division of SAC Capital, a hedge fund with over $13 billion under management. At Sigma since 2008, he oversees a portfolio of U.S. and European industrial and consumer discretionary stocks. Mr. Simonian has over 15 years of investment experience, including running his own hedge fund. He has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan. Mr. Simonian resides in Manhattan with his wife, Dina Kazanjian, and their three children.

Oscar Tatosian, Chicago, IL (Board Memer since 2006)

As Chairman of the Diocesan Council, Mr. Tatosian serves on the board of ACEF and FAR. In addition to serving on the Diocesan Council for 15 years, he is active in Armenian community life in Chicago. With his brother, Mr. Tatosian operates Oscar Isberian, a 90-year-old family business that imports fine oriental rugs. His civic activities include serving on the board of the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Design for Dignity in Chicago. Mr. Tatosian received the Ellis Island Award in 2009. He has a BS in business from Texas Christian University and resides in Chicago.