WINTER 2000 VOLUME 11, NUMBER 1


THE REPORT OF THE CHAIR
JUDGE JACK HOOGASIAN PASSES AWAY
ARMENBAR MEMBERS CONGREGATE IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA FOR MID-YEAR MEETING
2000 LEADERSHIP TRIBUTE
4TH ANNUAL PICNIC - A FUN FILLED EVENT 
ARMENIAN BAR ASSOCIATION DONATES
LAW SCHOOL TUITION TO EARTHQUAKE SURVIVOR
SINANIAN NAMED LIAISON BETWEEN ATTORNEY GENERAL
AND ARMENIAN COMMUNITY
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS AND ON THE MOVE





THE REPORT OF THE CHAIR 
by VICKEN I. SIMONIAN, Esq.
Chair of the Board of Governors
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Our organization had some tremendous highs and lows in 1999.  We lost
our  close friend Judge Jack Hoogasian.  Judge Hoogasian served on the
Board for many years, and was a larger-than-life figure who always
brought a smile to your face with his hearty laugh and robust
personality.  He will be sorely missed.
We staged two excellent meetings, including the annual affair in Las
Vegas and the mid-year in San Diego.  Both were highlighted by dynamic
speakers and panelists.  We will continue with a marquis event in
Washington, D.C. in March.  I encourage all of you to attend, as it
certainly will be a memorable event.
Of note during the past year were our projects in Armenia and in the
United States.  The Public Information, Re-search and Advocacy Group
(PIRAG) has maintained its grass roots efforts toward constitutional
reform in the Republic of Armenia, with the assistance of generous
grants from the Eurasia Foundation.  In addition, we have tried to
provide a voice for the people by commenting publicly on difficult
issues.
Our organization has been devoted to preserving the rule of law in the
Republic of Armenia, and the tragic events last year involving the
assassination of Parliament members shows that Armenia has a long way to
go before it can achieve its goals.  Such events can only harm the image
of Armenia in the arena of world opinion.
The Genocide project at home has been a dynamic effort to attempt to
assist families of genocide victims in obtaining restitution from banks
and insurance companies.  Both Armen Hovannisian and Vice-Chair Steven
Dadaian have taken the leadership role in this project, and we have
communicated with the Armenian National Institute to coordinate efforts
to obtain positive results.  We are working toward getting legislation
passed in California allowing these claims to survive statute of
limitation issues, and we will have speakers at the annual meeting
discussing these matters.
As my term as your chairman comes to a close, I want to comment on what
I believe is a key goal, and that is the great potential of our
organization.  With modest funding we have accomplished much in 10
years, however, there is much work to be done.  As a resident of
Glendale, I have daily contact with the a large number of new immigrants
of Armenian descent.  Our pro-bono committee does what it can to assist
where needed.  In areas like Los Angeles, the need for pro-bono
assistance is increasing.  Therefore, the need for more volunteers
becomes apparent.  I can tell you from personal experience that donating
time to these cases is a very rewarding experience.
In closing, I would like to thank the members of Board of Directors and
the Committee Chairs for their hard work and determination.  Armenbar
has enjoyed a good reputation in the Armenian community based on their
unselfish donation of time and resources, all in the name of helping the
Armenian cause.


ARMENIAN-AMERICAN LAWYER
JUDGE JACK HOOGASIAN PASSES AWAY
by Professor Ann Lousin
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Our friend and Board member, Jack Hoogasian, suffered a massive stroke
on the evening of September 15, 1999, went into a coma shortly after
entering the hospital and died Friday afternoon, September 17th.  We
have lost a treasure.  As more than one Board member has said, our
meetings will never be the same.

Jack was more than an Armenian-American lawyer, with hyphens; he was all
three: an Armenian, an American and a lawyer.  He was the paradigm of an
Armenian, an American and a lawyer of his generation.

Jack's parents, George and Sarah, both Harpootsies, were survivors of
the Genocide of 1915 and met in America.  Jack was born in Waukegan,
Illinois, on April 18, 1925.  His parents ran a restaurant and grocery
in Waukegan, then a working-class suburb full of European immigrants
north of Chicago.  Jack and his sister Rose grew up with the Armenian
work ethic and the Armenian language.  When he started first grade, the
odar teacher asked him his name, and he replied, "Hagop Hoogasian" with
an "ah" sound. She said, "From now on, you are Jack Hoogasian" with a
long "a". Like all immigrant kids of that time, he responded, "Yes,
ma'am" and that was his name.

The family survived The Great Depression by selling produce
door-to-door. When Jack graduated from high school in 1943, he was one
of the thousands of first-generation Armenian sons who served America.
He joined the Army Air Corps and became a mechanic.  After leaving the
service, he attended The University of Illinois, where he got his B.A.
He worked his way through school as a mail carrier and liquor salesman.

>From his days as a caddy for lawyers and politicians, he had had the
ambition to become a lawyer and to hold public office.  He attended The
John Marshall Law School and graduated in 1956 at the age of 31.  He was
typical of the John Marshall student of the time - a veteran, a student
who worked his way through school to achieve his version of the American
dream.

After working for a personal injury lawyer for two years, Jack became an
Assistant State's Attorney for Lake County, where Waukegan is. His
experience as a criminal prosecutor earned him respect, and he became
the Lake County State's Attorney, serving from 1968 to 1976. He was
undoubtedly the most colorful State's Attorney in the county's history.
He sued Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to force it to stop dumping sewage into
Lake Michigan. He even sued the new Sears Tower in Chicago because he
said it interfered with the TV reception in the suburbs.

After four years in private practice, Jack became a trial court judge in
1980.  He was, in his turn, Chief Judge of the Circuit.  Jack LOVED
presiding at jury trials.  Every judge in Illinois knew Jack's name. He
served as President of the Illinois Judges' Association and taught at
the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada.

Jack was a member of The Armenian Bar Association from the early 1990's
on, serving as a Board member and then as Secretary.  He was devoted to
our cause, to Hai Tahd and to justice.  On our ArmenBar trip to Armenia
in 1994, he jumped out of a car and yelled in Armenian and English at a
policeman taking a bribe in Yerevan:  "I put guys like you in jail for
that in Waukegan!" He even dared a customs official at Zvartnots Airport
to put him in jail.

Jack and his wife spent every summer helping Native Americans in
Wyoming.  The tribe called him "Chief White Thunder," probably because
of his shock of white hair, and gave him the honor of membership in "The
Order of the Bear Claw."

Jack told an interviewer in 1996, "Remember your roots. Never give up.
Keep on going. With all of its problems and challenges, life is good."
He got his wish of dying "with his robe on", still a sitting judge.

The love that Waukegan bore Jack was evident at the wake and funeral:
1,500 mourners at each event. The Armenian community, the Lake County
bar, the public officials and the entire county judiciary joined the
family at the funeral. The Waukegan newspaper carried stories about Jack
for three days.

Pretty impressive for a man who never wavered in his "Hayrenasirutyun"
and never forgot his name was originally Hagop.

ARMENBAR MEMBERS CONGREGATE IN
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA FOR MID-YEAR MEETING
STATE ASSEMBLYMAN HOWARD KALOOGIAN SPEAKS AT LUNCHEON
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The Westgate Hotel in San Diego, California was the venue for Armenbar's
mid-year meeting on the weekend of October 15-17, 1999.  "This was
another occasion where our organization put its best foot forward," said
Chairman Vicken I. Simonian.

The meeting kicked off on Friday October 15 with a cocktail and hors
d'oeuvres reception at the law office of Kennerson, Scwartz, Semerdjian
and Haile.  Name partner, Dickran Semerdjian, was a gracious host.  In
attendance were San Diego Federal Judge Larry Burns (Momjian on his
mother's side) and San Diego Superior Court Judge Luis Hanoian.  The
office was walking distance from the Westgate, and conveniently located
in the trendy "Gaslamp" district.

On Saturday, the meeting began with a business session.  Professor Ann
Lousin gave a moving eulogy of Judge Jack Hoogasian.  This was followed
by past Chair Tamar Hajian's update on the diasporan conference in
Armenia that she and Tom Samuelian attended, representing Armenbar.
Hajian also updated the attendees on the PIRAG project and other events
in Armenia.  Armen Hovannisian gave an update on the Genocide project,
followed by Saro Kerkonian's informative treasurer's report.

Ronald Sohigian, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge, was the
first speaker of the conference, and gave a very interesting
presentation about the Soghomon Tehlirian trial.  Tehlirian was tried,
and acquitted, by a German court in 1921 for the murder of Taalat Pasha,
one of the masterminds of the Armenian Genocide.  Judge Sohigian's
report was the product of exhaustive research, and included copies of
the jury instructions from the trial.

Sohigian grew up in Fresno, where Tehlirian eventually settled.  His
fascination with the trial eventually resulted in his obtaining a copy
of the trial transcript and spending countless hours researching the
trial.  Sohigian offered some comparisons with the Hampig Sassounian
trial in Los Angeles for the assassination of a Turkish diplomat.  He
also offered his view of the Tehlirian trial from his perspective as a
judge, noting that the conduct of the trial from a procedural standpoint
was quite different than those in a California court.  It appeared,
based on the manner in which the evidence was presented, and considering
the instructions to the jury, that acquittal was the proper verdict.

The meeting continued with a luncheon.  The keynote speaker was
California State Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian, representing the north
county region of San Diego.  Kaloogian is a second cousin of James
Derian, Armenbar past chairman, and had recently returned from a trip to
Armenia with Congressman James Rogan (R-CA).  Kaloogian was an engaging
speaker, and offered some good advice regarding participation of
Armenian lawyers in the political process.  Also in attendance at the
luncheon was Vartan Sarkisov, an entrepeneur from Los Angeles, who gave
a generous donation of $5,000.00 to Armenbar.

Following the luncheon, Garo Ghazarian, a criminal law professor in Los
Angeles, gave an MCLE lecture on the subject of substance abuse amongst
lawyers.  Ghazarian gave a moving speech about his rise to success as a
criminal defense attorney, his fall from grace due to substance abuse,
and his rehabilitation, and current rise back to the top.  He was a
dynamic speaker and had a good message.

The meeting continued with the showing of the documentary film "A Wall
of Silence," which documents the lives and research of Genocide
historians Vahkn Dadrian (a speaker at the annual meeting in Las Vegas)
and Taner Akcam, one of the few Turkish historians to acknowledge the
truth of the genocide and call for the Turkish government to accept the
historical fact.

The meeting concluded with a meeting of the Board of Directors.
Discussions included maintaining the Executive Director position.  Also,
the Board considered a proposed resolution directed to the government of
Armenia regarding reported government intervention in the electoral
process of the Catholicos.  A final draft of the resolution was adopted
and sent to President Kocharian's office essentially affirming our
committment to the rule of law and encouraging the govenment not to
influence the Catholicos' election process.

The final item was the replacement on the Board of the vacancy left by
the passing of Judge Hoogasian.  Per Article V, Section 5.08 of the
Bylaws, the Board unanimously voted Michael Danian of Waukegan, Illinois
(Judge Hoogasian's close friend and colleague) as the new Board member.

After the meeting, Association members, family and friends enjoyed a
lavish dinner in the Gaslamp district.  "We had a great meeting in San
Diego, and did our best to encourage those in the San Diego legal
community to join our ranks," said Simonian.  "We will continue to
organize meetings in communities with high concentrations of Armenians
and attempt to increase our numbers", he added.



2000 LEADERSHIP TRIBUTE
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The Association thanks the following
Board Members for completing their terms of service.
Their selfless leadership and contributions of time, energy and ideas
have strengthened the Association and contributed to its success.


HARRY S. CHERKEN, Jr. is the Co-Chair of the Real Estate Group of
Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, a 360 lawyer law firm headquartered in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with offices in Washington, D.C., New York
City, Berwyn, Pennsyl-vania, Florham Park, New Jersey and Princeton, New
Jersey.  He recently completed his first term as a Managing Partner of
that firm.  Harry has a broad real estate practice which focuses on the
representation of publicly-traded and closely-held corporations,
partnerships, investors and developers, particularly in the acquisition,
construction, development, financing, leasing and disposition of
commercial real estate.
Harry is a member of the boards or advisory boards of four companies,
and is an active member of the Real Estate Committees of the
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and American Bar Associations.  His civic
responsibilities include service on the boards of numerous charitable
organizations both within and outside of the Armenian community,
including the Armenian Assembly of America and The Balch Institute for
Ethnic Studies.  In addition, in 1995 Harry represented the Republic of
Armenia, pro bono, as special counsel with respect to its acquisition of
its Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Harry has served since 1988 as a Visiting Faculty Member at the
Villanova University School of Law and has been a guest lecturer at the
Wharton Real Estate Center of the University of Pennsylvania.  He is
also the Principal Editor of Ladner on Conveyancing, the premier text on
Pennsylvania real estate.
Harry's professional accomplishments have been recognized by his
inclusion in the Best Lawyers of America (1999-2000 edition), Who's Who
in America since 1994, and Who's Who in American Law since 1987.  In
1990 Harry was elected to the first Board of Governors of the Armenian
Bar Association, which he has served since then in a variety of
capacities including three separate terms as Vice Chair.


ARMEN K. HOVANNISIAN is a charter member of the Armenian Bar Association
and has served continuously on the Board of Governors since 1989,
holding various executive positions including Chairperson,
Vice-Chairperson, and Treasurer.  Among his other ArmenBar commitments,
Mr. Hovannisian has been the editor of our Newsletter, chair of the
pro-bono committee, and principal organizer of several of our annual and
mid-year meetings. He has traveled to Armenia over the past ten years
with other Armenbar members to participate in legal exchange/education
programs with Armenia's judges, lawyers, and law students.  He currently
has taken an active role in ArmenBar's Genocide Recognition Project
which entails, initially, gathering and analyzing documents and
information about life insurance policies issued to and Ottoman Bank
accounts held by victims of the Genocide.
Mr. Hovannisian is Assistant Vice President of Markel Corporation where
he heads a staff focused on environmental and toxic tort matters. Before
joining Markel, from 1987-1998, he was a litigator at the Los Angeles
office of New York-based Chadbourne & Parke.  In his capacity as Counsel
at Chadbourne & Parke, Mr. Hovannisian handled and tried several
commercial and employment matters and has appeared in California courts
and various federal courts.  He also is a member of the U.S. Supreme
Court.  Active as well within the State Bar of California, he has served
a 3-year term on the state-wide standing committee on minority relations
where he represented the growing numbers of Califonia's
Armenian-American attorneys.
Born in Fresno and raised in Los Angeles, Mr. Hovannisian received his
B.A. from U.C. Berkeley, graduating Summa Cum Laude and earning Phi Beta
Kappa honors.  He earned his J.D. from U.C.L.A. School of Law from which
he graduated with honors.


JUDGE ARAM SERVERIAN is currently presiding judge of San Mateo County
Superior Court.  Though he has been a judge since 1986, he finds that
the administration of the courts is a real change of pace.  Attorneys
find him to be fair, "as long as you stay away from his biases."  The
Judge is known to be tougher than most when sentencing sex and child
abusers.
In 1998, Judge Serverian was named San Mateo Judge of the Year by the
San Mateo County Trial Lawyers. Prior to his judicial tenure, Judge
Serverian was the assistant administrator of the San Mateo County Public
Defender's Program.  He then joined the San Mateo County District
Attorney's Office, where he tried felonies and eventually supervised the
DA's municipal court branch office.  He also worked as a San Mateo
County Superior Court commissioner, serving in the court's juvenile
division until appointed to the Municipal Court.  He was elevated in
1989 by Gov. George Deukmejian.
Judge Serverian lives in Redwood City with his wife, Hasmig, a
librarian, and her mother.  They have three adult children, including
Michael Serverian, a civil attorney in Santa Clara County.
Judge Serverian has served the Armenian Bar Association as a Member of
the Board of Governors for two consecutive terms.


VICKEN I. SIMONIAN has been a member of the Armenian Bar Association
since its inception in 1989.  He has served two terms on the Board of
Governors, including three years as the Association treasurer and his
current position as Chairman of the Board.  Along with fellow Board
member (and first cousin) Saro K. Kerkonian, he has done extensive work
for Armenbar in the area of pro bono legal assistance for recent
immigrants living in the Los Angeles area.
Simonian has been a member of the California State Bar since 1987, and
has maintained a private practice in Pasadena.  His primary area of
practice is civil litigation.  He is a member of the Los Angeles County
Bar Association, Consumer Attorneys of California and Consumer Attorneys
of Los Angeles.  He regularly sits as a court appointed settlement
officer in the North Central District of the Los Angeles Superior Court.

Prior to his legal career, Simonian was a decorated long distance
runner.  His marathon time of  2 hours 18 minutes 56 seconds is the
fastest ever run by an athlete of Armenian descent, and was fast enough
to meet the World Olympic qualifying standard for every Olympics to
date.  At UCLA, he qualified for the NCAA finals in both track and
cross-country.  In 1976, he won the California State Junior College
Championships at 5000 meters.  His time of 14:10.4 still stands as the
State Meet record.


4TH ANNUAL PICNIC - A FUN FILLED EVENT
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The Armenian Bar Association gathered in beautiful Verdugo Park in
Glendale, California on October 3, 1999 to hold its Fourth Annual Family
Picnic.  About 100 members, their family and friends participated in the
festivities enjoying a delicious kebab luncheon, Armenian music and
socializing with friends and colleagues.

The tradition of the Annual Picnic first began in 1997, when U.S.
District Court Judge Dickran Tevrizian organizied the picnic inspired by
the wonderful memories he had while growing up in California, when the
Armenian community would gather for weekend picnics.  He hoped the
Association's efforts in putting on the picnic would give members and
their family and friends, once again, the opportunity to experience the
fun of having a community picnic.  His hopes have come true as the event
draws families and members from across Southern California.

Interestingly, the event has always taken place just before the U.S.
Supreme Court  begins its yearly session and on a day when USC does not
have a home football game.
Other special guests at the picnic included:  California Supreme Court
Justice Armand Arabian, (retired), California Court of Appeals Judge
Richard Amerian, (retired), and Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ronald
M. Sohigian

The event was orgainzed by Judge Tevrizian, Association Executive
Director Lucy Varpetian and Association Chairman Vicken I. Simonian.

The Association also held a raffle during the picnic.  Winners received
wonderful gifts, including tickets to the Los Angeles Lakers at the
Staples Center donated by Century Court Reporters; Armenian CD's from
Garni; dinner certificates to Raffi's Place Restaurant and Carousel
Restaurant of Glendale; subscription to Metropolitan News Press and
Armenian International Magazine (AIM).

The event lasted well into the late afternoon.  Proceeds from the event
went to fund the Association's pro-bono and Armenia Programs committee
projects.



ARMENIAN BAR ASSOCIATION DONATES
LAW SCHOOL TUITION TO EARTHQUAKE SURVIVOR
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Onik Hovakimyan, a 20-year-old 4th year law student from Armenia, was
given a grant by the Armenian Bar Association to pay for his final year
tuition.  The grant was in the amount of $250.00.

He is a survivor of the 1988 earthquake in Armenia.  Then a resident of
Spitak (a city totally levelled by the temblor) he was severely injured,
resulting in a below-the-knee amputation. Hovakimyan was one of three
athletes from Armenia who competed in the wheelchair division of the New
York City Marathon in November, 1999.

Armenbar Board member Denise Darmanian brought Onik's situation to the
attention of the Board.  Her husband, Berge Panosyan is actively
involved in an organization known as PYUNIC (or Phoenix, a bird believed
to have risen from the ashes).  PYUNIC was established in 1989 in order
to save, protect and enhance the lives of children disabled by the
earthquake.  With PYUNIC's assistance, Hovakimyan, along with Hayk
Abgarian and Artur Grigoryan from Armenia were able to compete in New
York.

PYUNIC matched Armenbar's donation, providing Hovakimyan with sufficient
funds to complete his law school education and assist his expenses
incurred in commuting 40 km per day from Spitak to Kirovakan.


ARMENBAR PRO-BONO CHAIR, ZAVEN SINANIAN
NAMED LIAISON BETWEEN ATTORNEY GENERAL
AND ARMENIAN COMMUNITY
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Four days after four middle school students in Glendale, California were
accused of planning to commit hate crimes against Armenian classmates,
Attorney General Bill Lockyer visited Glendale to reach out to the
Armenian Community.

Lockyer appeared at the headquarters of the Amenian National Committee
and introduced Armenian Bar Association Pro-Bono Chairman and La
Cresenta resident Zaven Sinanian, 39, as his deputy attorney general who
will serve as a liaison to the Armenian community in Southern
California.

A commission set up by Sinanian will advise the Attorney General on
methods to improve hate crime prevention using such tactics as teaching
tolerance, appreciation of diversity and law enforcement training.
Lockyer said he can see the commission pushing for stronger laws to
combat hate crimes.  But he said education and parenting play key roles
in fighting hate crimes.

"There is something bubbling up around the country, and it is alarming,"
Lockyer said. Sinanian's role will be to stay in contact with the
Armenian community and find out what concerns and issues they have, said
Nathan Barankin, a spokesman for the Attorney General's office.  By
living in the community, Sinanian said he will have his hand on the
pulse of what is going on and can advise his office.

Sinanian is one of the founding members of Armenbar, and has served on
the Board of Directors.  He served in the government of the Republic of
Armenia for one year as a deputy to the Foreign Minister's office. "I'm
honored to be appointed to such an important position", said Sinanian,
adding, "I'm very pleased that Attorney General Lockyer has confidence
in my ability to make a difference in the community." Sinanian's proud
parents, Chicago residents, were in attendance to share the honor of the
appointment.




MEMBERS IN THE NEWS AND ON THE MOVE
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M. MICHAEL BABIKIAN joined Baker, Olson, LeCroy & Danielian, in
Glendale, CA, as an associate.  Mr. Babikian specializes in Tax
Planning, Estate Planning, and Business Law.  He is a graduate of
University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (J.D., 1997) and
University of San Diego (LL.M., Taxation, 1999).  He teaches tax law at
Glendale University and is a member of the Board of Directors for the
Glendale Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service, Glendale Bar
Association, and the Committee for the Armenian Himalayan Expedition
Everest 2000.  Mr. Babikian was a member of the American Bar
Association's Tax Committee for Exempt Organizations (1996-99).

JOHN & ARMINE BALIAN are the proud parents of Maya Nori Balian, born on
June 29, 1999.  Maya weighed 7lbs. 11 ozs., and measured 20 inches.

LISA BARSOOMIAN and Rod J. Rosenstein are the proud  parents of Julia
Paige Rosenstein, who was born on January 27, 2000. Julia weighed 7lbs.
and 11 ozs., and measured 20.5 inches and is looking forward to
attending her first ArmenBar meeting.

KATHY BAZOIAN-PHELPS became a partner of Danning, Gill, Diamond &
Kollitz, LLP, in Century City, CA.  Ms. Phelps specializes in bankruptcy
matters.  She is a graduate of the University of California at Los
Angeles School of Law and a member of the Beverly Hills, Los Angeles and
American Bar Associations, Financial Lawyers Conference, Los Angeles
Bankruptcy Forum, and California Bankruptcy Forum.

HARRY DIKRANIAN & Norma Alepian are the proud parents of Marc Taro
Dikranian, born on June 20, 1999 at 9:20 p.m., weighing 7lbs. 13 ozs.
and measuring 19.75 inches.

MARK KELEGIAN of Kelegian & Associates in Newport Beach, California just
settled a premises liability case for an amount in excess of
$1,600,000.00.  This is Mr. Kelegian's third multi-million dollar
recovery in the last 18 months.  In this case, the Plaintiff, a tenant
at a large apartment complex in Southern California, was raped at
knifepoint in her apartment unit.  Mr. Kelegian contended that the
landlord had direct knowledge of prior sexual assaults and lewd conduct
on the property and that it breached its duty to warn the tenants.  He
further contended that the landlord knew that the prior sexual assaults
were committed by a single predator stalking single female tenants.  He
also contended that the landlord purposefully refused to warn the tenants 
because it feared that doing so would drive the tenants away.   
Mr. Kelegian is co-author of California Premises Liability: Law & Practice, 
published by the West Group.  He also serves as chairman of Armenbar's 
Membership Committee - West Coast.

TALIN YACOUBIAN joined Gallagher & Gallagher as a partner in Century
City, CA.  Ms. Yacoubian is a litigator specializing in environmental
law.  She is a graduate of George Washington National Law Center and a
member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association.  Ms. Yacoubian serves
on the Board of Directors of Armenia Fund Inc. and recently hosted AFI's
Telethon. She is fluent in Armenian, Arabic and French.

FRANK V. ZERUNYAN was appointed to the planning commission of the City
of Rolling Hills Estates, CA for a four-year term.  The commission's
primary tasks are to field all requests for city improvements and to
oversee the physical development of the city.  As a commissioner, Mr.
Zerunyan will be responsible for using city doctrine to review, approve
and implement any physical changes to the area.  Mr. Zerunyan is a
member of the law firm of Sulmeyer, Kupetz, Baumann & Rothman in Los
Angeles.  He specializes in business and real estate litigation, with
sub-specialties in leasing, secured transactions and workouts.  A Judge
Pro Tempore, he is assigned to the Real Estate Division of the Los
Angeles Municipal Court.  An author of various published articles, Mr.
Zerunyan serves as the managing editor of the Sulmeyer, Kupetz, Baumann
& Rothman firm newsletter.  He is a faculty member of the National
Business Institute and is called upon by various organizations to
lecture on professional responsibility, ethics and marketing.  He is
also recognized as a member of "Who's Who in American Law" (1998,
1999).  Mr. Zerunyan earned a corporate taxation certification of
Advanced Legal Education from the University of Southern California Law
Center, a J.D. from Western State University, a B.A. from California
State University at Long Beach and a French Baccalaureate from College
Samuel Moorat in Paris, France.  Mr. Zerunyan serves on many non-profit
boards, including the regional board of American Youth Soccer
Organization (AYSO) in Palos Verdes, and is a volunteer youth education
law instructor at Alex Pilibos High School.  He has also recently been
elected Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Freeman Hospitals
Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises and grants funds for
community health projects in the service area of Daniel Freeman
Hospitals.  He resides in Rolling Hills Estates.