Dedicated community activist and leader Veh Bezdikian, Supervisory Special Agent in the FBI’s New York Field Office, will serve as Master of Ceremonies at the Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region Endowment Fund’s 18th Annual Gala that will take place on Saturday, October 19, 2024 in Queens, New York at Terrace on the Park. The gala will include an open bar cocktail reception, curated silent auction with one-of-a-kind items from the homeland, and awards program accompanied by a seated dinner. You can support the ANCA Eastern Region today by purchasing your tickets for the gala and/or making a donation. 

Bezdikian will be joined by hundreds of Armenian American activists, friends, and supporters from across the Eastern Region at the gala – which serves as the annual fundraiser for the ANCA ER Endowment Fund – to commemorate the Region’s accomplishments through 2024 and honor deserving activists who have volunteered and tirelessly advocated to advance Hai Tahd. Honorees will include the recipients of the prestigious ANCA Eastern Region Freedom Award, awarded to Representative Grace Meng and the ANCA Eastern Region Vahan Cardashian Award, awarded to Antranik Boudakian. The Region will also honor Tony Vartanian and Dr. Ara Caprielian, PhD., with the Community Trailblazer Award and the Everlasting Advocate Award, respectively. The next generation of activists – ANCA Leo Sarkisian Internship Program participants from the Eastern Region — will also be recognized at the gala. 

For Bezdikian, service to his community comes first. This is exemplified by his life long activism and involvement in the Armenian community. He has served two terms as a member of the Eastern Prelacy’s Executive Council and represented the Eastern Prelacy as a delegate to the Holy See of Cilicia’s World Forum in 2022 in Antelias, Lebanon. At the moment, he serves as a Board of Trustees member at Saint Sarkis Church in Douglaston, NY. Bezdikian’s service to the community also encompasses his career. For the past 28 years, Bezdikian has served his nation through various capacities with the Department of Justice. Serving for over 22 years in the FBI, Bezdikian currently manages the Joint Major Theft Task Force with the NYPD. Previously, he worked in counterterrorism and criminal programs in New York, Washington, DC and Rome, Italy. In Rome, Bezdikian had the distinct honor of serving as the US Embassy FBI Representative to the Italian Republic, the State of the Vatican City, the Republic of San Marino, and the Republic of Malta for all criminal programs from 2020-2023. In recognition of his efforts, Bezdikian received the US Attorney General’s Award for excellence in counterterrorism investigation in 2023.

Bezdikian graduated from Georgetown University with a Master’s of Public Policy in 1996 and received his Bachelor of Arts from the State University of New York in Albany in 1994. He is married to Arpine Aroyan of Montréal , Canada and is the proud father of their two daughters, Ani and Eva.

“We are thrilled to have Veh serve as this year’s Master of Ceremonies. He has been a pillar of the New York community for decades, serving his local Armenian community and his nation. We look forward to welcoming him and the rest of the community to our 18th annual gala,” said Chantelle Nasri, ANCA Eastern Region 18th Annual Gala Committee Chairperson.

Today, the need for grassroots advocacy in support of Armenian-American issues is more vital than ever before. With the generosity and support of the Region’s Hai Tahd supporters and activists, the 18th annual gala will afford the Region with the opportunity to continue its impactful work.

The 18th Annual Gala will be held on Saturday, October 19, 2024, in Queens, New York at the Terrace on the Park (52-11 111th Street, Queens, New York). To purchase tickets or make a donation, visit givergy.us/ancaer2024.