Talar Alexanian
President Talar is the Senior Associate for Strategies 360, a full-service public affairs, research, and communications firm. Prior to consulting, Talar spent years shaping higher education advocacy and policy for the CSU and UC systems. A proud Matador, Talar earned her degree in Journalism and Political Science from Cal State Northridge. At CSUN, Talar was elected twice as Vice President of the student body and held leadership roles in the Armenian Student Association and Alpha Gamma Alpha sorority. She is also a graduate of the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs. A native Angeleno, Talar values civic engagement and giving back to her community. In her spare time, she loves exploring LA’s diverse food scene and traveling the world every chance she gets!
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Stephanie Mkhlian
Vice President Stephanie was born and raised in Los Angeles. She attended Mount Saint Mary’s University for her undergraduate studies, earning a B.A. in International Relations & Political Science with a minor in pre-law. Shortly after graduating, she volunteered in Beirut, Lebanon and thereafter became an AmeriCorps VISTA for the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office. Currently, she serves as a Field Deputy for the California State Assembly Member Adrin Nazarian of District 46. When she is not fulfilling her role of APS Vice President, she can be found doing advocacy work for organizations such as LAWorks, GALAS, SWANA-LA
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Garen Aliksanian
Secretary Garen works as a Sr. Manager of Digital Product at Mattel. As a JD/MBA graduate, Garen's career has spanned a diverse background of positions in fields such as law, marketing, merchandising and eCommerce management. Growing up in Los Angeles, Garen has always been connected to the city's Armenian community. He attended and Graduated from Armenian Mesrobian School, and has volunteered for Armenian organizations including AGBU and the Friends of Armenia, where he serves as a Board Member. In his spare time, Garen enjoys reading, traveling and trying new restaurants!
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Alec Kargodorian
Finance Director Alec grew up in Los Angeles and attended USC where he earned his B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance in 2019. While at USC, he was involved in the Armenian Students' Association and took part in several other campus organizations. His past experience includes Equity Research, Asset Management, and Financial Analysis. Currently, he is an Investment Adviser Representative at Golden K Plans & Wealth, his family's Wealth Management & Third Party Administration business. On his spare time, Alec enjoys playing soccer, snowboarding, and hiking.
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Sylvia Duzaryan Manoukian
Marketing & Comms Director |
Kristina Safarian
Social Events Director |
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Sylvia was born and raised in Los Angeles. As a proud Bruin, Sylvia took advantage of UCLA’s Armenian Studies Program by taking several Armenian language and history classes. During her 2014 graduation, she had the distinguished honor of being the commencement speaker for the general commencement ceremony at Pauley Pavilion. After college, Sylvia started her career as LAFD Foundation’s Marketing Coordinator, and moved on to become a Marketing Associate at JLL in 2016. Over the past 4 years, she has advanced to JLL’s Marketing Manager, overseeing all business development and operations for the West Coast Property Management teams. Currently, Sylvia is pursuing her MBA degree at CSUN. A lover of stories, Sylvia enjoys reading, watching shows and movies, and creative writing in her free time.
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Kristina is a proud Angeleno and spent her childhood attending Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School. Homenetmen Los Angeles played a pivotal role in her upbringing where she grew to become a scout leader and eventually an executive board member of the organization. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management at The Collins College of Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona. During her undergraduate career she served as the President of the Armenian Students’ Association and Association of Student Event Planners. Upon graduation, she joined Marriott International and has worked as a sales manager representing luxury lifestyle hotels across the country within the company’s portfolio. Currently, she is an MBA Candidate at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School.
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Sahag Yedalian
Professional Events Director TBD
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Karina Vartanian
Membership Director Karina was born in Los Angeles, California and was raised in Beirut, Lebanon. She attended Saint Joseph’s School for her primary education and pursued a degree in interior architecture at the Lebanese American University. During her time at LAU, she was a member of the AGBU University Students' Committee where she organized fundraisers and social events to connect young Armenians. Shortly after completing her degree, Karina moved to Los Angeles where she worked as a designer and project manager. In her spare time, Karina enjoys dance and all forms of art, including illustration, painting and photography.
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Sevag Konialian
Mentorship Director Sevag was born and raised in Los Angeles and attended Loyola Marymount University, where he graduated with a B.A. in Communication Studies. He then went on to translate his passion for sustainable mobility into a career as a Global Operations Associate at BIRD, where he managed new product implementation and market analysis. Currently, he is pursuing a Master’s of Business Administration from USC’s Marshall School of Business. In his spare time, Sevag enjoys cooking, skiing, and travel.
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Sam Donabedian
Graduate Student Director Sam was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. He attended the University of California, Irvine for his undergraduate studies, earning a B.A. in Criminology, Law and Society. During his time at UCI, Sam was a four-year letter winner in baseball, academic all Big-West Conference, and a member of the UCI 2007 College World Series team. Thereafter, he attended the University of West Los Angeles School of Law for his graduate studies where he graduated with Moot Court Honors and multiple Witkin Awards for Academic Excellence. Currently, he is the founder and shareholder in Donabedian Law, APC a civil litigation firm based in Los Angeles. Aside from his duties as Graduate Student Director, Sam is a member of the Armenian National Committee of America, Los Angeles Triple XXX Armenian Fraternity and Armenian Bar Association.
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Alina Missirian
Grants & Development Director |
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Alina was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA and recently graduated from Cal State Long Beach with her Masters in Healthcare Administration. She also attended CSULB for her BS in Health Science. During her undergraduate and graduate studies, she was involved in the Armenian Students' Association on campus and always pursued opportunities where she could be involved with the Armenian community. She currently works full-time as a Clinical Affairs Analyst with USC's Keck School of Medicine in the General, Hospital, Palliative Care, Geriatrics, and Internal Medicine Division. In her spare time, Alina enjoys cooking, baking, reading, traveling and spending time with friends and family.
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Past Presidents
Daniela Girbal
APS President 2020 Daniela is originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, but she grew up in Los Angeles. She is a proud Bruin (Class of 2012) and during her time at UCLA she took on leadership roles within the Armenian Students' Association and Alpha Gamma Alpha. She earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University in 2018 and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Daniela is a College and Academic Counselor at St. Monica Catholic High School and truly loves the St. Monica Catholic Community, as she attended both elementary and high school there. Additionally, she is a therapist at a group private practice, Best Me Psychotherapy in Culver City. Daniela has been involved in APS since 2018, serving as President in 2020.
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Nerses Aposhian
APS President 2018-2019 Nerses Aposhian was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. He attended the University of Southern California for his undergraduate studies and Loyola Law School for his graduate studies. He is the founder of POSH Consulting, where he assists clients with marketing, advertising, business development, and fundraising strategies. He is also the co-host of The Founder Hour podcast. Nerses has been involved in APS since 2017, serving as President in 2018 and 2019. Recently, Nerses joined the Merdinian Armenian Evangelical School's Board of Directors.
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