Zaven Khanjian Appointed New Executive Director/CEO of AMAA

PARAMUS, NJ — Dr. Joseph Zeronian, President of the Board of Directors of the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA), announced the appointment of Zaven Khanjian as the new Executive Director/CEO of the Association effective September 1, 2014.

Mr. Khanjian was born and raised in Aleppo, Syria. He grew up in the Armenian Evangelical Emmanuel Church and was an active member of its youth group.

After his graduation from Aleppo College, Mr. Khanjian attended the American University of Beirut, Lebanon and in 1967 earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Soon after his graduation he moved to the Persian Gulf and for 13 years worked in his profession assuming top positions in prestigious companies, while creating “Little Armenias” together with like-minded Armenians in the area.

In 1979, Mr. Khanjian moved with his family to California and after working for a few years in his profession, went into the real estate business starting his own successful company, Kanjyan Realty in Glendale, CA, in 1987.

Over the years, Mr. Khanjian has been an active member of the Greater Los Angeles Community serving in leadership capacities at the Armenia Fund, The Armenian Evangelical Union of North America, The Merdinian Armenian Evangelical School, The United Armenian Congregational Church, Haigazian University of Beirut, the Glendale Family YMCA, The Salvation Army-Glendale Corps, Americans for Artsakh, The Armenian American Real Estate Association and lately as the Chairman of the Syrian Armenian Relief Fund, raising over $1,000,000.

Mr. Khanjian has contributed volumes of bilingual articles to American Armenian media and is the author of three Armenian books.

Mr. Khanjian is married to Sona Kelligian and is the father of three children, Vasken, Hrag and Vana, and grandfather of five boys.

Rev. Mgrdich Melkonian, will continue in his current role as Interim Executive Director/CEO of the AMAA through October, 2014 to facilitate a smooth transition. Rev. Melkonian will resume his responsibility as Pastor to Pastors in Armenia, giving leadership and assistance to AMAA ministers in Armenia for half of the year and on assignments as Field Director in the United States and Canada for the remaining half year.

“The Board of Directors of the AMAA is pleased to appoint Mr. Zaven Khanjian, as he has demonstrated his devotion and worked tirelessly to enhance the well-being of our Armenian people,” said Dr. Zeronian. “We know that his management experience will help advance the work of the AMAA in the 24 countries we service around the world.”

Founded in 1918, the AMAA is a non-profit charitable organization whose purpose is to serve the physical and spiritual needs of people everywhere, both at home and overseas. The AMAA is a nonsectarian Christian organization that renders its services to those in need without discrimination. To fulfill this worldwide mission, the AMAA maintains a range of educational, evangelistic, relief, social services, church, and child care ministries in twenty-four countries around the world and often partners with other relief agencies to aid disaster stricken areas throughout the world. For additional information, visit www.amaa.org.