AMAA Executive Director Zaven Khanjian Dies

After graduating from Aleppo College, he attended the American University of Beirut in Lebanon and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1967. Shortly after graduation, he moved to the Gulf and spent 13 years working in his profession, holding top positions in prestigious companies while creating “Little Armenians” with like-minded Armenians in the region.

He married his devoted wife Sona Kelligian in 1973 and together they raised a family of two sons and a daughter. In 1979, Zaven moved his family to California and after working for a few years, he entered the real estate business, establishing his own successful real estate company, Kanjyan Realty in Glendale in 1987.

Khanjian was appointed Executive Director/CEO of AMAA on September 1, 2014. During his 10-year tenure, he oversaw numerous milestones, including the opening of the Khoren and Shooshanig Avedisian School in Yerevan, the Armenian Genocide Centennial commemoration in 2015, the successful AMAA Centennial Capital Campaign, and the AMAA 100th Anniversary in 2018.

Over the years, Khanjian has been an active member of the Greater Los Angeles community, holding leadership positions with 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, American for Artsakh, the Armenian-American Real Estate Association, and served as chairman of the Syrian Armenian Relief Fund, which has raised over $1 million.

He was the author of volumes of bilingual articles for the American media devoted to Armenia and three books in Armenian: Or Kuget and Te Ims dunes? (Is this your house or mine?); Heart of the Lord (Reflections of the mind and soul); and Haleb Arachin Gayaran (Memories from a memorable childhood).

Khanjian has received numerous awards, including the Medal of Gratitude from the President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on May 28, 2017 in Armenia for his contribution to strengthening Armenia-diaspora relations and preserving Armenian identity. On September 13, 2019, he was awarded the title of Honorary Member of the Union of Writers of Armenia for his books and articles on Armenia.