November 4, 2005

Bay Area ANC Hosts Campaign Event for CA Sen. Jackie Speier Candidate for Lt. Governor

Hillsborough, CA, Sunday, October 30 -  The Bay Area Armenian National Committee held a campaign fundraiser for Jackie Speier, Armenian-American State Senator from San Mateo, who is running for Lieutenant Governor of California.  If elected in November, 2006, Speier would become only the second Armenian-American to serve in statewide office since Governor George Deukmejian (1983-1991).  The fundraiser was hosted by Bay Area community activists, Garbis and Maida Bezdjian of Hillsborough.  In addition to area public officials and Armenian-American community leaders and supporters, in attendance were Sen. Speier's mother, Nancy Kelchanian, a native of Fresno who is celebrating her 90th birthday this year.

After introductions by Bay Area ANC Chairwoman Roxanne Makasdjian and event organizer Haig Baghdassarian, Senator Speier spoke about the work ethic she learned from her mother, who ran a business in San Francisco in her 20's.  Speier said she also learned from her mother the importance of a dime.  Her mother saved a dime a day by walking to work everyday to save money in order to be able to purchase a property in San Francisco.   She credits her mother for teaching her to be budget conscious, which she tries to apply to her job helping formulate California's budget.

Armenian Youth Federation members, Matthew Senekerimian and Tatiana Armstrong presented Sen. Speier with momentos from the AYF and spoke about the inspiration they receive from Sen. Speier's success as an Armenian-American woman in the U.S. political process.

Growing up realizing the importance of Armenian Genocide recognition, Senator Speier has incorporated that into her public service, most recently authoring the 2005 Armenian Genocide resolution in California, and co-authoring with Senator Chuck Poochigian another law which permanently designates April 24 as California Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide.

Her commitment to public service was forged in tragedy 25 years ago on a remote airship in Guyana, where as legal counsel to the late Congressman Leo Ryan, she had accompanied him to investigate Jim Jones’ People's Temple.

Sen. Speier has said, "The Jonestown tragedy is a daily reminder that no one is guaranteed a tomorrow.  This has absolutely molded my philosophy and my zest for work and for life." To this day, she carries two bullets in her body from the tragic incident in Guyana.

Two years after the Jonestown shootings, Sen. Speier became the youngest member ever to serve on the San Mateo county Board of Supervisors when she won her first election by defeating a 20-year incumbent.  Sen. Speier served in the California State Assembly from 1986 to 1996 before being elected to the State Senate, where she is completing her second term and was recently named Assistant President Pro-Tem.

Over the past 20 years, Jackie has set an unprecedented record of over 300 pieces of legislation signed into law by both Democratic and Republican Governors.  She has authored groundbreaking legislation in privacy and consumer protection, child safety, child support enforcement, and healthcare, many of which have been used as templates for national legislation.