Ararat Executive Board

Vazrik Tarverdi – Chair

Vazrik Tarverdi has been a proud and active member of Homenetmen Glendale Ararat since 2017, when he joined the scouting division’s Scout Dad’s group, and later was elected to the General Athletic’s Executive Committee.

His journey with Homenetmen Glendale Ararat reflects a deep sense of responsibility towards nurturing the next generation. Serving as a Scout Dad, Vazrik not only contributed his time and energy but also shared valuable life skills, mentorship, and a sense of adventure with the young members of the community. Vazrik then expanded his role by serving as a General Athletic Executive Committee member and thereby embracing the broader spectrum of athletic activities.

In addition to scouting, Vazrik’s daughters have become active participants in the volleyball and soccer programs at Homenetmen Glendale Ararat. Their involvement showcases the family’s shared passion for sports and the organization’s dedication to providing diverse opportunities for its members. Whether on the field or court, Vazrik’s daughters contribute to the spirit of teamwork, friendly competition, and skill development within the sports programs.

Vazrik graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science. He currently serves as a Senior DevOps System Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

In addition to his achievements in the tech industry, Vazrik has taken on a leadership role in the community by being elected to the Ararat Executive Board.

Armen Aboulian – Vice-Chair

Armen joined the Ararat family in 1990 as a young boy scout and excelled through the ranks to the title of scout commissioner. Scouting combined his affinity for the outdoors with the love of spending time with friends. Armen has been active in the Scout Dads committee and the basketball division.

He enjoys watching his daughters go through the Ararat school of life and develop characteristics and skills that follow the Homenetmen “Elevate yourself and elevate others” motto. Armen earned his Bachelor’s Degree at UCLA and his Medical degree from UC Irvine and currently practices as a general and colorectal surgeon.

Helga Kiaian – Treasurer

Helga Kiaian’s Ararat journey began in 1978 when she joined Tehran’s Ararat organization as a scout, where she rose through the ranks and served as a troop leader.

She joined Homenetmen Glendale Ararat as a volunteer when her daughter, Ellin, became a member of the scouting division in 2012. Helga actively contributed to the parents’ and program planning committees, eventually joining the Cultural Division’s Executive Committee in 2018.

Helga holds a bachelor’s degree in economics with over 25 years of experience as an accountant and auditor in the private, nonprofit, and public sectors. She joined Ararat’s executive board in 2024. Helga hopes to actively build connections with all members for a stronger Homenetmen family.

Nejdeh Khachikian – Secretary

Nejdeh Khachikian has been a member of Homenetmen Ararat since 2012 when he joined the basketball division as a player and coach.

Over the past 40 years, he has been a scout troop leader, participated in Armenian theater, competed in various Armenian poetry competitions, and been a member of the Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America (AESA). He has also served on the Executive Board of Armenian College Students in Tehran, Basketball Executive Committee (BEC) and is currently a member of the Ararat Executive Board (AEB).

Nejdeh met his wife, Armineh, during their college years, and they married in 1999. Their two children, Arineh and Aren have been active members of the Ararat scouting division since 2013.

Nejdeh holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and has dedicated the last 25 years to software development. He is now the CEO of Key Software, Inc., a leading healthcare IT software development company.

Henrik Sardarbegian – Advisor

Henrik Sardarbegian has been a proud member of Homenetmen Glendale Ararat since 1988. Throughout the years, he has gone from being a basketball player, to a coach and has been a member of the Executive Board since 2018. His love for the game of basketball has opened various opportunities in his life and has used and continues to use the lessons he has learned in basketball in all aspects of his life.

In 2005 & 2011, Henrik has participated in Armenia as a member of the Glendale Men’s basketball team. Henrik joined the Hoover High School Boys’ basketball program in 2005 which eventually lead him to take on the role as the Varsity Head Basketball Coach. He was named the Pacific League’s Coach of the Year in 2008. In 2009, he married Veronica and the two have two young boys, Eric and Leo, born in 2013 and 2014. In 2017, Henrik was selected as the Men’s Basketball Coach to represent Homenetmen Western Region in the Homenetmen World Games where he and his team won the championship.

Henrik graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Marketing and went on to Southwestern’s SCALE program to earn his Juris Doctorate degree. He started his own firm, Sardarbegian Law.

Arbi Madirossians – Advisor

Arbi Madirossians has been a member of Homenetmen Ararat since 1987 when he joined as a cub scout. Throughout his scouting career, he rose through the ranks and eventually became Ararat’s Scout Master. Subsequently, he was elected to Ararat’s Executive Board where he served for 3 years.

Arbi took a brief break from Ararat and in the meantime, got married to Celine and they currently have three children. Emile, who is 8, joined the Scouts in 2022 to follow his dad’s footsteps. He has also been participating in the basketball program for a few years now and enjoys the Ararat summer programs every summer very much! The younger ones are equally excited to join Ararat in the coming years and participate in different activities that the organization offers.

Arbi graduated from California State University Northridge with a degree in Business Administration and Marketing. He has worked in IT at several Fortune 500 companies, utilizing his leadership and project management skills that he learned while serving at Ararat.

Garen Moghoyan – Advisor

Garen Moghoyan has been a Homenetmen member since 1983. Over the years, he has been involved as a scout, troop leader, athlete, coach, and member of various committees as well as the Chapter Executive Board. He has participated in the 1990 and 1998 pan-Homenetmen scouting jamborees, along with the 1990 and 2022 pan-Homenetmen world games.

He met his wife Ani at scouts and their sons Grikor and Alec are both Ararat basketball players.

Garen holds a Master of Science degree in Applied Data Science from Syracuse University and consults as a data scientist.

Teny Petroian – Advisor

Teny Petroian’s journey with the Ararat organization began in 1984 when she joined Tehran’s Ararat organization as a scout. She quickly became active in the athletics and cultural divisions, maintaining her involvement across all divisions until 1996, when she moved to Armenia. There, she joined the executive board of the Homenetmen Shavarsh Kristian Chapter.

Teny married Karen, and they have two children, Salbee and Raffi. She has always believed that Ararat is her second home and family. After moving to the USA in 2017, her family immediately became involved with Homenetmen Glendale Ararat where her children joined the scouting and athletics divisions. At the same time, Teny volunteered her time by contributing to the parents’ and program planning committees. Eventually, her dedication earned her a role on the Cultural Division’s Executive Committee in 2020.

Teny holds a master’s degree from the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia. In 2003, she founded her firm, Urban Unit Construction, showcasing her vision, leadership, and entrepreneurial spirit.

Allen Grakasian – Advisor

Allen Grakasian has been a member of Homenetmen Glendale Ararat since 2004 when he joined Ararat Soccer right before the 29th Navasartian Games. For the next 20 years, he continued to play soccer at Ararat and captained the “A” Division team. During this time, he represented Glendale as a part of the Men’s Soccer team in the Pan-Armenian Games in 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023, as well as representing Western USA as a part of Men’s Futsal at the Homenetmen World games in 2017.

Over the years,  he has  volunteered his time in various capacities at Ararat through the annual Easter Festival, Ararat’s booth at the Navasartian Games, Summer Day Camp and coaching the U12-14 Ararat Soccer team from 2014-2016. In 2020, he served as the General Athletics Soccer Committee Chair, where he oversaw the reopening of soccer during the COVID-19 Pandemic and again served as the soccer committee chair and General Athletics Executive Committee Advisor in 2024. He has also been a member of Ararat’s Strategic Planning Committee from 2022-2024.

Allen Mesropian – Advisor

Allen Mesropian has been a dedicated member of Homenetmen Glendale Ararat since 1980, when he first joined as a scout. Over the decades, he has remained actively involved in the organization in many capacities, including as a scout, group leader, athlete, and coach. His commitment to the organization has also extended into leadership, serving for several years on the Basketball Executive Committee. Allen has further contributed to the broader Homenetmen and Armenian community by serving as a committee member for the 2019 Pan Armenia Games and the 2025 Pan Homenetmen Games in Armenia.

Allen is married to his wife, Narineh, and together they have two sons, Daniel and Noah.

He graduated from California State University, Northridge with a degree in Business Administration and Finance. Throughout his professional career, Allen has worked in corporate finance for several Fortune 500 companies, developing strong leadership, analytical, and strategic planning skills. He brings this experience and perspective to his continued service with Homenetmen Glendale Ararat and is committed to using his background to help move the organization forward.

Varag Kerikorian – Advisor

Varag Kerikorian has been an active member of Homenetmen Ararat since 2015, joining the organization after his children became members of the Ararat chapter. His involvement began with the Scouts Dads group, where he supported the scouting division and contributed his time and dedication to the growth and development of young scouts.

Building on his commitment to Homenetmen, Varag expanded his service at the regional level by joining the Camp Tecuya Committee, where he served for five years. During this time, he played an active role in supporting camp programs and strengthening the connection between members and Homenetmen’s outdoor and leadership initiatives. In addition, Varag has been involved with the Basketball Executive Committee (BEC), contributing to the organization and development of the basketball program.

Varag is married to Angineh, and together they are proud parents to Krista and Gregory, both of whom are members of Homenetmen Ararat and actively participate in the organization’s programs. As a family, they strongly value the sense of community, teamwork, and Armenian identity that Homenetmen provides.

Professionally, Varag is a self-employed entrepreneur in the auto collision industry and owns two collision repair shops. His professional experience in business management and leadership allows him to bring practical insight, responsibility, and organizational skills to his ongoing service within Homenetmen Ararat. Varag remains committed to supporting the organisations mission and helping strengthen the Homenetmen family for future generations.