Join us for an unforgettable evening as we proudly honor these distinguished individuals whose leadership, generosity, and dedication have made lasting contributions to the Armenian-American story and to the cultural fabric of our nation for generations to come.
Armenian Heritage Walk Gala Host
Sona Movsesian
Sona Movsesian will serve as the Master of Ceremonies for the Armenian Heritage Walk Gala on April 25, 2026 — and we couldn’t be more thrilled!
Sona Movsesian is a former executive assistant turned author, podcaster and media personality who has worked in television for 20 years. Movsesian graduated from the USC Annenberg School of Communication in 2005 and started working in the storied NBC Page Program shortly after graduating. During her time as a Page, she gave tours of the former NBC lot in Burbank, CA and helped with seating on various shows that filmed there. During her tenure as a Page, she was hired on to be NBC's Events and Operations Coordinator and worked on countless press events, premiere parties, wrap parties and NBC's annual pre-Emmy party.
In 2009, Movsesian got the job that would change her life when she was hired on as Conan O'Brien's executive assistant. She worked with him throughout his tenure as host of The Tonight Show and subsequently when he hosted Conan on TBS. Movsesian was featured on the show on many occasions, most notably in a televised trip she took to Armenia with Conan for his Conan Without Borders travel series. Since 2018, she has been a co-host on the hit podcast Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend and in 2022, she released her book The World’s Worst Assistant, which became an instant New York Times best seller. She's currently working on her second book, The World's Worst Mom, which will be out in the fall of 2026. Sona currently lives in Pasadena with her twin boys, Charlie and Mikey, and her husband Tak.
Armenian Heritage Walk Honorees
Michael Aram
Founder and Designer, Michael Aram Inc.
For 37 years, Aram, an internationally recognized Armenian-American designer and entrepreneur, has been creating luxurious collections, often inspired by nature, that enhance the everyday. Each piece from his expansive lines of home decor, tableware, gifts and home textiles features his distinctive handcrafted beauty and attention to detail. Admired for its timeless elegance and artistic craftsmanship, the brand is championed by Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, and 1,200+ independent international retailers, and has captured a legion of devoted collectors worldwide, garnering attention from a diverse audience including the British Royal family, Pope Francis, and numerous Heads of State.
The grandchild of Armenian Genocide survivors, Aram's immersion in the rich traditions and objects of the Armenian Church is often reflected deeply in his work — from the iconic Pomegranate collection to Migrations, a sculpture commemorating the Armenian Genocide at St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral in New York and a Noah's Ark sculpture created on behalf of the Armenian people housed at the Vatican.
Aram, his husband Aret, and their teenage twins are proud of their Armenian heritage and enjoy being active members in the community, including Aram's role as Honorary General Consul of Armenia to Florida.
Dr. James Philip Bagian
A Legacy of Service and Safety
Dr. James Philip Bagian is an engineer, physician, and former NASA astronaut whose career has focused on improving safety and human performance in high-risk environments. In 1989, he became the first person of Armenian heritage to travel into space, flying on two Space Shuttle missions, STS-29 and STS-40. Following the Challenger disaster, he served as a lead investigator in the recovery effort and played a key role in developing the Space Shuttle Crew Escape System, including the pressure suits and survival hardware used on all subsequent shuttle flights. He later served as Chief Flight Surgeon and Medical Consultant to the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. Dr. Bagian also pioneered major advances in healthcare safety as the founding director of the VA National Center for Patient Safety, introducing systems-based approaches that significantly reduced patient harm and influenced hospitals worldwide. Now a professor at the University of Michigan and an elected member of both the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine, his work continues to bridge engineering and medicine to improve safety and outcomes.
Mark Hoplamazian
Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President, Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Prior to his appointment to Hyatt's Board of Directors and being named President and CEO of Hyatt Hotels Corporation in 2006 and most recently, Chairman of the Board, Hoplamazian served as President of The Pritzker Organization, LLC, (TPO), the principal financial and investment advisor to certain Pritzker family business interests. During his 17-year tenure with TPO, he served as advisor to various Pritzker family-owned companies, including Hyatt Hotels Corporation and its predecessors.
Hoplamazian previously worked in international mergers and acquisitions at The First Boston Corporation in New York. He is a Director of the Board of VF Corporation, chair of Finance and member of its Talent & Compensation committee. In addition to serving on the Executive Committee of the American Hotel & Lodging Association and the Executive Committee of the World Travel & Tourism Council, he is a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of World Business Chicago, the Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Aspen Institute and a member of the Discovery Class of the Henry Crown Fellowship. A member of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, Hoplamazian co-chairs the Committee’s Public Safety Task Force.
Edele Hovnanian
President and Chief Executive Officer, H. Hovnanian Family Office
Edele Hovnanian joined the family business after working in Paine Webber’s Real Estate Corporate Finance Division in New York City and spending a year in the Soviet Republic of Armenia, learning more of the language, its rich history and culture. Mentored by her father, Hrair, for two decades, Hovnanian assumed full control of operations in 2006. Today, she manages three generations of assets, including commercial real estate and land development divisions and an investment portfolio, while also serving as President of the H. Hovnanian Family Foundation, which distributes $10 million+ annually to numerous causes.
Edele is hands-on with many philanthropic projects supported by the Foundation. In 2003 she founded Birthright Armenia, which along with its sister program, Armenian Volunteer Corporation, have sponsored 4,000+ Diasporan young adults to Armenia for immersion-style volunteer services and life-changing experiences. In addition to incubating and managing many other Armenian mission-related programs, including HIKEArmenia, Hovnanian oversees the Foundation's commitment to many U.S.-based charities, with a focus on education and healthcare institutions.
Edele Hovnanian graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with bachelor's degrees in both finance (The Wharton School) and civil engineering and received an MBA from Columbia University.
Major General Stephen J. Maranian
Major General, U.S. Army
Major General Maranian served 25 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a commanding general officer. Throughout his stellar military career which included 13 overseas tours spanning 18 years abroad in seven countries, Maranian received multiple honors: two distinguished service medals – the army’s highest peacetime award; six legions of merit; two bronze star medals, the combat action badge for service in Afghanistan and Iraq; several parachutists’ badges and decorations from the U.S. Army and Air Force, NATO, Romania, and the Republic of Korea. He was often selected to modernize and command operational units and academic institutions based on his significant, impactful leadership in high profile positions.
Born in Boston, Mass. to Jacob Maranian and Alma Khachadoorian Maranian, Maranian and his siblings were raised in St. James Armenian Apostolic Church (Watertown, Mass.) A graduate of Bucknell University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and a commission as second lieutenant in the regular army through the university's Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program, he later earned master's degrees in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College, and in human resources development from Webster University. Upon retirement, he served as a senior mentor for the U.S. Army, where he remains an organizational and leadership consultant and board member. Maranian and his wife of 33 years, Cynthia Hall Maranian, reside in coastal North Carolina.
Katherine Sarafian
Senior Vice President, Production, Pixar Animation Studios
From production coordinator on Pixar's first full-length feature film, "Toy Story" in 1994 to Senior Vice President, Production, Sarafian has been an integral part of the company's success. She produced the Academy Award®-winning film, “Brave” (2012) and the Academy Award®-nominated short film “Lifted” (2006), after gaining experience in the company’s short film department and on “A Bug’s Life", “Monsters, Inc.,” and the Academy Award®-winning “The Incredibles". Her success led to Sarafian holding key leadership positions in development, marketing/consumer products, strategic talent planning and more. In her current role, she oversees the studio's feature film production, leading the producer team and guiding show operations to help shape Pixar's filmmaking experience. Prior to Pixar, Sarafian worked in development at Castle Rock Entertainment and in digital entertainment at Sanctuary Woods Multimedia.
Sarafian holds a Master of Arts degree in Film and Television Critical Studies and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies, both from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) and an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coach Federation. a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Producers Guild of America and serves on the Advisory Board of TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, an Armenian-founded arts and technology education initiative.
Peter Vosbikian
Widely recognized as an accomplished executive in the households products industry, Vosbikian is also a dedicated advocate of his Armenian heritage, tirelessly carrying on the legacy of his parents who survived the 1895 pogrom of the Armenian People living in Turkey and the 1915 genocide. Through perseverance, resourcefulness and determination, his father and greatest role model Bedros immigrated to Philadelphia from Malatia in 1914, soon bringing over his wife-to-be, Vartanoush and brother Thomas. Together in 1919, they established what would become Quickie Manufacturing Corporation, securing more than 100 U.S. patents throughout their careers, the Quickie Automatic Sponge Mop with its groundbreaking self-wringing mechanism among the most notable.
Vosbikian, who joined the company after graduating from Temple University, was instrumental in guiding the company's growth. Upon his retirement in 2010, the Company was the market leader, offering hundreds of household and commercial cleaning products distributed through major retailers nationwide.
Vosbikian credits his parents for creating a nurturing environment and for instilling not only strong family values and bonds but also pride in their Armenian culture, especially its music for which the Vosbikian name is renown. Throughout his adult life, he has been actively involved in philanthropic and cultural initiatives supporting education, community development and preservation of Armenian history and Armenia. He is a past Board Chairman and Life Trustee of the Armenian Assembly of America and together with his wife of 62 years, Irene, have been ardent supporters of the Armenian Sisters Academy since its inception. They are blessed with four children and 11 grandchildren.