Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte
Founder & President, Treasurer
Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte is an author, lecturer, lawyer, business woman and a human rights advocate. She is an Armenian refugee from Baku, Azerbaijan. After fleeing Baku in the fall of 1989 due to ethnic cleansing of Armenians, Mrs. Astvatsaturian Turcotte and her family spent three years in Armenia as refugees before coming to United States in 1992.
She received Bachelor of Arts degrees in English & Literature and Philosophy & Religion, a minor in Russian Language & Literature from the University of North Dakota. She received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Maine School of Law.
In 2012 Mrs. Astvatsaturian Turcotte published her book, titled “Nowhere, a Story of Exile,” which she wrote at the age of 14 as her family settled in North Dakota as refugees. The book is based on the childhood diaries she kept as her family was fleeing Baku, Azerbaijan and during the years as refugees in Armenia. In April, 2013 Anna successfully spearheaded the recognition efforts of Nagorno-Karabakh independence at the State of Maine House of Representatives. In November, 2015 she was elected to the Westbrook Maine City Council by a 64% landslide. In 2017 the Russian translation of her book was published. She was re-elected to the City Council in 2018 and 2021 and is currently serving as President of the Council.
Mrs. Astvatsaturian Turcotte is the recipient of Mkhitar Gosh Medal, Republic of Armenia’s highest civilian honor awarded by President of Armenia for exceptional achievements in the political-social spheres, as well as outstanding efforts in the fields of diplomacy, law, and political science. Anna also received a Gratitude Medal from the President of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Vahan Cardashian award for her contributions within the Armenian Diaspora from ANCA-WR and Activism Award from ANCA-ER for enhancement of human rights, democracy, truth and justice. Aside from speaking worldwide on genocide prevention, refugee issues, international law and human rights, Anna has a two-decade long career in banking regulatory compliance and risk management. Anna lives in Westbrook, Maine with her husband John and their son and daughter.
Rotha Chan
Vice President
In 1985 Rotha Chan, his mother and two sisters resettled in Biddeford, Maine as refugees, having survived the Killing Fields of Cambodia. He received his BS degree from Boston University with a major in International Relations and concentration in Rural Economic Development. Rotha was a founding member of The Killing Field Survivors’ Society and the Asian-American Heritage Foundation, served on the Diversity Committee of United Way of Greater Portland, served on the Board of Tax Assessment Appeal for the City of Saco Maine, and served as a Director/Chair of the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation. Rotha is currently a Director of Khmer Maine, and founding member of the Board of Directors of Anna Astvatsaturian Foundation, and Finance Committee Member of The Greater Portland Welcome Center. Rotha has served several financial institutions in Maine and New Hampshire for over twenty years. Rotha is the Commercial Credit Manager with TD Bank in Portsmouth, NH.
John A. Turcotte
Secretary
John was born and raised in Maine. He is an attorney licensed in Maine and Massachusetts, practicing civil litigation and has an extensive record of appeals before the Maine Supreme Court. John is a partner of Ainsworth Thelin & Raftice, P.A. in South Portland, Maine.
John graduated from the University of Southern Maine and the University of Maine School of Law. He is the Vice-Chair of the City of Westbrook Planning Board and previously served on Westbrook’s Zoning Board of Appeals. He is a member of the Cumberland and York County Bar Associations and the Maine Trial Lawyers Association. John is a founding member of the Board of Directors of Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte.
Raffi Berberian
Member of the Board
Raffi is a photographer, Armenia historian, and teleprompter operator living in the Greater Philadelphia Area. Raffi served as a volunteer for Birthright Armenia in 2015-2016 and lived in Armenia for an additional year to continue his photography work and research.
He is currently working on his Armenia: In Between Project which explores and documents the lesser-known places in Armenia. Raffi has worked on multiple historic documentaries about Armenia and Artsakh.
