Board of Directors

A home with no borders, impacting lives to create powerful communities.

Anna Moses

CEO/President, Since 2002

Anna Moses is the President of HYASA Center since 2010, Founder of Affordable Advocates and has been a leader in the Armenian and Russian communities for the last two decades. She brings a unique passion and dedication in helping the underserved clients in their legal challenges. She offers combined conscientiousness and dedication to result into equitable resolutions.

Ms. Moses obtained her LLM from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, MS in Economics and Mathematics in Armenia, MA in Jurisprudence in Armenia, International Trade in Switzerland, and her MA in International Business in the USA. After working at the United Nations and the World Trade Organization; Ms. Moses established several projects under HYASA Center, to provide services to the underserved communities.

She believes in helping people of all walks of life through the often-complex maze of the legal system. Her background in international business and management brings a unique perspective in establishment of corporations and business plans with a forward looking, proactive point of view. Her highly discerning personality gives a family type feel to interactions with clients and associates, whereby her empathy and respect for the individual provide a warm and sensitive regard for the struggles of that individual. She firmly believes that access to information and education in the law and regulations, prepares a consumer for the often-difficult road through business and government regulations. Her high regards for professional insights and expectations from an attorney, demonstrates her competencies and result oriented personality. From 2009 to 2016, her television shows with abundance of relevant legal information were viewed broadly by the Armenian and Russian communities in the United States and North America.

Ms. Moses understands how the Arts provide a world perspective looking outward from inside of a window into a particular Culture, but also an inward understanding of a nation’s culture itself. In this manner, she has worked tirelessly to bring the music, theatre, and dance of Armenia in to the U.S. through concerts and cultural events.

Her unique balance of respect for an individual’s rights, belief in professional competence, and the enrichment to life through art, makes her an invaluable resource for the community.

Arick Gevorkian

COO/Board Member

Arick Gevorkian is a Business & Non-profit Consultant who specializes in Marketing, Communications & Strategic/Business Planning areas. He is a proficient public speaker and develops and facilitates training modules for corporations and nonprofits.

Mr. Gevorkian is an avid community and youth activist and volunteers his time for local civic organizations, schools, scout troops and youth summer camps. He teaches music and folklore instruments at local schools and has served on numerous nonprofit organizations in various capacities.

As the Entertainment Productions Director at HYASA Center, Mr. Gevorkian’s responsibilities include, planning public concerts, promote independent films, assist rising stars, organize community events to celebrate milestones, organize outreach campaigns to benefit the underprivileged, collaborate with VA hospital to support the veterans and team up with local schools to promote performing arts and theater. With the support of Mr. Gevorkian and his vast knowledge and experience of nonprofit and corporate organizations; HYASA Center is continuously seeking to contribute to the betterment of our communities and in various aspects of social affairs.

Arayik Melkumyan

Vice President, Board Member Since 2020

Arayik Melkumyan served as a Judge at the Court of First Instance in Armenia, in the capacity of complex cases concerning civil rights. He also worked on civil cases in property and international trade and has experience as the General Counsel, for Armenian Development Bank, Senior Lawyer at the Converse Bank, Armenia, and the Arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration, for the Banks Association of Armenia. In 2013, he was recognized by USAID and Freedom of Information Center as the judge who successfully restored the violated access to information right.

Mr. Melkumyan brings highly valuable knowledge and experience in civil cases and international law, and native upbringing in the Armenian culture, immensely contributes to our mission of serving the underrepresented in the US.

Mr. Melkonyan served as an arbiter at the Annual Mock Arbitration Competition from 2014-2018, organized for the Armenian Law Schools at the American University of Armenia. In 2016-2018 his presentation on Human Rights and Liberties organized by the European Council, actively advocated the US court system applications in Armenia.

Motaz M. Gerges

Board Member/ Legal Advisor Since 2018

Mr. Gerges graduated from the University Of La Verne College of Law in 1999 and started to practice general law. He has 23 years of experience in all aspects of civil litigation, personal injury, business law, healthcare law, real estate, malpractice, employment disputes and immigration .

Mr. Gerges has a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of La Verne and was the CEO of St. George Medical Group and the CEO of Pico Rivera Community Hospital.

Mr. Gerges is the Chairman of the Board of AGHABY Comprehensive Community Health Center, which is a Federally qualified Community Clinic with three locations in Compton, Walnut Park and North Las Vegas Since 2018.

Mr. Gerges serves on the Board of HYASA Center as a member and a legal advisor. He combines his vast experience of community and non-profit activities with new ideas and advanced prospects to develop projects for the health and well-being of the less fortunate communities.

Wesley R. Sklark

Board Member, Legal Advisor Since 2019

Mr. Sklark has dedicated his career in serving the legal needs of the community. He obtained his Juris Doctor degree from Santa Clara University School of Law in 1993, and his B.A. in History from UCLA, where he was a member of Phi Alpha Theta, a History Honors Society. He completed a summer Law Program at Oxford University in 1991, studying British/U.S. Comparative Civil Liberties. He was the Lead Counsel in Moot Court Victory at London’s Inns of Court over the English Barristers.

Mr. Sklark was a candidate for Student Body President at UCLA when he was in college. He was very active in the student affairs and politics.

In 2019 after reviewing HYASA Center’s activities in the community; Mr. Sklark decided to devote his spare time to help HYASA’s board in finding new ways to represent and advocate the under privileged communities. His articles have been published in various publications.

Dikran Emenjian

Board Member Since 2009

Mr. Emenjian studied Political Science at UCLA and UCI. He obtained an M.A. in Education and Linguistics at Cal State Fullerton. He applied his language skills in practicing as a Court Interpreter and Translator for the Superior Courts of Los Angeles., Orange, and Northern and Southern California counties for the past 30 years. He is also a Registered Court Interpreter at the U.S. District Court, Central District, California, and in the state of Nevada.

Mr. Emenjian has provided Pro Bono (free of charge) services to countless Armenian and Bulgarian non-native English speakers and has assisted them through the legal system and in improving their English language competences. He has also volunteered as a community activist in representing the humanitarian rights of our community in California.

Currently, he devotes most of his time in teaching English and in editing a variety of written documents for businesses and academics. He believes that individuals born abroad have the potential to present a profound view of our liberties in our U.S. culture.

Carlos Ramos

Board Member, board member in 2012-2014, 2020-present

Mr. Ramos is the manager at HYASA Center nonprofit organization. He has had the pleasure of processing a variety of documents to help individuals with their financial needs. By administering the documents, Mr. Ramos is able to give back to the community by offering financial resources for an individual to get back on their feet. His goal has always been to give back to the community. He prides himself in his role with daily interactions with his community. Mr. Ramos has been able to uplift and make his community thrive with support from a variety of resources.

One of Mr. Ramos accomplishments in his career has his accomplishment an Emergency Medical Technician. Working with hospitals, ambulance, and clinics for the past 20 years has given him a better sense of empathy towards his community. Growing up Mr. Ramos remembers at 7 years old; he was in the middle of a civil war in El Salvador which was an impactful experience for him. Mr. Ramos was able to see firsthand how a war can destroy a community and better yet a country. That is the imperative reason for Mr. Ramos to give every individual a fighting chance to become successful, so they are able to strive and obtain a better life for future generations.

Being a life-long Angelino makes him realize how much diversity there is in our community and helping one person is a life changing experience that he is glad to be a part of. When I have a heavy day and things are not going the way I want them to, I always rely on my favorite quote by Danish Philosopher Soren Kierkegaard- “Life can only be understood backwards-but it must be lived forwards.”