SOAR - Northridge Chapter
Northridge became part of the SOAR family in August 2021. Northridge is in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County. The community is home to California State University, Northridge, the Northridge Fashion Center, as well as Los Angeles’ former historic roller-skating rink, Northridge Skateland. Originally named Zelzah by settlers in 1908, the community was renamed North Los Angeles in 1929, but this caused confusion between North Hollywood and Los Angeles. In 1938, civic leaders decided to rename the community to Northridge Village, which morphed into modern-day Northridge. Northridge touches Porter Ranch and Granada Hills on the north, North Hills on the east, Van Nuys on the southeast, Lake Balboa and Reseda on the south, and Winnetka and Chatsworth on the west.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Nora David
President
Nora is Armenian and Assyrian and was born in Iraq. She came to America as a refugee in 1995 learning English as her 5th language. Nora received her Bachelor of Psychology in 2008 and her Master’s in Counseling with an emphasis in Marriage in Family Therapy in 2011. She is licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California.
Nora currently works for the County of San Diego in the role of Assistant Medical Services Administrator for Behavioral Health Services’ Population Health Unit. Nora supports the development, oversight, and operational planning of the unit enhancing services to address disparities, improving health equity focusing on the underserved, and utilizing data and outcomes to improve services. Nora has provided direct clinical care in a variety of settings, including residential, outpatient, and community-based treatment within the private and public sectors. She has worked with a variety of populations including children, adolescents, adults, and older adults focusing on adolescent treatment providing evidenced based services.
Nora is happy to join SOAR leading the Northridge chapter. She is excited to support the work of the organization.
Susan David
Vice President
Shooshan David aka Susan David is an LA county resident, that immigrated here with her family from Baghdad, Iraq in 1995. Shooshan is the middle of 3 children. She loves spending time with her family and friends. She is passionate in all her endeavors. She believes nothing is impossible.
Shooshan graduated from Glendale High School; Cal State LA with a bachelors in Math; Concordia with a master’s in educational leadership and completed her doctorate at USC, with motivational leadership at the core of her studies. Although, logical and calculated, she has a love for art.
Shooshan, known as Dr. David in her career, is an advocate for all children. During her 8 years teaching Math, she ensured all her students gave it their best. She then left the classroom and went into administration at a large school district. Shooshan leads many initiatives within her role which are beneficial to the children across the district. She believes, it’s not that you can’t, but it’s you can’t YET.
Shooshan is a mother of two beautiful children. She teaches acceptance and self-advocacy and has an immense amount of love for them.
Arsen Shahbazian
Treasurer
Arsen, born in Baghdad and raised in California, has always been fascinated by the cosmos, with a deep interest in astronomy and astrophysics. His diverse career journey began in the entertainment industry at a young age, where he honed his creative skills and gained invaluable experiences.
After transitioning to the technology sector, Arsen has spent over 25 years building a robust career. Currently, he serves as a cybersecurity engineer for a global financial firm, where his expertise helps protect sensitive data and systems from evolving cyber threats.
In addition to his professional achievements, Arsen is an avid photographer, capturing the beauty of the world through his lens. His passion for photography allows him to blend his technical knowledge with his artistic eye, creating stunning visual narratives.
Arsen also loves reading and writing poetry, finding joy and solace in the written word. He spends his free time with his three children, cherishing every moment they share. Whether exploring the outdoors, engaging in creative projects, or simply enjoying family time at home, Arsen treasures these experiences and the strong bond he has with his kids.
Known for his unwavering optimism, Arsen believes that a positive mindset can transform any situation. He lives by the motto: “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change,” constantly encouraging those around him to adopt a hopeful and forward-thinking perspective.
Mariam Coskunian
Secretary
Mariam Coskunian (née Shahbazian) was born in Baghdad, Iraq, and moved to the United States at the age of one. As the youngest of three siblings and the only girl in her family, she has always been known as the cherished baby of the family.
Her early career began with sales and administrative support roles, where she refined her organizational and interpersonal skills. After completing her college education, Mariam focused on raising her three boys, dedicating her time and energy to nurturing her family. In addition to being a devoted mother, she has a passion for baking, enjoys sunny beach days, and treasures moments spent with her family.
Fluent in English, Armenian, and Spanish, Mariam has effectively used her multilingual skills in various professional settings. Looking ahead, Mariam is eager to continue her education to pursue a career as a paralegal. She is committed to furthering her professional development and people skills to make a meaningful impact in the legal field, all while balancing her personal interests and family life.
Daniel Dela Rosa
Director of Social Media/Marketing
Daniel was born in Australia and lived in Australia for a few years until his family relocated to the Philippines. He was raised in the Philippines until his move to America over a decade ago. He speaks English and Tagalog fluently.
Daniel has worked for non-profits leveraging his analytical skills and project management skills to create systems and processes to improve efficiencies. He is instrumental in creating organizational infrastructure to help maximize workflow and support in future planning. Daniel also supports in his administrative role to research, interpret, analyze data, and create reporting templates for others to use.
Daniel’s hobbies include making music and photography. He plays the guitar, bass, keyboard, and has experience with drums. He appreciates taking photos and creating videos.
Daniel’s most important role is being a husband and raising his son with his wife. He enjoys spending time with his family and creating new memories. Needless to say, he takes many photos of his son and makes amazing videos of him.