Ceremony Honoring President Jose Valencia in connection with 17th Annual Russian Heritage Month

Jose Valencia was honored today by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and the Russian American Foundation for his lifelong achievements helping Russian-speaking communities of New York first, as a former President of the New York Association of New Americans (NYANA) and currently as President of ASA College.  Mr. Valencia received a special proclamation award which documented his professional and academic accomplishments, and signed by President Adams, to the delight of the huge delegation of ASA Faculty and Staff who accompanied him to Brooklyn Borough Hall to receive the award.

“I would like to thank Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and the Russian American Foundation for this tremendous honor,” Mr. Valencia said during his speech while accepting the award from Marina Kovalyov, Founding President of the Russian American Foundation.  Mr. Valencia was being honored as part of the 17th Annual Russian Heritage Month organized by the Russian American Foundation and supported by elected officials statewide which include New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Mr. Valencia was the only one honored who is non Russian-speaking.  Other honorees include New York Police Department Sergeant Dmitriy Zabrovskiy, President of the Russian American Officers Association and entrepreneurs Ildrim Abrahamov and Oleg Movsumov, Founders of Village Cafe and Village Cafe 2; and Marat Novikov, Founder of Desly International and Belarussian Xata.