Tomris Azeri

Tomris Azeri is the President of the Azerbaijan Society of America (ASA), one of the oldest Azerbaijani-American organizations in the United States, founded in 1957. Born and raised in the U.S., she has always carried a deep sense of cultural identity and pride in her Azerbaijani heritage. Guided by the values of her parents’ generation — who worked to preserve Azerbaijani culture in exile and believed that independence would one day be restored — she continues their mission of strengthening national consciousness among the diaspora. Under her leadership, ASA has remained committed to cultural preservation, advocacy, and community development. Most notably, she has spearheaded ASA’s educational initiatives in Azerbaijan, including the restoration of the historic Gazakh Teachers’ Seminary — the first mother-tongue school established by the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918. In collaboration with ADA University and with the support of President Ilham Aliyev’s executive order, this project honors the legacy of the republic’s founding educators and ASA’s visionary founders. Azeri is widely recognized for reinforcing ties between Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani-Americans, ensuring future generations grow up knowing and loving their homeland. Through her leadership, she continues to promote unity, cultural pride, and a brighter future for Azerbaijan and its global diaspora.