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Award Recipients and Speakers
The Annual Gala will celebrate this year’s distinguished award recipients, exceptional leaders whose achievements have left a lasting mark on the our community and broader society. We are proud to honor their vision, service, and unwavering dedication. As part of the evening, each honoree will share brief remarks, offering personal reflections and insights that continue to inspire and uplift our community.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
CYRUS AMIR-MOKRI
GENERAL COUNSEL, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Commercial and Investment Bank
Cyrus Amir-Mokri is General Counsel of the Commercial and Investment Bank at JPMorgan Chase & Co., where he oversees legal matters across the firm's global investment banking, corporate banking, markets, payments, and custody businesses.
Previously, he served as Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions at the U.S. Department of the Treasury (2011–2014), leading policy on financial institutions, cybersecurity, sanctions, and implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act. He also served as Senior Counsel to the Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and was a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.
Mr. Amir-Mokri holds degrees from Harvard College and the University of Chicago, including a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School. He serves on the Board of Governors of FINRA and is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
He was included on the Carnegie Corporation’s “Great Immigrants: The Pride of America” list in 2012 and is a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. He lives in New York City with his wife, Katy, and twins, Arianna Darya and Cyrus Bijan.
COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD
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Curtis Morrison
Founder, Red Eagle Law, L.C.
Curtis Morrison is an immigration attorney, federal litigator, and advocate whose work has helped advance the rights of immigrants and their families through strategic litigation, policy advocacy, and community education. As the founder of the Red Eagle Law, L.C., he has built a national reputation for challenging government policies and practices that create unnecessary barriers to lawful immigration and leave individuals and families in prolonged uncertainty.
Throughout his career, Curtis has been a steadfast advocate for immigrants affected by systemic delays, unlawful government actions, and barriers to obtaining immigration benefits. Through federal litigation and advocacy efforts, he has challenged policies that have disrupted careers, separated families, and prevented individuals from fully participating in American life. His work has contributed to greater accountability and transparency within the immigration system while helping affected individuals pursue meaningful relief.
Curtis has been a particularly valued ally to the Iranian-American community. Over the years, he has worked closely with Iranian nationals and advocates to address issues ranging from visa and consular processing delays to travel restrictions and prolonged adjudication backlogs. More recently, he has played a leading role in efforts challenging immigration adjudication pauses and other government actions that have disproportionately affected individuals from countries, including Iran, whose nationals already face significant barriers in navigating the U.S. immigration system.
In addition to his litigation practice, Curtis is a frequent speaker, educator, and collaborator within the immigration law community. He regularly shares his expertise with attorneys, advocacy organizations, and impacted communities, helping to equip others with the tools and knowledge necessary to navigate an increasingly complex immigration landscape.
Through his tireless advocacy, commitment to justice, and willingness to take on issues with far-reaching community impact, Curtis has improved the lives of countless immigrants and families. His work reflects a deep commitment to ensuring that the promises of fairness, due process, and equal access to opportunity remain accessible to all.
TRAILBLAZER AWARD
Justice Susan Blanco
Colorado Supreme Court
Justice Susan Blanco was appointed to the Colorado Supreme Court in 2026 and is the first Iranian American to serve on any state supreme court in the United States.
Prior to joining Colorado’s highest court, she served as the first female Chief Judge of Colorado’s 8th Judicial District, following her appointment to the District Court in 2017. Earlier in her career, she worked as a deputy district attorney, criminal defense attorney, and guardian ad litem. Justice Blanco earned an LL.M. from Duke University and J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law, where she currently teaches.
Justice Blanco champions innovation and access to justice. She established Colorado’s first Competency Court and the 8th Judicial District’s first Veterans Court, created the district’s Latinx Task Force, and has served on the Colorado Access to Justice Commission since 2020. She serves on the boards of Bridges of Colorado and the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System and is the Colorado Supreme Court’s liaison for access to justice and family law. She is a TEDx speaker on the power of community collaboration.
Justice Blanco has demonstrated leadership through service on the Colorado Women’s Bar Association Board of Directors and the Colorado Bar Association’s Executive Council. She is a founding member of the Diverse Attorney Community Circle, co-chairs the Colorado Bar Association’s leadership training program, and helped found Colorado’s Middle Eastern North African Bar Association.
She has been recognized with numerous awards for judicial excellence, leadership, and public service.
Distinguished elected OFFICIAL AWARD
Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari
U.S. House of Representatives
Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari was sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives in January 2025, making history as the youngest woman in the 119th Congress and the first Iranian American Democrat. She also serves as Freshman Class President for Democrats in the 119th Congress. Prior to her election to Congress, she served as Vice Mayor of Phoenix and was the youngest woman ever elected to the Phoenix City Council, representing one of the city’s most diverse districts in the fifth-largest and fastest-growing city in the country. A long-time advocate for our environment, she sits on the House Natural Resources Committee as Ranking Member of the Energy and Minerals Subcommittee and is also a member of the House Oversight Committee.