LOS ANGELES, CA – Earlier today, the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) announced its endorsement of Ara Najarian for Los Angeles County Supervisor’s 5th District race for the 2016 Primary Elections set to take place on June 7.

“The ANCA WR is proud to lend its full support behind Ara Najarian’s campaign for LA County Supervisor as he’s been a leading force for our

Cause and a trailblazer who has brought pride to our community from his time on the Glendale Community College Board of Trustees and as Mayor and City Councilmember in Glendale,” stated ANCA WR Chair Nora Hovsepian.  “There are over 56,000 registered Armenian-American voters in the district alone, making our community a key and deciding voting block in this race. It is critical for us to unite behind the candidate who is not only one of our own, but has selflessly served the needs of our communities for over a decade,” added Hovsepian.

“I am delighted to have received the endorsement of the Armenian-American community’s leading voice, the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region. Our continued partnership will further advance the issues most important to our community and all of Los Angeles County,” stated City of Glendale Mayor and Candidate for LA County Supervisor’s Board of Trustees, Ara Najarian

The LA Supervisor’s 5th District includes the cities of Alhambra, Arcadia, Bradbury, Burbank, Covina, Duarte, Glendale, Glendora, La Canada-Flintridge, La Verne, Lancaster, Monrovia, Palmdale, Pasadena, San Dimas, San Gabriel, San Marino, Santa Clarita, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, Temple City, portions of the City of Los Angeles including Canoga Park, Chatsworth, Granada Hills, Mission Hills, Porter Ranch, Sunland, Sun Valley, Tujunga, town councils including Altadena, Monrovia / Arcadia / Duarte, Crescenta Valley, and portions of unincorporated areas of LA County including Altadena, East Pasadena, La Crescenta, Montrose, and others.

In order to vote in the 2016 Primary Elections, you must be registered.  To register to vote online visit www.hyevotes.org or call 818.806.8683

Najarian was born and spent his early years in Cleveland, Ohio. His family moved to Glendale in 1980. After graduating from Occidental College with a degree in Economics, he went on to U.S.C. earning his law degree. During law school he worked in the L.A. District Attorney’s Office as a law clerk to Steve Cooley and then in Washington, D.C. as an assistant to Congressman Carlos Moorhead. He also volunteered and presided as a judge pro tem in several area Superior Courts. Ara has been in the private practice of law for 30 years and opened his own law firm in Glendale.

Ara’s parents, Dr. Vartkes and Mary Najarian, instilled in Ara and his brothers and sister the values of hard work, education and service to the community. As a high school senior, Ara left his home in Cleveland Ohio to attend Ferrahian Holy Martys High school in Encino to learn Armenian language and culture.

Ara worked as a director for Medical Outreach, helping provide much needed medical equipment, physician training and medicine to Armenia and Karabagh.  After the devastating 1988 earthquake, Ara worked tirelessly to bring young Armenian amputees to America to receive artificial limbs. Through his work with medical Outreach, Ara has helped save thousands of lives.

Najarian was elected to the Glendale Community College Board of Trustees in 2003 and then ran for a seat on the Glendale City Council – receiving the highest number of votes of all candidates. He served as Mayor of Glendale in 2007 and 2010, and has served as Chairman of the Glendale Redevelopment Agency and the Glendale Housing Authority. While serving as chairman of the Glendale Housing Authority Ara brought in hundreds of much-needed affordable housing to Glendale.  Currently, Ara has been re-elected to city council two times and is now serving his third term as Mayor.

In 2006, Ara was elected to represent the north cities of L.A. County on the Los Angeles Metro (MTA) Board of Directors and served as the Chairman of Metro in 2009 and 2010. In addition, he has served on the Metrolink board of Directors from 2006 to 2012 and from 2013 to present.

With his presence on these two important transportation Boards, Ara has led efforts to reduce traffic congestion and improve transit throughout the district and the region. He has brought hundreds of millions of dollars to the district by way of improvements to freeways, light rail extension along the foothill communities, and the soon to open BRT connector which will link the San Fernando Valley with the San Gabriel Valley, through North Hollywood, Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena.

Ara has traveled eight times to Armenia and Karabagh and has been received by President Serge Sarkissian, President Bako Sahakian of Karabagh and Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian. He signed a municipal cooperation agreement between the City of Glendale and Yerevan’s Gentron district.  Most recently, he voted to donate two state of the art ambulances to Armenia last year, and arranged for the delivery of the ambulances to remote villages where they are most needed.

Ara lives in Glendale, is married to Palmira Perez-Najarian, an award winning journalist who is currently a news anchor in Los Angeles and they have two college age children, Alexander and Christopher.

The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

###

Photo Caption:   ANCA Western Region (ANCA-WR) Board Members with ANCA WR Endorsed Candidate for LA County Supervisor Ara Najarian from Left:  ANCA-WR Board Member Haik Petrosian, ANCA-WR Board Secretary Arpie Jivalagian, ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian, Mayor of City of Glendale and Endorsed Candidate for LA County Supervisor’s Board of Trustees Ara Najarian, ANCA-WR Board Treasurer Steve Artinian, ANCA-WR Board Member Nareg Kitsinian