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KASSAKHIAN TO SPEAK ON CHALLENGES FACING COMMUNITY IN GLENDALE
Ardashes Kassakhian
asbarez
August 9th, 2011
LA CRESCENTA-Glendale City Clerk, Ardashes Kassakhian will be the
honorary guest speaker on " Challenges Facing the Armenian Community
in the City of Glendale " at Armenian Apostolic Church of Crescenta
Valley, located at Western Prelacy's " Dikran and Zarouhi Der Ghazarian
" Hall, at 6252 Honolulu Ave., in La Crescenta, California on Sunday,
August 21, 2011 at 1pm, following the church service.
Kassakhian will speak about his experiences serving as the elected
city clerk of Glendale, CA. Having served as City Clerk for over 6
years, Kassakhian has gained unique insight into Glendale's political
system. His prior experience as the Governmental Relations Director
and Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America -
Western United States, have helped shape his deep understanding of
the intersection of Armenian-American political affairs and local
government. As the city's Election Official, he has led the effort
to raise participation and awareness of municipal elections and has
introduced the expansion of video streaming of city council meetings
and other proceedings. His presentation will focus on issues of voter
participation and turnout, public engagement and city council meetings,
as well as the importance of civic participation including the results
of the last two municipal elections.
At a young age, Ardashes "Ardy" Kassakhian was already at the
forefront of many grassroots battles from being a leading voice for
voters' rights and civic responsibility in his hometown of Glendale,
California to fighting for Genocide recognition in Washington, D.C.
and beyond.
Born in Boston, Kassakhian's family moved to Glendale 20 years ago.
Kassakhian's family is originally from Smyrna (present day Izmir,
Turkey) and the region of Caisaria (Gesaryah). After escaping the
Genocide, Kassakhian's family settled in Athens, Greece and Jerusalem,
Palestine respectively.
As a student at University of California, Los Angeles where he studied
and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History, Kassakhian
participated in the University's Center for American Politics and
Public Policy Program in Washington, D.C.
While in Washington, Kassakhian interned in Congress for both
Republican and Democratic members' offices. His thesis focused on
the successes and failures of the Armenian-American lobby in securing
proper reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide from U.S. Congress and
the White House.
In 2000 Kassakhian joined the public relations firm of Stoorza,
Ziegaus & Metzger, one of California's largest firms which specialized
in government relations and public affairs. At Stoorza Kassakhian
worked on a variety of issues for both public and private sector
clients including Fortune 500 companies and employee unions. During
his professional career, Kassakhian has run a number of local, state
and federal campaigns to register voters and Get Out The Vote efforts
as well as campaigns for numerous candidates seeking public office.
Most recently, Kassakhian was Executive Director of Western U.S.
offices of a local non-profit which specializes in voters' rights,
advocacy and public policy (Armenian National Committee of America
- Western Region). He has worked closely with members of the state
legislature and members of the U.S. Senate and Congress on policy
issues affecting Armenians throughout the United States. Kassakhian
is the only Glendale resident representing a grassroots organization
on the Los Angeles County Clerk's Community Voter Outreach Committee,
which was created by the County Clerk to look for different methods
to raise voter participation in county, state and federal elections.
Through his efforts, the County Clerk's office now provides information
in numerous languages on how to vote on their website and is the only
in the country to offer this information in Armenian.
During the last six years, Kassakhian has helped educate non-English
speaking citizens in Glendale about the voting process. He has
been a poll worker in Glendale and has helped register hundreds of
voters in Glendale and surrounding areas. He has taken his passion
for public service and enthusiasm for the political process into the
classroom as well lecturing on the importance of civic responsibility
to numerous college campus groups and teaching a class in Government
and Political History at Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School in
Hollywood, California.
On April 5, 2005, Kassakhian became the first person ever to be
elected City Clerk in an open election in Glendale in 75 years. His
landslide victory in a field of 9 candidates made him the youngest
Armenian-American elected official in the U.S. as well the youngest
person to ever hold public office in Glendale.
In 2009, Kassakhian completed a summer program at the John F. Kennedy
School of Government at Harvard University for State and Local
officials. In 2011, Kassakhian graduated from the Coro Executive
Fellowship Program in Public Affairs. He is currently working on
developing a long range strategic plan for reforming election processes
in Glendale and raising voter participation in municipal elections.
Kassakhian lives in Glendale with his wife, Courtney, and continues
to lecture around the country on political organizing and grassroots
politics, Armenian-American lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C.,
and career development for youth interested in politics.
The general public is invited to this interesting, very informative
presentation and public service program. The attendants will be
encouraged to ask questions from the guest speaker and or share their
own experiences about the subject matter. The event is open to the
public. There will be a reception before the start of the program. The
event is sponsored by Mr. & Mrs. Arshag and Nevear Koulajian.
Ardashes Kassakhian
asbarez
August 9th, 2011
LA CRESCENTA-Glendale City Clerk, Ardashes Kassakhian will be the
honorary guest speaker on " Challenges Facing the Armenian Community
in the City of Glendale " at Armenian Apostolic Church of Crescenta
Valley, located at Western Prelacy's " Dikran and Zarouhi Der Ghazarian
" Hall, at 6252 Honolulu Ave., in La Crescenta, California on Sunday,
August 21, 2011 at 1pm, following the church service.
Kassakhian will speak about his experiences serving as the elected
city clerk of Glendale, CA. Having served as City Clerk for over 6
years, Kassakhian has gained unique insight into Glendale's political
system. His prior experience as the Governmental Relations Director
and Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America -
Western United States, have helped shape his deep understanding of
the intersection of Armenian-American political affairs and local
government. As the city's Election Official, he has led the effort
to raise participation and awareness of municipal elections and has
introduced the expansion of video streaming of city council meetings
and other proceedings. His presentation will focus on issues of voter
participation and turnout, public engagement and city council meetings,
as well as the importance of civic participation including the results
of the last two municipal elections.
At a young age, Ardashes "Ardy" Kassakhian was already at the
forefront of many grassroots battles from being a leading voice for
voters' rights and civic responsibility in his hometown of Glendale,
California to fighting for Genocide recognition in Washington, D.C.
and beyond.
Born in Boston, Kassakhian's family moved to Glendale 20 years ago.
Kassakhian's family is originally from Smyrna (present day Izmir,
Turkey) and the region of Caisaria (Gesaryah). After escaping the
Genocide, Kassakhian's family settled in Athens, Greece and Jerusalem,
Palestine respectively.
As a student at University of California, Los Angeles where he studied
and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History, Kassakhian
participated in the University's Center for American Politics and
Public Policy Program in Washington, D.C.
While in Washington, Kassakhian interned in Congress for both
Republican and Democratic members' offices. His thesis focused on
the successes and failures of the Armenian-American lobby in securing
proper reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide from U.S. Congress and
the White House.
In 2000 Kassakhian joined the public relations firm of Stoorza,
Ziegaus & Metzger, one of California's largest firms which specialized
in government relations and public affairs. At Stoorza Kassakhian
worked on a variety of issues for both public and private sector
clients including Fortune 500 companies and employee unions. During
his professional career, Kassakhian has run a number of local, state
and federal campaigns to register voters and Get Out The Vote efforts
as well as campaigns for numerous candidates seeking public office.
Most recently, Kassakhian was Executive Director of Western U.S.
offices of a local non-profit which specializes in voters' rights,
advocacy and public policy (Armenian National Committee of America
- Western Region). He has worked closely with members of the state
legislature and members of the U.S. Senate and Congress on policy
issues affecting Armenians throughout the United States. Kassakhian
is the only Glendale resident representing a grassroots organization
on the Los Angeles County Clerk's Community Voter Outreach Committee,
which was created by the County Clerk to look for different methods
to raise voter participation in county, state and federal elections.
Through his efforts, the County Clerk's office now provides information
in numerous languages on how to vote on their website and is the only
in the country to offer this information in Armenian.
During the last six years, Kassakhian has helped educate non-English
speaking citizens in Glendale about the voting process. He has
been a poll worker in Glendale and has helped register hundreds of
voters in Glendale and surrounding areas. He has taken his passion
for public service and enthusiasm for the political process into the
classroom as well lecturing on the importance of civic responsibility
to numerous college campus groups and teaching a class in Government
and Political History at Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School in
Hollywood, California.
On April 5, 2005, Kassakhian became the first person ever to be
elected City Clerk in an open election in Glendale in 75 years. His
landslide victory in a field of 9 candidates made him the youngest
Armenian-American elected official in the U.S. as well the youngest
person to ever hold public office in Glendale.
In 2009, Kassakhian completed a summer program at the John F. Kennedy
School of Government at Harvard University for State and Local
officials. In 2011, Kassakhian graduated from the Coro Executive
Fellowship Program in Public Affairs. He is currently working on
developing a long range strategic plan for reforming election processes
in Glendale and raising voter participation in municipal elections.
Kassakhian lives in Glendale with his wife, Courtney, and continues
to lecture around the country on political organizing and grassroots
politics, Armenian-American lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C.,
and career development for youth interested in politics.
The general public is invited to this interesting, very informative
presentation and public service program. The attendants will be
encouraged to ask questions from the guest speaker and or share their
own experiences about the subject matter. The event is open to the
public. There will be a reception before the start of the program. The
event is sponsored by Mr. & Mrs. Arshag and Nevear Koulajian.