Ara James Najarian (born September 11, 1960) is an American attorney, former city council member, and four-time Mayor of Glendale,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. As an Armenian-American politician, he has advocated measures to better represent and integrate the diverse Armenian community in Glendale, which is now one of the largest in the world outside

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

. In 2010, he was invited to meet with the president and prime minister of Armenia during a visit there. More recently, he has expressed support for strengthening ties with the "new Armenia" following the 2018 Armenian Revolution in spring 2018.

Early life and education

Najarian was born and raised in Ohio. His parents, Vardges and Mary Najarian, are physicians and philanthropists. He attended

Bucknell University Bucknell University is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal-arts college in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1846 as the University at Lewisburg, it now consists of the College of Arts a ...

in Pennsylvania for two years after being recruited to play on their football team. He moved to Glendale in 1980 when his parents moved there, transferring to

Occidental College Occidental College (informally Oxy) is a private liberal arts college in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1887 as a coeducational college by clergy and members of the Presbyterian Church, it became non-sectarian in 1910. It is ...

, where he overlapped with

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

. Najarian graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics in 1982, and completed his

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

degree at

USC Gould School of Law The University of Southern California Gould School of Law located in Los Angeles, California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Or ...

in Los Angeles in 1985.

Legal career

He served as a law clerk in the Narcotics Section and Glendale Branch Office of the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office from 1983 to 1984. From 1988 to 1998, he was a partner with the law firm of Najarian and Virgilo in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city located primarily in the Verdugo Mountains region, with a small portion in the San Fernando Valley, of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located about north of downtown Los Angeles. As of 2024, Glendale ha ...

. Since 1998, he has operated his own law firm located in Glendale. Since 1992, he has served as a Judge Pro Term for the

Los Angeles Superior Court The Superior Court of Los Angeles County is the California Superior Court located in Los Angeles County. It is the largest single unified trial court in the United States. The Superior Court operates 36 courthouses throughout the county. Curr ...

and the Glendale Superior Court. He also is an arbitrator and settlement officer for both courts.

Public service

Pre-political career

From 1996 to 2002, he served as a commissioner on the Glendale Transportation and Parking Commission. He served as chairman of the commission from 2000 to 2001 and from 2002 to 2003. From 1998 to 2005, he served on Glendale's Short Range Transit Plan, Circulation Element, and San Fernando Road Corridor Zoning committees.

Political career

He has served on the Glendale City Council since April 2005. He served as Mayor of Glendale from 2007 to 2008, 2010 to 2011, 2015 to 2016, and 2019 to 2020. Najarian lost his 2016 primary race running for Board of County Supervisors during which he had the endorsement of the League of Conservation Voters.

Community service

He is a member of the board of directors of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He served as chairman of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Agency from 2009 to 2010. He has been a member of the board of directors of the Southern California Regional Railroad Authority (Metrolink) since 2006. He served as chairman of the Glendale Housing Authority from 2012 to 2013, chairman of the Glendale Redevelopment Agency from 2009 to 2010, and chairman of the Glendale Transportation and Parking Commission. He is a member, vice chairman and former chairman of the San Fernando Valley Council of Governments. He is a member and former chairman (2010-2011) of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's board of directors. He served on the Glendale Community College's board of trustees from 2003 to 2005. Since 1984, he has served as the director of Medical Outreach for Armenians, Inc. Since 2003, he has served on the Holy Family High School's board of regents.

Personal life

Najarian is married to Latina news anchor and reporter Palmira Perez. He has two children.

References

External links

City of Glendale, CA : Glendale MayorsMetrolink Board of Directors
{{DEFAULTSORT:Najarian, Ara 1960 births Politicians from Cleveland Occidental College alumni USC Gould School of Law alumni California city council members Mayors of Glendale, California American people of Armenian descent Living people Ethnic Armenian politicians