On Tuesday, April 5, 2022, Glendale City Council Member Ardashes “Ardy” Kassakhian was selected as the City’s Mayor by fellow councilmembers. Mr. Kassakhian takes over the position from outgoing Mayor Paula Devine. This is Kassakhian’s first time serving in the role of Mayor.
Born in Boston, MA, Mayor Ardy Kassakhian has been a resident of Glendale since 1986. Prior to his election to City Council, Mr. Kassakhian served as the elected City Clerk for Glendale for 15 years, having been elected and re-elected four times by Glendale’s voters.
Mayor Kasskahian is the product of Glendale schools, having attended John Marshall and R.D. White Elementary schools, Wilson Middle School, and Glendale High School (’94). Mayor Kassakhian graduated from the University of California Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts in History. He received his Master of Arts in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University. More recently, he attended the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and completed the Certificate Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government. He is also an alumnus of the Coro Public Affairs Fellowship.
The California Senate Rules Committee appointed Mayor Kassakhian to serve on the California New Motor Vehicle Board and to the Language Accessibility Advisory Committee by Secretary of State Alex Padilla.
Mayor Kassakhian currently serves as the Chair of the Glendale Housing Authority and was appointed to serve as Glendale’s representative on the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Board of Directors and the California Contract Cities Association.
“I have dedicated the majority of my career to serving the residents of the City of Glendale,” said Mayor Kassakhian. “From my beginnings as the City’s Clerk, through my time as a Councilmember, and now as Mayor, I will continue to serve this great community and ensure its future. I am honored for this opportunity and thank my colleagues for enlisting their trust in me in this coming year.”
Councilmember Kassakhian and his wife, Courtney, live in the Pelanconi neighborhood of Glendale with their son.
Glendale, known as the “Jewel City,” is one of the largest cities in Los Angeles County. With a population of about 200,000, Glendale is a thriving cosmopolitan city that is rich in history, culturally diverse, and offers limitless opportunities. It is the home to a vibrant business community, with major companies in healthcare, entertainment, manufacturing, retail, and banking .