Garo Ghazarian appointed to Glendale Civil Service Commission

Published: Wednesday January 11, 2012

"From Left: Edvin Minassian, Chair, Armenian Bar Association, Garo Ghazarian, LA City Attorney, Carmen Trutanich, and Former LA County District Attorney, Robert Philibossian.".

Glendale, Calif. - The City Council of Glendale, California has unanimously confirmed the nomination of law school dean and professor Garo Ghazarian to the City's Civil Service Commission.

In making the nomination, Glendale City Council Member and two-time former mayor of Glendale, Rafi Manoukian, referred his Council colleagues to Mr. Ghazarian's vast array of relevant legal experience and to his significant community involvement. The nomination was seconded by Council Member Frank Quintero, who had this to say about Ghazarian, "He's a great nominee and he's going to do a very good job on the Civil Service Commission."

Council Member Ara Najarian, a past Glendale mayor, added "I support Mr. Ghazarian. I've known him for many years. He is a very active member of the community, the law enforcement community and the local bar associations. Garo Ghazarian is not afraid to speak his mind, and does so with due respect." Laura Friedman, Glendale's presiding mayor, remarked that though she does not personally know Mr. Ghazarian, "Looking at his resume, I thought to myself, wow, what a catch!" With that, the mayor concluded by saying, "I am very happy to support the nomination."

Newly-appointed Commissioner Ghazarian, having taken the oath of office, attended his first Civil Service Commission hearing on December 14, 2011. From the dais, he thanked Council Member Manoukian for the nomination, and the City Council for the appointment. He also congratulated his predecessor, Mr. Ara Hatamian, for a job well done during his tenure.

Besides his commitment to the City of Glendale for the next four years as one of its five Civil Service Commissioners, Mr. Ghazarian continues to serve as the Dean of the Peoples College of Law in Los Angeles, where for the past 17 years he has been a professor of criminal law. In addition, he is the Vice-Chair of the Armenian Bar Association, Co-Chair of its pro-bono committee, a board member of MABA-PAC (Mexican-American Bar Association, Political Action Committee), a board member of Yerevan-based think tank A.C.N.I.S. (Armenian Center for National & International Studies), and a regular legal commentator on national and international news networks, including CNN, Headline News, and Al Jazeera English TV.

"Garo Ghazarian is an indispensible member of the Armenian Bar Association," said Armenian Bar Chairman Edvin Minassian. "His service to the community is vital and well documented. His appointment to the Glendale Civil Service Commission confirms his great commitment to serving his community."

The Civil Service Commission establishes the rules and policies under which Glendale's merit system operates, ensuring continuation of Glendale's reputation as a city whose employees attain and keep their positions on the basis of ability, training and experience, rather than on unwarranted considerations and affiliations. It also serves as a quasi-judicial body in hearing employee appeals against disciplinary actions such as suspension, reduction or removal.