ABOUT ELEN

Councilmember and former Mayor Elen Asatryan holds the distinction of being Glendale’s first Armenian-American woman, the first immigrant woman, and at 39 the youngest woman to be elected to the City Council and later serve as Mayor.

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An award-winning human rights and social justice advocate, political consultant, and businesswoman, Councilmember Asatryan brings to the Council over 26 years of professional experience in policy, advocacy, and public affairs at the local, state, and federal levels in service to the Glendale community and beyond.

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Councilmember Elen Asatryan’s life tells the story of the American Dream. A first-generation immigrant, Elen was at the formative age of 10 when her family moved from Armenia to Glendale. Having invested a majority of her life in our community and its challenges, she proudly remains a product of the community that afforded her opportunities.

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Elen’s roots in advocacy for her community began at a much younger age. She volunteered on her first campaign at just 15 years old, where she discovered her passion for public service and giving voice to the underrepresented. This paved the way for her career, leading successful community and advocacy initiatives to bring about policy changes that positively affect people's daily lives.

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Currently, Elen serves as a Glendale City Councilmember. In office, Asatryan remains a fierce champion for affordability, public safety, cutting bureaucratic red tape, access, small businesses and economic development, fair housing, equity, women’s issues, youth development, parks, arts and culture, sustainability, and so much more.

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Spanning over two decades, Elen has spearheaded and led successful initiatives at the local, state, and federal levels, including ensuring equal access and representation at government entities; creating public policy fellowship and internship programs for high school and college students and recent graduates; establishing the Glendale Domestic Violence Task Force; expanding green space and access to programs for low-income families and marginalized communities; launching and implementing voter registration, education, and local initiatives that registered over 50,000 new voters in Los Angeles County and led to record-breaking turnout in some of the most competitive elections; securing recognition for the Armenian Genocide and Republic of Artsakh; and advancing adoption of genocide education curriculum in California public schools.

Believing that a community is only as strong as its most vulnerable members, Elen has worked hard to help Glendale residents most in need.

 

She launched the Glendale Free Legal Clinics in partnership with Neighborhood Legal Services, the Armenian Bar Association, and ANCA-Glendale. The clinics were hosted quarterly and helped countless Glendale residents free of charge. The initiative was so successful that it was later expanded to other cities across Los Angeles County.

Asatryan served for over 11 years as Executive Director of the nation’s second-largest ethnic advocacy organization, first at its Glendale chapter and then the Western Region offices. There, she was responsible for strategy, government relations, policy and programs, development and implementation, and day-to-day operations of the regional headquarters and its local chapters across 19 Western U.S. states.

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In 2017, Elen decided to further serve her community through a new avenue. She founded a local consulting firm specializing in public affairs, nonprofits, advocacy, and campaigns. Through her consulting work, Elen has demonstrated a deep commitment to protecting the rights and advancing the interests of underrepresented and underserved communities, including women, minorities, and working-class people.

 

During COVID, Elen launched the Community Resource Center to ensure residents and small businesses had access to information about programs and grants. Through the COVID CRC, she voluntarily assisted thousands of Glendale residents and small businesses. For over 20 years, Elen has helped residents and small businesses cut through bureaucratic red tape.

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Asatryan’s commitment to her community and civic engagement is evident in the years she has dedicated to serving on various committees and boards of local and regional organizations.

 

She currently serves as a:

• Commissioner on the Burbank Airport Authority

• Independent Cities Association Board Secretary

• Cal Cities Association Board Member

• San Fernando Valley Council of Governments Board Member

• Valley Economic Alliance Board Member, and

• Alt Member on Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Regional Housing Trust

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Previously, she served on the City of Glendale Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Commission as Chairwoman; the Glendale Youth Alliance Board; the Glendale Community Police Partnership Advisory Committee; the Glendale Unified School District Superintendent’s Advisory Committee; the Los Angeles County Voter Outreach Committee; the Los Angeles City Voter Outreach and Education Committee; as an elected member of the LACDP representing the 43rd Assembly District; and as a DSCC member, among others.

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Elen is a product of Glendale public schools, including Columbus Elementary School, Toll Middle School, and Herbert Hoover High School. She later attended UCLA, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with concentrations in American Politics and International Relations.

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Public service, leaving a positive footprint for future generations, and helping create a more just and equitable world is her driving force.

Elen lives with her rescue dog, Buddy, and cherishes her most important role as the "cool aunt” to her two nephews, Robert and David.