ABOUT ELEN

Councilwoman Elen Asatryan’s life tells the story of the American Dream. A first-generation immigrant, Elen was at the formative age of 10 years old when her family moved from Armenia to Glendale. A human and civil rights activist, community organizer, and businesswoman who has invested a majority of her life in our community and its challenges, she proudly remains a product of the community that afforded her all of her opportunities.

 

Currently, Elen serves as a Glendale City Councilmember. She is the city’s first immigrant woman and the first Armenian-American woman to be elected into the Glendale City Council. While in office, she has continued to support  her community by fighting for small businesses, the environment, youth development opportunities, equity issues, and so much more. 

 

However, Elen’s roots in advocacy for her community began at a much younger age. Elen volunteered on her first campaign at just 15 years old, where she discovered her passion for public service and giving voice to the underrepresented; at the age of 19, she served as campaign manager for a local election. This paved the way for her career of leading successful community and advocacy initiatives to bring about policy changes that positively affect people's daily lives. 

 

Spanning over two decades, Elen spearheaded and led successful initiatives on the local, state, and federal level, which include: ensuring equal access and representation at government entities; creating public policy fellowship and internship programs for high school and college students, and recent college 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, which resulted in registering over 50,000 new voters in LA County alone, leading to record-breaking voter turnout in some of the most competitive elections; securing recognition for the Armenian Genocide and Republic of Artsakh, and adoption of Genocide education curriculum in CA public schools.

 

Elen’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 including: chair of the City of Glendale Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Commission, where she served as Chairwoman, board member of the Glendale Youth Alliance, Glendale Community Police Partnership Advisory Committee, the Glendale Unified School District Superintendent’s Advisory Committee, Los Angeles County Voter Outreach Committee, Los Angeles City Voter Outreach and Education Committee, and many more. She is currently an elected member of the LACDP representing the 43rd Assembly District, as well as a DSCC member. For over 11 years, Elen served as Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America – Glendale, then the Western Region (ANCA-WR), a grassroots public affairs organization devoted to advancing issues of concern to the Armenian-American community in 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 proven a deep commitment to protecting the rights and advancing the interests of underrepresented and underserved communities, including women, minorities, and working-class people. 

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

 

Elen resides in Glendale with her rescue dog, Buddy.