New Motor Vehicle Board Members
Ardashes "Ardy" Kassakhian
President, Public Member
Ardashes "Ardy" Kassakhian, was appointed by the Senate Rules Committee in March 2018, and reappointed in February 2022. Mr. Kassakhian is the President of the Board, and is a member of the Executive Committee, and the Legislative Committee.
Mr. Kassakhian is an elected member of the City Council and is Mayor of the City of Glendale, CA in Los Angeles County. Before being elected to the Glendale City Council in 2020, Kassakhian served as Glendale’s elected City Clerk for 15 years. In 2020 Kassakhian founded AQUILA Communications, LLC, which provides strategic communication services. Prior to his service in elected offices, Kassakhian worked in public affairs and public relations in the private sector and specialized in government relations and community organizing. He served as the Government Relations Director and Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee — Western Region. Kassakhian is an adjunct instructor of Political Science at Glendale Community College where he teaches a course on federal, state and local government.
Kassakhian holds a BA from UCLA and an MA in Public Policy & Administration from Northwestern University. He is a former Coro fellow and has completed the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University Certificate Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government.
His term expires on January 15, 2026.