New Motor Vehicle Board Members
Ardashes "Ardy" Kassakhian
Public Member
Ardashes "Ardy" Kassakhian, Public Member, was appointed by the Senate Rules Committee in March 2018, and reappointed in February 2022. Kassakhian is Chair of the Fiscal Committee, Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee to Review the Mission and Vision Statements, and Member of the Committee on Equity, Justice and Inclusion. Kassakhian previously served two terms as Board President, in 2023 and 2024.
Kassakhian is an elected member of the City Council and was the Mayor from '22-'23 of Glendale, CA in Los Angeles County. Before being elected to the Glendale City Council, Kassakhian served as Glendale’s elected City Clerk for 15 years. In 2020, Kassakhian founded AQUILA Communications, LLC, which provides strategic communication and public relations 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 courses 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.