Sheriff Leroy Baca Asks Prelate for Assisitance
Los Angeles County Sheriff Leroy Baca visited the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America on July 22–and was received by His Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian–the Prelate. Dr. Hagop Der Megerdichian–the Vice Chairman of the Prelacy Executive Council also attended the meeting.
Sheriff Baca had come to ask the cooperation of His Eminence and other Armenian Community leaders in dealing with certain fields of his mission. Taking into consideration that several towns under his department’s jurisdiction have a large concentration of Armenia’s–he plans to form local committees composed of community representatives and police force members to tackle juvenile problems. He proposed a formation of a central committee headed by the spiritual leaders of the Armenian Apostolic Church to coordinate and oversee the proposed task in coordination with his office.
His Eminence the Prelate welcomed the sheriff’s plans and good intention. The Western Prelacy–he explained has had lengthy experience in this field through the CASPS (Committee for Armenian Students in Public School) that functions under the auspices of the Prelacy and provides advice and services to students attending Glendale public schools–and to their parents. The Prelate expressed full support to the proposed plan–and utmost effort to achieve these goals.Hahn Appoints Mahdesian to Planning Commission
Hahn Appoints Mahdesian to Planning Commission
LOS ANGELES– Michael Mahdesian–a former Senior Executive in the Clinton Administration–has been nominated by Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn to the City of Los Angeles Planning Commission.
"Michael’s record of achievement and dedication to public service led me to appoint him to this key position in city government," Mayor Hahn said. "How Los Angeles will look in the future will be shaped by this commission–and Michael’s formal training in urban planning–experience as a CEO–and work in the highest levels of government will serve the people of Los Angeles well."
Mahdesian is a longtime activist in the Democratic Party–as well as in the Armenian American community.
Mahdesian is the Chairman of the Board of Servicon Systems–Inc.–a facility maintenance company that serves industrial–aerospace and high-tech firms.
From 1993 to 2000–Mahdesian served in the Clinton Administration as the Deputy Assistant Administrator–Bureau for Humanitarian Response–US Agency for International Development (USAID). In this position–Mahdesian managed international aid programs in rapidly changing and often hostile environmen’s including Bosnia–Iraq–Haiti–the Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesia.
Mahdesian was born in Los Angeles and holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from USC and a master’s degree in urban planning from UCLA.
The Planning Commission oversees the Department of City Planning that prepares and maintains the city’s general plan.