Jack Hadjinian

Jack Hadjinian was born in Montebello, California, to a second-generation Armenian American family.[1] His grandfather was a survivor of the Armenian Genocide.[2] He attended Armenian Mesrobian School, a local Armenian private school.[3][4] After graduating high school, he continued his studies at Pasadena City College and the University of Southern California under the Executive Education Program in Public Policy at the Sol Price School of Public Policy.[1] He then graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigation Citizens Academy.[1]

Hadjinian worked as a local real estate agent and is a member of the Montebello Board of Realtors.[1] He also served as the Chairman of the Montebello Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Civil Service Commission, and member of the Investment Committee.[5] After high school while attending Pasadena City College, Hadjinian was a member of an Offshore race team winning the 1997 World Championship title in Biloxi, Mississippi and setting a World Speed Record for the Open Outboard class.

Hadjinian ran for Montebello City Council in 2011 and was elected as a city council member on November 8 and became the first Armenian-American to hold a political position on the city council.[4] After three years on the City Council, Hadjinian ran for mayor. He was elected as mayor on November 25, 2014.[6] Art Barajas, a councilman, became the Mayor Pro Tem.[6] The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Sheriff Jim McDonnell, Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian, and Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America.[6] Vanessa Delgado became Mayor in November 2015.[7] Hadjinian remains on the Montebello Council as of 2018.[8]

Hadjinian also serves as a National Delegate to the Western Prelacy for the Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Cathedral in Montebello.[4] He is a founding member of the Montebello-Stepanakert Sister City Association.[4] He is also a member of the Armenian National Committee of America serving several local branches.[3]