Bernard K. Melekian was appointed Interim City Manager for the City of Pasadena effective January 8th, 2008. He is committed to the idea that city government should be a positive force for problem solving in the lives of Pasadena’s citizens and neighborhoods.

Mr. Melekian first joined the City of Pasadena when he was appointed Chief of Police on April 30, 1996. Prior to his appointment, he served with the Santa Monica Police Department for 23 years where he was awarded the Medal of Valor in 1978 and the Medal of Courage in 1980.

A national spokesperson involving issues affecting the mentally ill, Mr. Melekian testified in September, 2000 before the House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary in Washington, D.C. He also served on the National Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consortium in 2002.

Mr. Melekian served as the President of the Los Angeles County Police Chiefs’ Association from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2001. From 2000 to 2002 he served as Chair of the California Attorney General’s Blue Ribbon Committee S.W.A.T. Team Task Force and authored the Commission on Special Tactics (S.W.A.T.) final report. Selected by Los Angeles Chief of Police William Bratton to assess SWAT operations, Mr. Melekian assisted in providing recommendations with respect to that unit. Mr. Melekian is also the 2nd Vice-President of the California Police Chiefs’ Association and served on the National Board of Directors for the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) from 2002 until 2006. He is also a senior advisor for the Police Assessment Resource Center in Los Angeles.

Mr. Melekian has been the recipient of numerous leadership and service awards, including the Anne B. Kennedy Award from the Pasadena Mental Health Association, the Salvation Army “Others” Award, and The Excellence in Leadership Award from Leadership Pasadena. In January 2005, he received the Lewis Hine Award for Service to Youth from the National Child Labor Committee and in May, 2007 was awarded the Sherman Block Leadership award from the California Peace Officers’ Association. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the National Child Labor Committee.

Mr. Melekian holds a Bachelor’s degree in American History and a Master’s degree in Public Administration, both from California State University, Northridge. He is a graduate of the 150th session of the FBI National Academy and the 20th class of the California Command College, where he was selected as class valedictorian. He is currently a Doctoral candidate in Public Policy at the University of Southern California.

Mr. Melekian served in the United States Army from 1967 to 1970. A member of the United States Coast Guard Reserve since 1984, he was called to active duty in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm and served overseas. Mr. Melekian served a second tour of active duty in February, 2003 when he served for eight months with the Coast Guard’s Marine Safety and Security Team, in the Pacific area. He continues to serve in the active Reserves.

January 8, 2008