Brad Avakian

Infobox_Politician
name = Brad Avakian


caption =
birth_date = February 4, 1961
birth_place = Fresno, California
residence = Beaverton, Oregon
death_date =
death_place =
office = Commissioner of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries
term_start = April 8, 2008
term_end = Current
predecessor = Dan Gardner
successor = Incumbent
constituency =
office2 = Oregon State Senate
term_start2 = January 2, 2007
term_end2 = April 7, 2008
predecessor2 = Charlie Ringo
successor2 = Suzanne Bonamici
constituency2 =
office3 = Oregon House of Representatives
term_start3 = January 2 2003
term_end3 = January 2 2007
predecessor3 =
successor3 = Suzanne Bonamici
constituency3 =
party = Democratic Party¹
religion =
occupation = Civil Rights Attorney
majority =
relations =
spouse = Deborah Lynn Avakian
children =
alma_mater = Oregon State University
Lewis & Clark Law School
website = [http://www.bradavakian.com Brad Avakian for Oregon]
footnotes = ¹Commissioner of Labor and Industries is a non-partisan office.

Bradley Paul "Brad" Avakian (born February 4, 1961) is an American politician and currently serves as Commissioner of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries. He was sworn-in by Governor Ted Kulongoski on April 8, 2008.cite news
title=New labor leader hopes to boost job training in Oregon
date=April 9, 2008
url=http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080409/STATE/804090432/1042
work=Statesman Journal] While the Commissioner of Labor and Industries has been a nonpartisan position since 1995, Avakian previously served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly as a Democrat.

Early life

Born in Fresno, California, on February 4, 1961, Brad is the son of Larry and Catherine Avakian who now reside in Thousand Oaks, California. He is of Armenian descent. His grandfather was Avak Avakian, who came to America from Muş in 1898. His grandmother Sirpoohi Antoyan came from Bitlis in 1900. [http://www.bradavakian.com/aboutbrad.htm Brad Avakian for Oregon] : Meet Brad, from bradavakian.com. Retrieved 2008-04-17.]

Avakian was raised in Washington County, Oregon. [http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI/Avakian_bio.shtml About Oregon's Labor Commissioner] : Meet Commissioner Brad Avakian, from oregon.gov. Retrieved 2008-04-09.] He was educated in Oregon’s public schools; he earned an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Oregon State University in 1984, and a Juris doctor from Lewis & Clark Law School in 1990. He helped create the YMCA's Juvenile Restitution Program while in law school. Avakian then worked as a civil rights attorney. He represented clients seeking fair wages, good working conditions, and the right to organize. He co-founded the Oregon League of Conservation Voters' (OLCV) Washington County chapter. He was appointed by Governor Barbara Roberts to lead the State Board of Psychologist Examiners. He serves as Honorary Chair of the Oregon Business Leadership Network, a coalition of employers committed to hiring the disabled. Avakian lives in the Portland metropolitan area in the city of Beaverton.

Political career

Avakian ran for the Oregon State Senate in 1998, [cite news
title=Avakian, Hartung war chests fuel fierce senate seat race
date=October 19, 1998
author=Don Hamilton
work=The Oregonian] losing to incumbent Republican Tom Hartung. [cite news
title=GOP gains, loses in the legislature
date=November 7, 1998
author=Courtenay Thompson
work=The Oregonian]

Avakian was elected to represent District 34, on Portland's west side, in the Oregon House of Representatives in 2002.cite news
title=Vote trends show stronger division from east to west
date=November 7, 2002
author=Laura Gunderson and David R. Anderson
work=The Oregonian] He defeated Portland police officer John Scruggs, [cite news
title=Washington County legislative races tight
date=November 6, 2002
author=Richard Colby
work=The Oregonian] the only Republican to lose in Washington County that year, with 53% of the vote. [cite news
title=How Oregon voted: ballots counted -- 95%
date=November 7, 2002
work=The Oregonian]

Avakian was elected to the Oregon State Senate, representing District 17, in 2006.

While in the legislature, Avakian was honored by both the Oregon AFL-CIO and the SEIU local 503 for his work on behalf of working families. In the Senate he chaired the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, and in 2007 the OLCV named him the "Consensus Builder of the Year," recognizing him for passing an extension of the Oregon Bottle Bill and a renewable energy act. In 2008 he led a coalition to approve water supply development for rural communities.

In July 2007, Avakian announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Oregon Secretary of State. [ [http://blog.oregonlive.com/politics/2007/07/avakian_jumps_into_secretary_o.html Avakian jumps into secretary of state race] , The Oregonian. July 31, 2007] Three other Democratic state senators also filed for that office.

Kulongoski appointed Avakian Commissioner of Labor and Industries in early 2008, after Dan Gardner announced his resignation. Gardner was the first Commissioner of Labor and Industries to leave mid-term for a new job. Avakian withdrew from the race for Secretary of State upon appointment.

References

External links

* [http://www.bradavakian.com/ Brad Avakian campaign web site]
* [http://www.oregonvotes.org/may162006/guide/dem/avaki_b.html Voters' Pamphlet statement, 2006]