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CITY COUNCIL
COUNCIL MEMBER
Kirk Cartozian
District 5
kcartozi@downeyca.org
Resume
Downey City Hall
11111 Brookshire Avenue
Downey, CA 90241
Council Office (562) 904-7274
Council member Kirk Cartozian is a product of Downey's public school system. He attended Gallatin Elementary School, East Middle School and Downey High School, graduating from the latter in 1991.
Kirk's first experience in government came in 1994 when he worked for Congressman Steve Horn (38th District, CA) in Washington D.C. during the Congressman's first term in office.
Kirk studied Pre-Medicine and Spanish while majoring in Sociology at the University of California at Berkeley, and graduated in 1995. During his college years, Kirk became very active with many organizations. To this day, Kirk serves as an outreach volunteer for UC Berkeley, interviewing prospective students for leadership scholarships.
Kirk returned to Downey to teach at Downey High School in 1996. He began teaching Algebra and coaching the DHS Girl's Basketball team. In 1997, Kirk moved to a position within the Social Studies Department, teaching United States History, World History and Sociology. Additionally, Kirk served as the Senior Class' Faculty Advisor from 1998-2001.
In 2000, Kirk decided to run for the Downey City Council's 5th District. With a limited budget, Kirk put together a grassroots, community-based campaign. His volunteers included colleagues, former students, friends, family, city activists and parents. Together, the group blanketed the entire city during the summer and fall months. Kirk personally walked to more than 4300 resident homes, giving him an acute sense of the major issues and concerns in the City of Downey.
On November 7th, 2000, Kirk was elected to the Downey City Council with nearly 13,000 votes. Concurrently, he continued to teach at Downey High School until 2003. Kirk finalized his teaching career to pursue his graduate programs at USC. In 2004, Kirk was inducted into the Downey High School Hall of Fame.
Kirk served as the Mayor of Downey in 2003-2004, and on November 2nd, 2004, Kirk was re-elected to the Downey City Council with the greatest number of votes received in the history of the city.
Kirk received an MBA/MRED (Master of Business Administration/Master of Real Estate Development) degree at USC. Kirk serves on the USC School of Policy, Planning and Development’s Alumni Board and also acts as an interviewer for prospective graduates applying into the Lusk School for Real Estate.
In 2007, Kirk launched Cartozian Associates Real Estate, Inc. Situated on Downey Avenue in the historic downtown, their office services include Residential and Commercial Sales & Lending, Land Use Entitlement/Planning, and Government Affairs. His work includes preparation and management of permitting work on behalf of developers and various businesses, drafting of final copy, and strategic planning.
Kirk can be seen at countless city, school and community events. Kirk is the City Council liaison to Gangs Out Of Downey (G.O.O.D.), the Southeast Water Coalition and California Contract Cities Association. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Orangeline High-Speed Maglev Authority, a 14 member city joint powers authority. The proposed project propelled by magnetic levitation stretches from Palmdale to Irvine. It is anticipated to be a part of the future project on the south campus of Rancho Los Amigos.
Kirk enjoys having constant interface with the public and is commended for his quick response to constituent needs. His Spanish fluency aids him in communicating with Downey's strong Latino community. If you happen to spot Kirk somewhere in Downey, go up and introduce yourself! You'll probably have something in common.
In December 2008, Kirk will have fulfilled his limit of two terms (eight years) on the Downey City Council and looks forward to remaining a resident and community member in Downey.
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