Sharona Nazarian became the first Iranian American woman to lead Beverly Hills as she was sworn in as the city’s mayor on April 1 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Nazarian will serve as mayor for one year, while Councilmen John Mirisch and Craig Corman will each fulfill the role of vice mayor for six months, respectively.
“Today I stand before you as the first Iranian American woman to serve as the mayor of Beverly Hills. My journey to this moment has been a long one. I am an immigrant. English is my third language. I came to this great nation due to religious persecution. No one was there to be my voice, and things didn’t always come easily. But I refused to have a victim mentality. You see, I believe that hard work and dedication are key to getting things done, and I promise to work hard for you.”
In her speech, Nazarian announced a flurry of initiatives and programs ranging from public safety to community activities. Among the initiatives are BHTV Live Link – new software that will allow residents to track the status of their calls to the Beverly Hills Police Department. Nazarian also announced that with pending authorization from Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, the city will prosecute state misdemeanors.
Several of the announcements include community-focused endeavors, such as “Straight Talk with Sharona” – a recurring town hall meeting. “Straight Talk with Sharona” will begin Thursday, May 8, at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
Throughout her speech, Nazarian expressed a commitment to ensuring fiscal responsibility, promoting social justice through peace and tolerance, supporting the Beverly Hills Unified School District, maintaining local control over land use while building more affordable housing, combatting antisemitism and preserving reproductive rights.
“We are a united community regardless of race, religion or cultural background. I couldn’t be more proud to represent our amazing community as we build a safer, stronger and more united Beverly Hills,” Nazarian said.
The installation also marked the first time in Beverly Hills two vice mayors were sworn in at the same time. In February, the council agreed to split the vice mayorship between Mirisch and Corman.
Several public officials and consul generals were present at the installation event. The ceremony featured several performances, including by the Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy Choir and the USC Trojan Marching Band.
Although the mood within the event was celebratory, many hopeful attendees were disappointed to be turned away at the door. Within minutes of the start of the ceremony, the Bram Goldsmith Theater at the Wallis had reached its 500 seat capacity. A long line of dozens of attendees stretched from the building’s entrance on North Santa Monica Boulevard around the side of the building on North Crescent Drive. Most of the individuals in the line were told that no further guests would be admitted, with the exception of consul generals and those with reserved seats. Upon the announcement, many people crowded the building’s entrance.
- Note: Article edited by Iran Report for length and clarity (link to full article)