FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD: A WORD ABOUT FAMILY

by David Zenian


The official biography of Deran Koligian, Chairman of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, sums up his occupation in two words: Family Farmer. The description is not accidental. His deep attachment to the land and Armenian family values sets Koligian apart from politicians who are normally associated with similar positions in government.

"Farming is my vocation and government service my avocation," Koligian said recently, pointing out the thin line, the nuance that separates the two descriptions. "One is more of a calling, The other is work and community service which I also love." Koligian treats both farming and his elected government position the same way. "Both have to be treated with great respect and integrity. Farming and government demand devotion and hard work ... if neglected, they will fall apart," he said.

"Just as important," Koligian says, "is family. My parents have played a very major role in my upbringing and formation as an individual. Events and stories I heard while growing up have had a great impact on my life," he said.

Koligian, who is now 69 years old, grew up in Fresno surrounded by tales from the dark days of the Armenian Genocide. "My father had come to Fresno from Kharpert around 1898. My mother was caught up in the 1915 Genocide and lost her three children from a previous marriage. Her four brothers, who were 12 years and younger, were sold by the Turks to the Arabs.

"My mother never stopped remembering her three children until her dying days. Her brothers were lucky ... thanks to an American doctor, all four managed to get to the United States eventually. One of them studied at Melkonian (in Cyprus). Their experiences have made a tremendous impact on me," he said.

Koligian also remembers his childhood days in Fresno when Armenians were subjected to serious discrimination. Fights in his elementary school were common and so were the "other kids in who made fun of us because we did not speak English."

As a teenager, Koligian remembers how Armenian youths were not allowed into Fresno clubs, and how the majority of Armenians lived "on the other side" of the railroad tracks. His parents did not speak English. "Those were difficult days. The temptation was great to leave Fresno, but my father was a proud man, and a good friend of General Antranig, the leader of the Armenian war of liberation who died in Fresno in 1927 - the year I was born."

"I was an infant when General Antranig died, but as I grew up, I was always reminded by my father that the General used to call me Aslan Degha - or the lion boy," he said. "I had to live up to that."

The pressures were strong, but so were the words of community elders and church leaders to the younger generation who said, "Don't pay any attention to what you hear. Concentrate on your education. Work hard, set goals for yourself and save your money. You will be okay."

That's exactly what Koligian did. He worked hard and did not allow the external pressures to isolate him from the rest of society. He did not slip into the cocoon of ethnicity.

After graduating from Central High School in Fresno, he received a degree in accounting and business administration from Fresno State College, and was involved in combat as an infantryman in the U.S. army during World War II.

Returning home to Fresno, Koligian embarked on a career combining farming and community work, serving for 12 years as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Madison Elementary School, followed by another 12 years of service on the board of Central High School.

Over the years, Koligian also served as a member of the Fresno County School Board Association, the Fresno County Economic Opportunity Commission, and as chairman of the Fresno-Madera Land Bank Association and the Fresno Planning Commission.

In his present capacity as Chairman of the five-member Board of Supervisors, Koligian is effectively involved in overseeing everything in Fresno County from public libraries and public schools to medical services, from the sheriff's department to the District Attorney's office and the planning commission, from the probation department to the courts, tax collection and housing.

Currently serving his fourth term on the County Board, Koligian maintains a no-nonsense and hands-on policy which combines his family and farming background with the professionalism of an administrator. "There is nothing ceremonial about this position. We have a county to run and that's what we do, without losing sight of who I am and where I came from. I believe in hard work, at home, on the farm and in public service," he says. "We, as Fresno Armenians, have a reputation to maintain."