Meshkaty Makes History as First Iranian American School Board President

December 19, 2008, Los Angeles, CA – Nooshin Meshkaty was recently sworn in as the President of the Beverly Hills Board of Education. According to news reports, Meshkaty has made history by becoming the first Iranian American school board president in the United States.

Meshkaty, a senior technologist at Pasadena’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, was elected in November of 2005 to the Beverly Hills Board of Education in an uncontested election. The Beverly Hills School District has been long recognized for its excellent educational system. The Board of Education is responsible for setting the district’s school curricula, funding, teaching, and other policies.

Beverly Hills Mayor Barry Bucker swore in Meshkaty during a ceremony at the Beverly Hills High School on December 9, 2008. In her acceptance speech, Meshkaty thanked her family and friends and spoke affectionately about her Iranian heritage. “I am proud of my heritage, which holds the traditions of thousands of years of civilization–one of arts and sciences, but above all tolerance and respect,” said Meshkaty. “We are fortunate to live in a country whose government both maintains and promotes these values whereby from one generation to the next we can see growth and change for the better.”

Meshkaty is a graduate of Beverly Hills High and the University of Southern California.

Click here to read Nooshin Meshkaty’s acceptance speech.