Sevan Benlian

Sevan Benlian was elected as a College Board Trustee in March 2020. Mr. Benlian is an executive at Katerra, and he is responsible for multiple large housing developments in the state of California. As a project executive, Mr. Benlian oversees the design and construction of over one thousand housing units.

Mr. Benlian attended Glendale Community College and earned both a Bachelor of Architecture and a Master of Architecture/Real Estate Development at Woodbury University. After completing his studies at Woodbury, he obtained a Master of Construction Management degree from the University of Southern California (USC) with a graduate certificate in Real Estate Development. Mr. Benlian is a doctoral candidate at USC’s Price School of Public Policy. 

Mr. Benlian’s doctoral dissertation focuses on motivating the adoption of the novel construction material cross-laminated timber (CLT) as a sustainable (natural and renewable) alternative to concrete and steel in the context of mid- and high-rise building construction. Mr. Benlian is a LEED-accredited professional and a licensed general contractor in the state of California.

Mr. Benlian has lived in Glendale for over twenty years, has remained engaged and politically active, and has always given back to his community. Mr. Benlian has served on the Glendale Design Review Board for the past five years, and he served as the chair of this commission in 2019.

Mr. Benlian’s present term is April 2024–June 2028, and he resides in Area 5.