Bio:
Erik Nasarenko — Part of a family tradition of service, safety and fairness. Serving and protecting others is in the Nasarenko genes. After surviving World War II and five years in refugee camps, Erik’s parents immigrated to the United States, leaving behind their home country of Ukraine. Through hard work and perseverance, they built a better life for themselves and their children in the Sa
n Fernando Valley. Erik’s mom became a high school history teacher after graduating from UCLA, dedicating 33 years to public school classrooms. Erik’s father helped to protect the country, designing missile defense systems for Hughes Aircraft Company after graduating from the University of Minnesota and USC. Erik's parents made sure he continued the family tradition of serving and protecting others and giving back to the community. As a high school student near downtown Los Angeles, he tutored younger classmates. In college at UC Irvine, Erik mentored a teenager as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), an experience that took Erik into the courtroom for the first time. Erik decided to become a prosecutor in college after reading “Helter Skelter,” the non-fiction work about the Charles Manson murders and trial. The drive and determination for justice by the Manson prosecutor made a lasting impression on Erik, inspiring his hopes to one day serve as a deputy district attorney, an honorable and vital profession. Before entering the law profession, Erik followed in his mother’s footsteps and worked in public education for a decade as a communications and community relations director. At night Erik pursued his dream and attended Loyola Law School. After graduating and passing the California bar, Erik’s parents encouraged him to apply to the Ventura County District Attorney’s office. With its excellent reputation and wonderful quality of life, Erik and his wife, Julia, realized that Ventura County was the perfect place to establish roots and raise a family. In 2008, Erik became a prosecutor with the office and later moved to Ventura with his wife, daughter Juliette, and son Andrew. With his dream finally becoming a reality at age 38, Erik went to work in the courtroom and in the community. He successfully prosecuted some of the county’s toughest cases, delivering justice for victims who had been kidnapped, r***d, murdered and molested. His trial skills resulted in violent predators going to prison for the rest of their lives. In acknowledgment of his service, Erik was named Prosecutor of the Year in 2016 by former District Attorney Greg Totten. Erik also fought hard in the community to serve others. He volunteered for the DA’s homeless court, which offered low-level offenders a chance to get back on their feet and have fines and fees dismissed in exchange for completing rehabilitation and community service.
Erik was elected twice to the Ventura City Council and served as Ventura's Mayor, where he secured funding for community-based police officers, firefighters and a future homeless shelter. With his strong interest in serving and protecting others, Erik was appointed Ventura County District Attorney in January 2021 by a 5-0 vote of the Board of Supervisors. As District Attorney, Erik has worked hard to keep Ventura County safe and make sure that dangerous criminals are held accountable. He put more resources into domestic violence cases by creating a supervisor position over the unit and expanded counseling and support services to victims of hate crimes. Erik fought back against a state proposal that would result in the early release of violent prison inmates, joining 43 other statewide district attorneys in challenging the decision. He is also creating a dedicated mental health unit in the office to help reduce incarceration and improve treatment options for low-level offenders suffering from mental distress. His interest in mental health and addiction issues is both professional and personal. Erik had a family member who suffered from mental illness and addiction, and he has seen firsthand both from his caseload and from his own experiences the urgent need for change, stronger intervention and new approaches to these complex cases.
