Avtar is an Arizona native, Army veteran, NAU graduate, and father of twin 10-year old girls.
He served for 7 years as Executive Director of the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth, where he gained a reputation as passionate advocate for young people and their families. Under his leadership the Coalition was named the 2003 Organization of the Year by the Arizona Daily Sun.
He has volunteered his time in support of Northland Family Help Center, the Northern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault, and the Northern Arizona Veterans Support Community.
During the past year he has been a researcher for the NAU College of Education as part of a team conducting the external evaluation of the State of Arizona’s First Things First initiative. He also serves as Director of Constituent Services for Representative Tom Chabin.
Avtar has served on the City of Flagstaff Planning and Zoning Commission, the Coconino County Family Advocacy Council, the FACTS Advisory Board, the Alliance for Children’s Early Success (ACES), the Coconino County Interagency Council on Child Abuse, and the Board of Directors of the Flagstaff Leadership Program. In 2005 Governor Napolitano appointed Avtar to the Arizona Veterans’ Task Force, which made recommendations to the governor and state legislature on services for Arizona’s veterans.
Avtar began his military service as a military policeman, and is a graduate of the U.S. Army Military Police School. After 3 years as an MP, Avtar moved into the intelligence field. “The transfer into intelligence came with an opportunity to go to Airborne school,” he says. “I had always wanted to jump out of airplanes, so it was a perfect fit.” He spent the next several years in a variety of intelligence and special operations assignments, leaving active duty in 1999 to return home to Flagstaff.
Avtar has been active in local politics since leaving the military. He has worked in support of the Democratic Party, coordinating voter registration and organizing precinct committee persons. He worked on the campaigns of several local candidates including Paul Babbitt, Carl Taylor, Kara Kelty, Karen Cooper, and Dave Rozema. This is his second run for elected office.