The United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD), the leading organization for Macedonians in the United States, warmly congratulated Macedonian-American Phil Naumoff on winning last night’s election to become Richland County Common Pleas Court Judge.
While being recorded live on Facebook during the election results, Naumoff, a Democrat, thanked his family, friends, and supporters, and reflected on his grandfather, Naum, who immigrated to the U.S. from Macedonia in 1921.
Reflecting on his family’s journey, Mr Naumoff said:
“To me, this means the culmination of a dream. I’m going to make you guys proud.”
Naumoff’s father, Spiro, was a Macedonian child refugee who was evacuated to the then-Czechoslovakia during the Greek Civil War at the age of 10, finally being reunited with his parents in 1956.
Metodija A. Koloski, President of the United Macedonian Diaspora, offered his congratulations:
“I am thrilled to join Naumoff in this excitement; I have followed his career for close to a decade now, and could not be more proud to see a fellow Macedonian elected to office.
“So many of our ancestors who fled persecution found freedom and economic opportunities in America and could openly declare as Macedonian.
“His victory, which I am certain would make his grandfather very proud, sets an example for all Macedonian-Americans, especially our youth, to take up roles in public service.”
Phil Naumoff was born in Toronto, Canada in 1961 to Spiro and Christina Naumoff, and moved to Mansfield, Ohio at the age of one and could not speak English until he was aged six. His parents were both born in Macedonia. Naumoff and his family are involved in the Macedonian community and help spearhead the annual Mansfield Macedonian Fest to celebrate Macedonian heritage.
For the past eight and a half years, Naumoff has been a Mansfield Municipal Court magistrate where he helps oversee the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Court, Veterans Court, Mental Health Court, Domestic Violence Court and Extension Court, which deals with the issues like human trafficking. For twenty-five years, Naumoff was in private practice of which sixteen years were spent in common pleas court.