upper waypoint

South Bay Leader Cindy Chavez Likely to Leave for New Mexico by November

Save ArticleSave Article
Failed to save article

Please try again

Cindy Chavez talks to staff on Election Day at her campaign headquarters in San José on Nov. 8, 2022. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Longtime Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez is set to leave the South Bay in November to take on a leadership role in New Mexico.

Following a June vote by the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners selecting Chavez as their next county manager, the New Mexico county announced on Tuesday that it completed hammering out a contract for her.

The announcement all but finalizes the move, pending a formal vote on the contract by Bernalillo County commissioners on Aug. 27. If approved, Chavez’s first day on the new job will be Nov. 13, the county said in a statement.

Sponsored

“We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Chavez to Bernalillo County. Her extensive experience in public administration and proven leadership abilities make her an ideal fit to guide our county into the future,” Barbara Baca, the commission chair, said in the statement.

“It’s bittersweet,” Chavez told KQED about taking on the new role.

“It has been such an honor to serve the people of San José and Santa Clara County. I love this beautiful community,” she said. “And I’m excited about the opportunity to serve the people of Bernalillo County as their county executive.”

Chavez, a decadeslong resident of Santa Clara County, was born in New Mexico. Her mother currently lives there, along with cousins and other family members, she said.

Chavez has served more than a decade on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors after first winning a special election in 2013 and being reelected twice.

She also served eight years on the San José City Council from 1998 to 2006, including a stint as vice mayor, before leading the South Bay Labor Council in 2009 and later the progressive policy group Working Partnerships USA.

Chavez is set to be termed out of her seat on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors at the end of this year.

Before looking farther afield for a new role, Chavez hoped to land another job in politics locally. She ran unsuccessfully for mayor of San José twice — in 2006 against her then-council colleague Chuck Reed and in 2022 in a close race against Matt Mahan.

Shortly after the 2022 election, Chavez was reported to have received a tentative offer to become the county administrator in San Diego.

But the appointment process was clouded by allegations of sexual assault against San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, one of Chavez’s backers, who later resigned, and the board restarted the search. They later selected Ebony Shelton for the role.

Chavez said she knew she wanted to continue to work in local government, and felt that Bernalillo County offered somewhat of a full-circle opportunity.

Related Stories

“It was very unique in the sense that I get to go back to the community that has been such a big part of my personal life. And to be able to honor my parents by giving back to the community that gave to them,” she said.

She said she is proud of a lot of her work in the South Bay, which she credited to all the people who have worked with her along the way.

Some highlights she had a hand in include major efforts to complete the purchase of St. Louise and O’Connor hospitals just before the pandemic broke out, clearing a rape kit test backlog and significantly speeding up the processing of tests going forward, as well as increasing resources for victims of violent crimes.

In Bernalillo County, New Mexico’s most populous county, Chavez would serve about 676,000 residents, including residents of Albuquerque, and oversee about 2,800 county employees, with a total budget of about $1 billion.

Baca said Chavez “has hands-on experience” dealing with critical issues like transportation, housing and public health from her work in the South Bay.

“This expertise will serve Bernalillo County well as we work to tackle those same issues to enhance the quality of life for our community,” Baca said.

lower waypoint
next waypoint