Like many students, John Chavez Jr. took a speech class during his time at 吃瓜头条.
But the 18-year-old Chavez could never have predicted just how important one college course would be to him at age 56.
Now mayor of Chowchilla, Chavez speaks in public all the time.
鈥淏eing able to stand up there and feel comfortable is a big deal,鈥� he said.
The Atwater native would have rather taken a zero than give a speech back at Hilmar High School. He needed practice and support to feel capable of speaking to crowds.
Chavez found that while studying at 吃瓜头条, and that learning has informed his professional life ever since.
鈥淭he instructor was great,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e made all of us feel comfortable enough to go up there and make mistakes. We knew we weren鈥檛 being judged or criticized. That experience gave me confidence. And that has allowed me to do what I do now.鈥�
Chavez has served four terms on the Chowchilla City Council, including three two-year terms as mayor. Council members vote for a mayor from within their ranks every two years.
His first council term felt like hiking straight uphill. Chowchilla, facing bankruptcy in 2009, had to consider shuttering both their police department and their animal control department. Council meetings lasted into the wee hours while they looked at every option to fix their financial issues. Everyone involved was scared and stressed.
Chavez, a professional baker, often attended meetings for 7-8 hours before hustling over to the family business, Cornaggia鈥檚 Bakery, to start baking at 2 a.m.
Eventually the city decided the city council would give up its pay and municipal workers would take a 20% pay cut via a weekly furlough day.
鈥淚鈥檝e always tried to be the voice of calm and the voice for the working people,鈥� Chavez said. 鈥淚t was so difficult. Nearly 13 years later, we鈥檙e finally making things right. But I still think about the cost-of-living allowances employees lost and the pay freezes everyone took. We鈥檙e finally getting around to making everyone whole.鈥�
Chavez developed that patience and vigilance through baking. He, his wife Rosli and her sister owned a bakery in Gustine for nine years, and then he worked as a bakery manager at Costco and Albertsons.
Rosli Chavez, ne茅 Cornaggia, is a Chowchilla native, so the family eventually moved home to raise three children and run Cornaggia Bakery. The family bakery, which features one of three hearth ovens remaining in California, was founded by the Cornaggias in 1925.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a close-knit family,鈥� Chavez said. 鈥淲e were able to teach our kids how to work hard, and work with the public, and how you don鈥檛 get paid if you don鈥檛 work.鈥�
Hard work is no clich茅 for Chavez, who built his public service resume by taking an interest in issues.
It started in 2000 when he joined a group of local business people鈥攃alled Vision 2002鈥攖hat wanted to revitalize downtown Chowchilla. While his children were hip-deep in sports, Chavez volunteered to coach for Chowchilla鈥檚 Parks and Recreation Commission. He was eventually named commissioner.
Wanting more responsibility, Chavez applied for an appointment on the planning commission. He was not chosen, but then-acting mayor Ron Harris visited the bakery to encourage Chavez to run for City Council in 2006.
The older guard was on the way out, and Harris saw it as Chavez鈥檚 chance to grow as a public servant. Chavez told Harris he didn鈥檛 feel ready; he wanted to work with the planning commission first.
Harris said, 鈥淣o.鈥� Chavez said, 鈥淏ut I can鈥檛.鈥� Then Harris left and came back with the paperwork Chavez needed to declare himself a candidate.
鈥淗e pushed me, and I ran,鈥� Chavez said. 鈥淭hen I didn鈥檛 even know I鈥檇 won. I was in the bakery [when the results came in]. People were calling me at midnight yelling that I was the first Mexican city council member. They were more excited than me. I didn鈥檛 even really campaign. I figured if I was supposed to be there, I would be.鈥�
Chavez wants to eventually serve with the Madera County Board of Supervisors. He ran for a seat in June, but was not elected.
Chavez comes up for city council reelection in 2024, but remains eager for more responsibility.
鈥淚 want to do more for the city and the county,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檇 have more influence with a bigger budget [on the board of supervisors]. Right now I don鈥檛 think Chowchilla has enough communication with its county supervisor. If cities, schools and the county partner up where we can, we can get more done.鈥�