PHOENIX — For Anna María Chávez, CEO and President of Arizona Community Foundation, her life of service started during her childhood.
"Volunteerism was a mandate. Meaning, I don't even think we talked about it. I don't think the world volunteer came out. It was just an assumption. That's what you did either after school, and normally every Saturday and every Sunday after church we were doing something in the community," Chávez told ABC15 during a sit-down interview.
She grew up in Eloy where her parents were heavily involved in the community.
"My parents were just calm, wise, and neutral. Their kitchen table, I say, is Switzerland. You know, they knew regardless of an issue that was coming up in our community, my parents had the wherewithal to bring all parties to the table to have a thoughtful conversation and drive to a solution," Chávez explained.
That foundation fed into her desire to help others. It was also fueled by her abuela who built her self-belief.
"My grandmother was always constantly sitting me doing, telling me, 'Anna María, anything is possible. It just takes hard work. It takes grit and persistence. Don't let anybody sort of put titles on you or you know, put barriers in your way,'" said Chávez.
Anna María's determination and drive would lead her to attend Yale University.
After law school, she went to work in Washington, D.C. under the Clinton Administration as a policy advisor for the Transportation Secretary and Small Business Administration.
However, when the opportunity to return home finally came, she couldn't pass it up.
"So, after Washington, I actually got called back to Arizona by Republican Governor Jane Hull. She was looking for in-house counsel and chief procurement officer for her largest state agency," Chávez recalled.
This later led to her working for Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano. But perhaps her biggest calling was becoming the first woman of color to lead the Girl Scouts of America.
"The Girl Scouts at the time were 94 countries in the world, and I got to go from China to Germany, all over just talking about the importance of investing in children, and how, regardless of where they start and what zip code they live in, that they're worth that investment," said Chávez.
In 2016, she was recognized as one of the world's 50 greatest leaders by Fortune Magazine.
"I was stunned. I was overwhelmed. I was incredulous. I was like, Why me? And then I sat back, and I thought to myself, I was thankful that they recognized somebody who had given their career to public service," said Chávez.
That commitment to public service continues today, where Anna María oversees Arizona's largest nonprofit.
"Sometimes people would say we're the best-kept secret because we are a humble brand. We like to be behind the scenes. Because really for us, our customer is the donor. The customer is that nonprofit who has an endowment here that we're helping them to grow so that nonprofits can continue to serve generations of Arizonans," Chávez explained.
It's a personal mission of leadership that has come from decades of breaking glass ceilings.
When asked how important it is to set up the stage and leave a path for others, Chávez replied, "It's so, so important. I say, you know, I always if I've had to be first in many of my roles, and so my goal is not only to go first, I literally get something and I prop the door behind me, and I've done that in every single role I've had."
To learn more about Anna María Chávez and the Arizona Community Foundation visit their website.
