Cindy Chavez became executive director of Working Partnerships USA -- Silicon Valley's unique non-profit social change organization founded by labor, faith and community groups -- in 2009 after eight years' service on the San Jose City Council, including two as vice mayor.
At Working Partnerships she has focused on developing and advocating for policies that address racial and economic injustice. Under her leadership the organization has added safety training for low-wage workers to its menu of leadership development programs, begun crafting health policies designed to address obesity-related conditions that disproportionately affect the poor in Santa Clara County and reinvigorated Working Partnerships' government accountability work by making its community budget training programs more widely available.
Her career has been marked by an ability to build collaborations that create innovative policy. On City Council she led efforts to strengthen neighborhoods by focusing on crime, education, small business development and neighborhood revitalization.
After her time on the City Council, Chavez founded and was principal of California Leadership Services, offering clients comprehensive and diversified consulting services issues such as government relations, organizational development and nonprofit management.
Chavez has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors including Leader in Residence at her alma mater, San Jose State University; a research fellowship with the University of California, Santa Cruz's Center for Global International & Regional Studies; Silicon Valley Business Journal's Influential Women in Business, 2004; Martin Luther King Jr., Freedom Award, 2002; Silicon Valley Woman of Achievement, 1997; Outstanding Women of Silicon Valley, 1996; Blue Cross of California Achievement Award, 2006; City Year, Team Hero and Moccasin Awards, 2003, 2004; Housing Backbone Award from the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, 2005. She has served on numerous non-profit boards and is a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum.
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