Nelba Chavez

Biography

Dr. Chavez began her career as a probation officer in Tucson, orienting her work toward helping children and families. She earned a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) from UCLA, during which time she was involved in the Chicano/a Movement, including participating in the 1968 high school blowouts and the Chicano Moratorium. In 1968, upon returning to Tucson, Chavez and her like-minded peers co-founded La Frontera Center, the first mental health center committed to explicitly providing services to economically disadvantaged and culturally diverse populations of Tucson. She was the first Latina to lead a federal public health agency in the 200 year history of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services when then President Bill Clinton appointed Chavez the first Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in 1994. In that capacity, she focused her efforts on programs that benefited women and children and communities of color. After returning to Arizona, she accepted the position as Deputy Director of Programs for the state’s Department of Economic Security by Governor Janet Napolitano.