About me
Irene Chavez is a public affairs professional, community leader, and advocate for economic opportunity who has spent her career working at the intersection of public service, small business development, and civic engagement. Most recently, she served as District Director for Congressman Greg Casar's 35th Congressional District, helping connect constituents with federal resources and advancing issues important to working families across Texas.
Chavez began her public service career as a college intern with the United Farm Workers AFL-CIO, organizing communities throughout California and advocating for workers and their families. She later became the inaugural Executive Director of the Maestro Entrepreneur Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, and small businesses. During her service with the City of San Antonio's Economic Development Department, she was recognized as one of the San Antonio Business Journal's 40 Under 40 Rising Stars and received both the Athena Young Professional Leadership Award and the SBA Small Business Champion of the Year Award for her leadership and commitment to economic development.
A lifelong believer in civic participation, Chavez has worked on major political campaigns, including those of San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and State Representative Trey Martinez Fischer, focusing on communications, volunteer engagement, and fundraising. She also participated in the 2022 Bexar County Coordinated Campaign and has served on numerous boards and advisory committees, including the District Attorney's Community Advisory Board, the City of San Antonio's SBEDA Committee, Parent Students Empowered, and the Northside ISD Parent Advisory Committee. She is a graduate of the inaugural Latina Leadership Program of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and an alumna of the LBJ Campaign School for Women at the University of Texas at Austin.
Most recently, Chavez completed a fellowship with Artists At Work, a program that uses the arts to strengthen civic engagement and community resilience. During the fellowship, she wrote Las Comadres de Morales Street, which was selected for production by the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center. Born in Corpus Christi and raised in South Texas, Chavez earned both her bachelor's degree in Speech Communications and her Master of Business Administration from St. Mary's University. Throughout her career, she has remained focused on strengthening communities, expanding opportunity, and ensuring more people have a voice in shaping their future. She is also the proud mother of three children.
