Judy has spent the majority of her life living and working in District 9. After graduating from North High School, she went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Adams State College and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Denver. She was elected to represent District 9 – one of the City’s most diverse districts – in June 2003, and re-elected to a second term in May 2007.
In her first term, Judy carried one of the heaviest loads of committee work of any Council member. Her committee assignments for 2010 are:
· Landuse Transportation and Infrastructure (co-Chair)
· Health, Safety, Education and Service (member)
She convened a Telecommunication Task Force in 2004, resulting in zoning amendments to protect neighborhoods from unwanted cell-tower construction.
Judy has been in public service for more than 20 years. For 10 years beginning in the late 1980s, she served as council aide to Denver City Councilwoman Deborah Ortega. In 1997, Mayor Wellington Webb appointed Judy to the position of Public Information Officer for the Denver Parks and Recreation Department and City Council Liasion. She served in that capacity until her election to City Council.
Outside of her employment, Judy has always been active in the community. She has volunteered for many local, state, and national campaigns and organized a number of community events, including special events for inner city youth. She was also a volunteer ski instructor for the Winter Park Handicapped Ski Program. In the early 90′s, she was a founding member of the first Colorado organization for Hispanic journalists, the Colorado Hispanic Media Association. Other community service:
1990 President, Colorado Hispanic Media Association
1981-2001 Colorado Press Association
1990 Denver Women’s Commission
2008 Denver Union Station Project Authority
2008 Board of Trustees for Winter Park Trust
2003 – present, Member, National Association of Latino Elected Officials
Awards
1985 Outstanding Youth Advocate Award, Mayors Commission on Youth
1978 Edith Davis Award for Outstanding Research of Hispanics in the Southwest, University of Denver
2004 Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Gates Fellow
2010 Spirit of Tlatelcoco 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award
2010 Women of Distinction Award , Girl Scouts of Colorado
2010 Civil Rights Award, NEWSED
Judy is happily married to former State Representative Nolbert Chavez. They have an 10-year-old daughter, Hope. Also, a 2 year old black lab mix named Stella.
