Anna's Full Biography
As one of the world's top experts on women's leadership, youth development, and aging, Anna Maria Chávez is a dedicated advocate for helping others across every stage of life. With 25 years of public service and non-profit leadership experience, Chávez is passionate about teaching the value of teamwork, inclusion and diversity, resiliency, strong leadership and self-motivation. Her keen insights and dynamic presentations have inspired thousands of individuals and organizations to lead authentically, work more collaboratively, and create dynamic impact.
Chávez was named one of FORTUNE’s World’s Greatest Leaders (2016) and honored as one of the most creative people in business by Fast Company (2014). And in 2021, she was named one of the top 50 Over 50 Women leaders by Forbes Magazine. She has been inducted into the U.S. News & World Report’s STEM Leadership Hall of Fame. Recognized for her work supporting and empowering Hispanic communities, Chávez was the recipient of the 2013 Excellence in Community Service Award from the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, as well as the 2013 Graciela Olivarez La Raza Award from UnidosUS (formerly the National Council of La Raza). She is also a member of the National Board of Directors for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
In April 2017, Chávez joined the National Council on Aging (NCOA), our nation’s oldest advocacy organization dedicated to helping Americans navigate the challenges of aging, as their chief strategy officer and senior vice president of external affairs. Less than a year later, Chávez was promoted to the leadership role of NCOA's Executive Vice President and Chief Growth Officer where she was responsible for the day-to-day operations of NCOA and led the national team in advancing the organization’s mission to improve the health and economic security of 10 million older adults by 2020. She was ultimately appointed to serve as NCOA’s Interim President and Chief Executive Officer.
On June 1, 2020, Chávez became the Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer of the National School Boards Association (NSBA) and served as an ex-officio director on its Board of Directors.
Then in July 2021, Encantos, the storyteaching platform connecting creators with kids to inspire them to learn 21st-century skills, appointed Chávez to the newly created position of Chief Impact Officer (CIO). As CIO, Anna María will develop, lead and implement Encantos’ impact strategy and initiatives including strategic partnerships, corporate and public affairs, and community impact activities. In addition, Chávez will become the President of Encantos.org, a new non-profit focused on advancing the understanding of the importance of 21st-century learning, literacy, and life skills for children through the development of research, programs, and fellowships.
Chávez brings over 25 years of extensive experience in education, government and non-profit organizational leadership and management, including growing businesses, building corporate and non-profit partnerships, and advocating for children and under-served populations with federal and state legislators.
Chávez’s best advice for supercharging your career after 50 is to not let fear be a barrier from making a change. “As women, we spend too much of our life before turning 50 being afraid of being criticized or having people disparage our decisions. If you’ve dreamed of opening your own business or going back to school to get a divinity degree, do it now,” she says. “Trust yourself and every lesson you have learned in your first five decades of life.” “If you haven’t loved the first decades of your career, Chávez says to pivot your role or make a complete career change so you spend the next five decades doing something you love.” The Forbes 50 Over 50 Share Their Best Advice For Supercharging Your Career After 50
From 2011-16, Chávez was the first woman of color to lead the iconic Girl Scouts of the USA, where she helped bring the 104-year-old institution into the future with an historic girl-centric organizational redesign. Additionally, she instilled a focus on teaching girls about technology and social entrepreneurship, including adding new badges in fields like financial literacy and STEM education.
Chávez’s personal experiences growing up in rural Arizona drove the passion for the public service and social engagement that have defined her educational and career paths. It was these interests in serving others which brought her first to Washington D.C., where she held numerous posts in President Clinton’s administration, including senior policy advisor to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater and Small Business Administration Administrator Aida Alvarez. Chávez later returned to Arizona to serve as deputy chief of staff for urban relations and community development under Governor Janet Napolitano. In that role, she launched the governor’s Aging 2020 initiative and created the Arizona Division of Aging and Adult Services.
Lauded for her leadership, Anna received the 2013 Law College Association Award and a 2014 honorary Doctors of Laws degree from her law school alma mater, the University of Arizona. She has been recognized as one of the 100 Women Leaders in STEM by STEMconnector and in 2016, Anna was inducted into the U.S. News & World Report’s STEM Leadership Hall of Fame.
Chavez has appeared on top national news outlets including CBS News, NBC’s The Today Show, FOX News Channel, CNBC, CNN, and NPR.
Chávez earned a bachelor's degree from Yale University and a juris doctorate at the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona. She has been admitted to the Bar of the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, the Arizona Supreme Court, and the U.S. Supreme Court.