Ed Chavez has a long history of public service and leadership in the Greater San Gabriel Valley. He was born and raised in the City of La Puente, the youngest of seven children. His father was a steelworker at Bethlehem Steel in the City of Vernon, and his mother was a technician with McDonnell Douglas Aircraft in the City of Long Beach and Monrovia. Both of his parents were born in the State of New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment. On his father’s side of the family, they are related to Dennis Chavez, the first Latino elected to the United States Senate from the State of New Mexico. U.S. Senator Chavez served our country honorably from 1935 (Roosevelt) through 1962 (Kennedy). Ed’s grandfather also served our country honorably as a member of the United States Army during World War I and moved to California during his retirement years. On his mother’s side of the family, they settled here in the Southwest of the United States around 1521, when the territory was known as New Spain.

Ed Chavez graduated from Bassett High School in the City of La Puente and later received an Associate of Arts degree from Rio Hondo College in the City of Whittier. He continued his formal education by earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and then a Single Subject Teaching Credential from Claremont Graduate University in the City of Claremont. In addition, he earned a Designated Subjects Adult Teaching Credential from California State University, Los Angeles, and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Phoenix.

Ed Chavez has spent most of his career as an educator, teaching over 20 subjects including, World History, U.S. History, Government, Economics, and Forensic Science: True Crimes. He has taught at Claremont High School, Pioneer High School, Bassett High School, Bassett Adult School, and several schools in the Hacienda-La Puente and Bassett Unified School Districts. He also taught for Mt. San Antonio College and retired from teaching after working several years with incarcerated adult male students in the Los Angeles County jails.

In addition to his service as an educator, Ed Chavez has served the San Gabriel Valley as a senior field representative for California State Assembly Member Sally Tanner and then as district coordinator for Assembly Member Martin Gallegos. In 2020, he was hired as the chief of staff to the Board of Supervisors for the County of San Bernardino, which is the largest geographical county in the continental United States.

At the age of 23, Ed Chavez became the youngest elected member of the Bassett Unified School District’s Board of Education. A year later, his colleagues appointed him president of the board. During his term in office, he is credited with raising academic standards throughout the district while lowering the high school dropout rate.

At the age of 26, Ed Chavez was elected to the La Puente City Council and served as mayor. He helped rid the city of crime, graffiti, and drugs by organizing community groups throughout the neighborhoods. With his leadership, he was able to seek funding for the city’s first senior citizens’ center, veterans’ monument, concerts in the park, and dial-a-ride programs. He was re-elected in 1994 and 1998.

In 2000, Ed Chavez was elected to the California State Assembly for the 57th District, where he served the maximum terms allowed under California’s term limits. In the State Assembly, he held several leadership positions, including serving as chairman for the following committees: Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism, and Internet Media Committee; Revenue and Taxation Committee; Veterans Affairs Committee; Assembly Select Committee on Indian Nations; and founder of the San Gabriel Valley Legislative Caucus. He was re-elected in 2002 and 2004.

In 2008, Ed Chavez was elected to the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District’s (Upper Water) Board of Directors. Upper Water is a wholesale water distributor and the largest water agency in the San Gabriel Valley, covering over 17 cities and just under 1 million residents. He has been appointed Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President, and President of the Board by his colleagues. He has also served on numerous boards and committees, including the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the San Gabriel Valley Water Quality Authority, and the Main San Gabriel Basin Watermaster. He was re-elected in 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024.

Ed continues to live in the same home he grew up in. His wife, Renee, is a healthcare provider who also served as a city council member and mayor of the City of La Puente. Their youngest son, Robert, is a graduate of the University of Colorado (B.A.) and California State University, Los Angeles (MBA).