Vanessa Chavez is a regional enrollment manager for IDEA Public Schools. She previously worked for the city as a district director in District 7, and as a senior management analyst for the Neighborhood Housing Services department.
Hear from the candidate
Please tell voters about yourself.
My name is Vanessa Bernadette Chavez and I have lived in San Antonio for 51 years. The youngest of seven children, raised by my father, a Korean War veteran, retired Kelly Air Force Base civil servant, and small business owner, alongside my stay-at-home mom, instilled in me the values of hard work, service, and community. I attended Henry De Osso Catholic School in District 6 (1977-1985), graduated from Providence High School in 1989, and earned a B.A., Criminal Justice from St. Edward’s University in 1994. I raised two amazing sons as a single mother, both college graduates, and I am also a proud breast cancer survivor.
Over a 30-year career in public service, I spent 20 years working with City of San Antonio Council offices and City departments. Additionally, I have worked with two congressmen and a state senator, and I’m committed to using my experience to serve District 6.
List any previous experience in government or participation on local boards, commissions, or neighborhood associations.
I have 30 years of experience in government roles at the municipal, state, and federal levels, with 20 years specifically spent with the City of San Antonio. I served in leadership roles across six City Council offices, contributing to budget development, providing policy input, overseeing constituent services, and managing bond projects.
In City departments, I helped with budget development, grant compliance, and provided essential services to residents, including overseeing housing and adult literacy programming.
During the pandemic, I worked with Neighborhood and Housing Services Department to disperse millions in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to San Antonio residents.
At the state and federal levels, I held roles supporting two congressmen and a state senator, managing constituent services and policy development. I have also served on the Literacy Services Commission and the Community Action Advisory Board. My experience reflects a strong commitment to public service and community impact.
In the city’s 2024-2025 budget survey, residents ranked homelessness, streets, housing and animal care services among their top concerns for the city to address. Which issues do you consider a top concern for District 6 and how would you work to address them in your first 100 days?
Since beginning block walking and meeting with residents in October 2024, I’ve learned that public safety, homelessness, and street conditions are their top concerns. In my first 100 days, I will focus on these issues.
Month 1: I will implement my ”Neighborhoods First” approach, prioritizing community needs and ensuring every dollar spent improves public safety, streets, homelessness, and overall quality of life. To accomplish this, I will open the District 6 field office on Saturdays, hosting neighborhood-by-neighborhood needs assessments through surveys and work sessions. I will implement regular attendance at neighborhood association and HOA meetings to hear firsthand the needs of the community. I will collaborate with SAPD to increase police patrols on a regular basis, neighborhood by neighborhood.
Month 2: I will continue conducting neighborhood needs assessments and prepare for the 2026 Budget, ensuring District 6 residents are informed about upcoming budget meetings and town halls, encouraging their participation.
Month 3: I will be ready with vital input from residents to make budget recommendations and continue advocating for District 6 priorities. I will work with the existing city structure to get these issues on the agenda, ensuring they are prioritized in the budget and addressed through policy improvements.
In a crowded field of council candidates, what differentiates you from the others?
What sets me apart is my 30 years of public service, including 20 years working for the City of San Antonio. I’ve built strong relationships with decision-makers across departments, allowing me to quickly resolve constituent issues and move projects forward faster. Due to my experience, I know how to navigate the city’s infrastructure and policy process—working with council committees, B-session work, and staff—allowing me to advance policy measures efficiently.
I’ve also contributed to the development of annual budgets in the billions and managed bond projects that improved the city’s infrastructure and services. Additionally, I bring verifiable experience at the state and federal levels, working with elected officials and agencies to address policy issues and advocate for constituents. This broad experience allows me to lead proactively and ensure residents’ needs are well-represented. My ability to cut through bureaucracy increases the volume of work we can get done for District 6.
If elected, how do you plan to solicit input and feedback from residents in your district?
To solicit input and feedback from residents in District 6, we will deploy a multi-layered approach that includes both electronic and hard copy surveys, QR codes, and flyer distribution. I will host neighborhood-by-neighborhood Saturday work sessions where residents can meet face-to-face to discuss their priorities. Regular attendance at Neighborhood Associations (NA) and Homeowners Associations (HOA) meetings will allow for the collection of feedback cards.
Additionally, we will proactively reach out to residents for service satisfaction through follow-up calls and conduct regular “secret shopping” to evaluate our service delivery.
We will also stratify outreach by age group, meeting younger residents where they are and appointing a specialist to focus on engaging this often underrepresented demographic. My vision is to create public value for constituent services by continuously refining our approach based on direct feedback. The District 6 mantra will be: “Tell us what you need, tell us if we fixed it.”
Read more about Vanessa Chavez
Crowded District 6 council race features energetic newcomers, City Hall veterans
