GRANTS - Twenty-seven years ago Ida Chavez was offered a job at New Mexico State University-Grants after completing an Associate's degree in Occupational Business. She has been serving the college in various positions since that time and retires this month as vice-president for Business and Finance.

During her tenure at NMSU, Chavez received both pre-business and an associate of arts degrees. She also has had nine different titles in her career at the college. Her late husband, Eulogio Chavez, also worked on campus as head of the maintenance and custodial staff.

A graduate of Grants High School, Chavez went on to graduate from the Heights Beauty College. Following her wedding, she moved to Novato, Calif., where she worked at the beauty salon at Hamilton Air Force base, then set up her own business, Ida's Beauty Salon.

Then she and her husband moved back to Grants and went into business with her father at Jay's Liquors during the uranium boom.

With time on her hands, Ida decided to take an accounting class at NMSU-Grants, which led to a series of courses. The month before she eventually graduated, Chavez was offered a business position at the college and that started her career at the institution.

Through the years Chavez has been active in a variety of community groups including the Cibola Arts Council, the board of directors of Casa San Jose, the board of Good Samaritan Hospital and the board of St. Teresa's Catholic School.

She is currently a 12-year member of the Rotary Club, where she has served as president, and the vice-chair of the Cibola General Hospital board.

Chavez is the mother of three daughters and one son and ten grandchildren. Her daughter, Marlene Chavez-Toivanen, is program manager of the mathematics department and an associate professor at NMSU-Grants.

Another daughter, Inez Chavez-Valdez, is a teacher at Mesa View Elementary School.

In looking to her future, Chavez said, “I hope to practice in my daily life Rotary's objective of high ethical standards in business and the professions and the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations. The application of the ideal of service to our personal, business and community life and the advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.”

Chavez will be missed in the halls of the college.

“I hope to practice in my daily life Rotary's objective

of high ethicalstandards in business and the professions and the recognition of the worthiness

of all useful

occupations.”

— IDA CHAVEZ