Andres Chagolla is serving as Maricopa County's Small Business Enterprise Manager. He is charged with facilitating County procurements and promoting growth for the small business community. Some of his early recollections, which include roots of entrepreneurialism, follow:

I recall one of Peoria's first fast-food burger joints named Hensleys. It was a family-owned business, which was housed in a miniature, log cabin-like edifice on the corner of Monroe and Grand Avenue near downtown Peoria .  Its existence is significant not only because the burgers were so tasty, but also because my Abuelitos (grandparents) would purchase a couple-dozen, at least weekly. Hensleys would wrap the burgers in mustard-colored paper, placing each half-dozen order in a rectangular-shaped, white, flexible paper box.  My uncles, my two brothers, and I would buck bales of hay for Abuelito's hay-hauling business every summer.  When working at various farms in Peoria and communities throughout the Southwest, Grandma and Grandpa would drive up in their favorite El Camino, carrying a few of those white boxes accompanied with a few cold drinks. I looked forward to those boxes from ages 10-18.  Unfortunately, Hensleys closed down before I graduated from high school, and sometimes I wonder if it ever logged memories elsewhere.  Nevertheless, I will always remember how much my Abuelitos loved us, and how much they expressed their appreciation for our work.  To this day, whenever I see log cabins, mustard-colored wrapping, white, rectangular-shaped boxes, stacks of hay, or I inhale the distinct smell of a dairy farm, I am reminded of the fruitage of hard labor, close family ties,  the challenges of running a small family business, and the love garnered from my parents and Abuelitos.

As a native of  Maricopa County and the West Valley , Andres was afforded the opportunity to work under the Valley of the Sun's infamous sunlight and heat by way of his Abuelito's entrepreneurial spirit. He realized that his parents and Abuelitos had executed a plan, which served a grand purpose - it convinced him to choose a different way of earning a buck other than having to buck hay.  Hard labor induced Andres to attend evening college courses for many years; subsequently, he earned a BA in Integrative Studies/International Business from Arizona State University , and he is currently undertaking a Masters in Business Administration. He has earned a good ole buck from stints in the airline industry, the public school/public service sectors, the electric utility industry, the domestic engineering industry, and the IT industry, while moonlighting in graphics, marketing, and writing for the fun of it.

In addition, he has volunteered his time to mental health and disability issues, multicultural enrichment activities, religious activities, and a myriad of community service initiatives.

He looks forward to working with the small business community, and he enjoys the challenge of meeting the goals set before MCbiz by Maricopa County's Board of Supervisors.