When Nellie Zavala was first asked if she’d be willing to serve as the Grand Marshal for the annual City of Lathrop Christmas Parade several years ago, she declined.
And she almost did the same this year when the longtime Lathrop resident – who moved to the community in 1967 – was once again asked if she’d be willing to accept the honor.
But, the retired social worker and former Manteca Unified School Board Trustee said, declining wouldn’t have done much good.
“I knew they would have just asked me again,” Zavala said with a laugh. “In all seriousness, it’s a tremendous honor and I’m proud to accept it because I love Lathrop and the people of Lathrop and events like these are a way to bring everybody together.
“I felt very honored and very humbled when they asked me to do this. All I ever wanted to do was help my community, and to have somebody recognize you for that means the world.”
And help her community she has.
After more than 50 years in Lathrop, there isn’t much that Zavala hasn’t had a hand in when it comes to being involved with the community.
As the founder and President of the Lathrop Women’s Community Club, Zavala was instrumental in creating a scholarship fund for Lathrop students that were graduating from high school, and she served as the Chairperson for the East Union High School Band Boosters as well.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in human services from the University of the Pacific, from which she graduated Magna Cum Laude, and she obtained a Master’s Degree in social work from CSU Stanislaus in 1999.
From 1998 through 2002 Zavala was a trustee for the Manteca Unified Board of Education, serving as president for her last two years, and she spent seven years on the City of Lathrop’s Senior Advisory Commission from 2010 through 2016.
Since 2013, Zavala has been the city’s representative on the San Joaquin County Commission on Aging – reporting back to the city council after every meeting.
All of those efforts were in addition to raising her four sons and spending her career as a social worker in San Joaquin County – working in the foster care system, serving Hispanic families as an outreach worker for El Concilio. She would end her career with Hospice of San Joaquin. 
Zavala has been honored in the past by the Lathrop City Council as Woman of the Year, and in 2008 was inducted into the Mexican-American Hall of Fame.
“I just really love helping people, and that’s one the things that I love about Lathrop – it’s peaceful and it’s quiet and people are willing to step up and help their neighbor or even people they don’t even know,” Zavala said. “I retired seven years ago and I knew that I wanted to volunteer more and serve the residents of Lathrop because this city has been good to me and my family.
“I joked about not wanting the honor of being the Grand Marshal, but it’s something that means a lot to me considering how much I care for this community.”
The annual City of Lathrop Christmas Parade will be held on Saturday, Dec. 9, starting at 11 a.m. at the corner of 5th and J Street. The parade will travel down 5th Street before turning right on Thomsen Street, continue up Thomsen before turning right on Cambridge Drive, and move up Cambridge Drive before turning onto J Street and continuing back to the intersection with 5th Street. All of those roadways will be closed from just before the start of the parade until after the parade concludes.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.