Newsroom | From Farm Fields to the Mayor’s Office, Roots Go Deep for Tolleson Mayor

MAG News

He grew up picking vegetables in the farm fields of Arizona. Those agrarian roots helped shape Tolleson Mayor Juan Rodriguez’s work ethic, his love of the land, and above all, an integral understanding of community stewardship.

Juan Rodriguez plants seeds for the future, both literally and figuratively

He grew up picking vegetables in the farm fields of Arizona. Those agrarian roots helped shape Tolleson Mayor Juan Rodriguez’s work ethic, his love of the land, and above all, an integral understanding of community stewardship. 

The last was a legacy from his parents, who managed work crews with an extraordinary blend of humanity and compassion.

“They were what we call crew bosses. When you're out in the field, you basically have a crew of 30 to 40 employees, and so they would manage these teams. And many times, there were folks from California, many times they were folks from different ethnic backgrounds. They were folks who, quite frankly, just got here,” says Mayor Rodriguez, who related how his mother would bring food and water to new families until they received their first paycheck. Through their actions, they emphasized teamwork, mutual respect, and collective responsibility.

“And my mom and dad made it a point to go out there and talk to them and get their story, but more importantly, to figure out what their needs were. So, whether it was hydration or whether it was some food or just listening to their story and helping them find somewhere they can rent a house, you name it. They were always in the business of trying to make their lives better. And I took a very big dose of that as a child and I'm glad I did, because I think it has really led me to the person that I am today.”

Transportation, Economic Development Are Key Priorities

Mayor Rodriguez says his top priorities include working to ensure ongoing transportation improvements as a driving factor in economic growth.

“Transportation is a pivotal match to start a fire of job creation, and job creation has a direct link to financial prosperity for our state, and to every city and every county in our region. So, when you have the infrastructure funded and then you build it, every freeway exit, every major corridor, serves as a starting point for a new enterprise, a new opportunity,” he says.

Transportation has become even more important as Tolleson’s urban identity evolves. 

“We've definitely changed from an agricultural-based community to more of a logistics city. We have many warehouses here. Our population is between 7,000 and 8,000 people at night, but during the daytime, we can peak up into the mid-forties,” says Rodriguez, noting many Fortune 500 companies now use Tolleson as their warehousing hub for the Southwestern United States. 

We have become a regional employment base for all of the West Valley cities and including West Phoenix. And we're very proud of that. Putting people to work is still very much in our DNA. It may not be picking vegetables, but it may be picking products to put behind a diesel to get them into the next store and to customers throughout the entire Southwest.
 
Avondale Mayor Juan Rodriguez

Juan RodriguezTolleson Mayor

Local Initiatives and New Public Facilities  

In Tolleson, Mayor Rodriguez says he works with his fellow City Council members and city management to establish planning and zoning regulations, balance the annual budget, create targeted strategic economic development initiatives, and develop “progressive employee retention plans through competitive market analysis.”

Other initiatives include attracting new commercial developments, forming a comprehensive housing revitalization program, constructing new public safety facilities, and fully renovating the Tolleson Parks and Recreation Center, including a new aquatic center. But he says his greatest accomplishment to date is construction of a new city hall – a promise Mayor Rodriquez made to constituents when he first ran for office.

“We haven't had a new city hall since the 1950s. And if you ever walked in it, you would know it was built in the 1950s. Our jail was literally a room that used to be a storage room that we put people in. It was not a good situation. We said, ‘we are going to build a new city hall, and the core of its element is going to be serving our community,’” says the mayor. “It's a city hall with a purpose, that had the residents in mind since its inception… we wanted to make it a resource where people can come here, conduct business with the city, but also be able to walk away with a book or go sign up for a senior program, do chair aerobics, or just spend time with staff in an environment that is very free flowing and very inviting to them.”

During a recent interview at the new city hall, Mayor Rodriguez pointed to a mural on the wall behind him, which depicts a young boy in an onion field, with the plants representing six key values: tradition, compassion, history, community, resilience, and mentorship.

Boy in the Field Mural

"Boy in the Field" mural is on the wall in the new Tolleson Civic Center.

“Each plant represents a different priority for our organization here locally,” says Mayor Rodriguez. “It's what we do.” 

An Arborist and Administrator

Mayor Rodriguez attended Arizona State University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in History and in Political Science and later received a Master of Public Administration. In 1998, he began his career with the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department, where he continues his full-time job as a supervisor. He holds a Certified Playground Safety Inspector credential from the National Playground Safety Institute, and he is a Certified Arborist through the International Society of Arboriculture. Every year he participates in planting trees for Arbor Day. 

Mayor Rodriguez prepares to plant a tree on Arbor Day with the help of Tolleson residents

Mayor Rodriguez plants a tree on Arbor Day with the help of Tolleson residents.

“I'm in the business of beautifying parks and making them places where people can come and enjoy and share in experience with their families or neighbors. And to me, a park without trees, a park without grass, a park without bushes and ground cover is not really a park. There’s got to be a connection to nature. And I've always felt that the strongest connection that we can make to nature is a tree.”

Connecting Past, Present, and Lessons Learned

Balancing his mayoral duties with a full-time job – in addition to being a father of three – can be challenging.

“I’ve tried to involve my family as much as I can when it comes to my official capacity here as mayor. If we have a grand opening, my kids are there. If we have a festival and I have to get on stage, my wife and my kids are there as well. If we have a parade, they're with me. If they're not in the parade audience, they're on the float with me.”

Ultimately, Mayor Rodriguez hopes to pass on the deep-rooted belief in the power of community instilled in him by his parents, and the importance of treating everyone with kindness and respect.

“Instead of just serving ourselves, serving the people around us. And I think once you learn that, it's the best service you can give yourself – knowing that you made a difference in somebody else's life. It's a very, very critical part of being a human being, and being part of the collective experience,” says Mayor Rodriguez. “And I think that's what motivates me and that's what I want my kids to remember about me, that Dad made a difference. From sunup to sundown, he went out and he helped others and he made things better.”
 

Published June 28, 2024