Rodriguez chosen to be Old Timers Day grand marshal
Madera Tribune File Photo
Max Rodriguez.
Madera County Supervisor Max Rodriguez has been chosen Grand Marshal for the 88th annual Old Timers Day parade on Sept. 28.
Rodriguez is a lifetime resident of Madera and four-term Supervisor representing Madera County’s 4th District, which primarily encompasses the east side of the City of Madera and the unincorporated communities of Parkwood and Parksdale.
Rodriguez was picked by Sunrise Rotary and the Madera Downtown Association, sponsors of the parade.
“I feel very humbled and honored to have been selected by the committee for this prestigious honor,” Rodriguez said. “But more importantly, I’m just glad to see the Old Timers Day Parade and tradition continues, thanks to good people of Madera Sunrise Rotary and Madera Downtown Association.”
Rodriguez was born and reared in Madera. As a lifelong resident of District 4, Rodriguez knows first-hand the challenges the community faces. He has devoted his public service career to improving the quality of life for working families in Madera County.
Rodriguez is a product of Madera High School where he graduated in 1958. He attended Fresno City College for a short period but, like many from his generation, he had no choice but to cut his studies short to help provide for his family by working in the fields. Not long after, he began to work for American Forest Products, better known as the North Fork Sawmill where he worked for 25 years. When the Sawmill closed in 1985, he went back to school to become a Farmers Insurance agent. He retired from the insurance business in 2008.
While employed at the sawmill, Rodriguez became the financial secretary and president for the Lumber and Sawmill Workers Union (Local 2762). In 1979 he was appointed to the Madera District Fair Board by then-Gov. Jerry Brown. He was also appointed to the Madera County Mosquito Abatement Board from 1982 to 2001. He served as a Madera County planning commissioner for a short period before he decided to run for the Board of Supervisors seat in 2003. He is a past member and vice-president of the Pan-American club, a former volunteer for the American Heart Association, and a past member of the Madera Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, New Hope Madera, and the NAACP Branch 1084.
He currently serves as the Chairman of First Five Commission, Madera County Transportation Commission, Local Agency Formation Commission, Tesoro Viejo Conservancy and spearheads the High Speed Rail Heavy Maintenance Facility task force.
Max and his wife, Sarah, live in the City of Madera. He is a member of St. Joachim Catholic Church. He enjoys spending time with his family, fishing, and camping.
