MADERA – Madera Sunrise Rotary in collaboration with the Madera Downtown Association has selected Max Rodriguez as this year’s Grand Marshal for the 88th Annual Old Timers’ Day Parade. 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.
“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 the tradition continues thanks to good people of Madera Sunrise Rotary and Madera Downtown Association.”
Rodriguez was born and raised in Madera, California. 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 industry 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-Governor 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 where they raised their three children. Mr. Rodriguez also has another daughter from a previous relationship. He is a member of St. Joachim's Catholic Church. He enjoys spending time with his family, fishing, and camping.
One of Madera’s longest running events, the Madera Old Timers Day Parade is organized by the Madera Downtown Association. The parade kicks off at 10:00 a.m. on September 28, 2019, from Flume and East Yosemite Avenue and continues to Courthouse Park on West Yosemite Avenue. Following the parade join the community at Courthouse Park for the Old Timer’s Day Celebration hosted by the Madera County Historical Society. Food, crafts, and much more.
