Faces of Clovis: Debbie Juarez

Debbie Juarez, Customer Service Supervisor at Sierra Vista Mall (Leticia Madrigal/Clovis Roundup)

JOURNEY TO CLOVIS: “My husband and I are from San Luis Obispo, we moved to Clovis to be near my mom in 1991. I have a bachelor’s [degree] in physical education and recreation administration – I concentrated on therapeutic programs for developmentally disabled. I also did a paralegal certificate before I moved here and worked for the superior court in SLO. When I moved to Clovis, I went right back into retail.”

FAMILY: “Both of our parents have passed at this point. We were near his parents and part of his family over on the coast. I have a stepdaughter who is married and still lives in SLO, and a grandson.”

PLACE OF BIRTH: Bakersfield, California

FIRST JOB: “My first job was retail in a men’s golf clothing store. I was a freshman in high school.”

OCCUPATION: Juarez is the customer service supervisor at Sierra Vista Mall and a Mary Kay beauty consultant. She has over 30 years of retail management experience.

“I’ve previously managed the Anchor Blue [amongst other retail stores] and I am a Clovis person so this is all near and dear to my heart. I’ve had major surgeries and could no longer do what I was doing before. This position came up and it’s absolutely perfectly suited for me because it is everything that I love – it really is. I get to talk to people, I direct people, I solve problems for people. This is just the cream of the crop of what I have always done.”

FAVORITE FOOD: “Mexican, absolutely. I had albondigas [traditional meatball soup] when I was in a high chair, so it’s just been my food for my entire lifetime. I could eat it 24/7. I eat Mexican food often.”

FAVORITE MOVIE: “‘Devil Wears Prada.’ It’s just so cute and so fiesty – and it’s actually about a real person. It’s a really fun movie.”

FAVORITE BOOK/AUTHOR: “The Bible, it’s centering. In my life I put God first, family second and career third. If you take Him as a partner in everything you do, it makes life so much more joyful.”

HOBBIES/LEISURELY PURSUITS: “One of my biggest hobbies for many years has been horses, I am an equestrian. With the major surgeries I had, I was not recommended to go back to riding because I could have a much bigger injury if I fall. But, because it is a deeply embedded love of my life, I have been riding twice recently. So I’m back on the horse and really enjoying that. I’m also learning how to show dogs.”

INTERESTING FACTS: “I was a ballet dancer from when I was six years old to 39. I performed and danced for 33 years, which was the cause of all the major surgeries. I taught and competed in ballroom dancing when I was much younger.”

FAVORITE THING ABOUT SIERRA VISTA MALL: “I really enjoy being the ambassador for the mall and [help] people get to where they need to be. All of the interaction with people is really fun for me.”

FAVORITE THING ABOUT CLOVIS: “I love Clovis. I love all of the shopping that’s available. We have so many exciting things here on our property, indoors and outdoors. We have all of our concerts [Sierra Nights Live] that we do May through July – that’s a lot of fun. Clovis Rodeo is a huge thing for me. I get excited just seeing the big trucks rolling in.”