Choco is the daughter of Alfonso and Josefa G. Gonzalez and the youngest of five children.  Her brothers Victor, Robert, and sister Elva G. Benavidez live in Eagle Pass; her other brother Poncho lives in Irving, Texas.  The family grew up in Uvalde and relocated to Eagle Pass, Texas, where she graduated from high school in 1971. Choco moved to San Antonio to enroll at St. Mary’s University where she earned a degree in Physical Education and a minor in Political Science.  While at St. Mary's University, Choco worked for Dr. Charles Cotrell in the Political Science department.  Dr. Cotrell now serves as President of St. Mary's University.

While at St. Mary’s, Choco was part of the Project Best Program, where college students were placed at various high schools to act as assistant student teachers.  Choco's placement was Memorial High School, where she met and later married Daniel S. Meza, her husband of 36 years.   Daniel is a school administrator, a Home Team Realtor, and a longtime Democratic Party activist.  Daniel and Choco have two children, Danny, Ivalis and a son-in-law, Manuel Gonzalez.  

Danny is an attorney working in Washington, DC as an Obama political appointee at the Department of Commerce and Ivalis Meza Gonzalez, is a first year law student at St. Mary’s University.  Ivalis is married to Manuel Gonzalez, a quality engineer and supervisor working for Avanzar, a  local partner of Johnson Controls and a minority supplier for Toyota. Manuel is planning to enroll in the MBA graduate program at UTSA. 

Choco’s Professional Background

After graduating from St. Mary's, Choco began her professional career as the Research Director of Southwest Voter Registration and Education under the leadership of Willie Velasquez.  During her four year tenure, Choco was responsible for:  

• Developing voter registration data profiles for voter registration projects throughout the southwestern United States.

• In 1978 Choco drew the very first county commissioner redistricting plan in Sonora, Texas. Sonora like many other Texas counties had not been redistricted since the early 1900's.  From 1978 to 1981, Choco's redistricting work was throughout Texas and extended to Arizona. 

• In 1980, Choco authored the impact of the Latino Vote in the 1980 Presidential Election, which encompassed voter turnout data from the five southwestern states and an additional five states with growing Latino populations.  

• Her interest in the structure of political parties led her to develop a step by step manual on the delegate selection process.  Choco conducted workshops throughout Texas from 1978 to 1980 to increase the participation of voters in their pct conventions.  Most recently, she trained over 1,000 voters from Bexar and thirty two surrounding counties for the precinct convention of the 2008 Presidential race. 

From 1981 through 1992 Choco worked at Texas Rural Legal Aid and four Texas legislators in developing  the 1980 legislative and congressional redistricting plans; served as the Executive Director of the YWCA of San Antonio for seven years before becoming the Executive Director of Partnership for Hope.  In 1992, Choco was tapped to join Henry G. Cisneros, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, under the administration of President Bill Clinton.  At HUD, Choco served a brief period as Special Assistant to the Secretary for Public Liaison before being named Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs until 1996.  After returning to San Antonio, Choco served as Senior Vice President of the San Antonio Housing Authority for two years before beginning a real estate career at RE/MAX Associates.  During her seven years as a realtor, Choco was recognized as a "100% Top Producing Agent" every year.  Since 2005 Choco has served as a consultant and President of American Sunrise, a non-profit community building organization.

Choco’s Political Activities

• Over 30 years of Democratic Party activities which includes volunteering in political campaigns at the city, county, state, and national level in various leadership roles, including fundraising. 

• Attended 1980 National Democratic Convention in support of Senator Ted Kennedy and in 2008 in support of President Barack Obama.

• Appointed  to the Governor’s Commission on the Status of Women in 1991 by Governor Ann Richards. 

• Since 1978, Choco has served as a pct convention officer, participated in standing committees at Senatorial Conventions in Districts 19 and 25, and at Texas Democratic Conventions.  Her participation has been primarily in the credentials and tabulations committees. In 2008 she was elected Delegation Chair of Senatorial District 25.

• In 2008, Choco was elected to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) at the Texas State Convention in Austin.  She is a member of:  the Southern DNC Caucus, Women’s DNC Caucus, Hispanic DNC Caucus and recently elected Chair of the Southern Region of the Hispanic DNC Caucus.

• Choco and Daniel are "Majority Builders of the Texas Democratic Party"

• In Bexar County, Choco is a member of the Northeast Bexar County Democrats, San Antonio Stonewall Democrats, Alamo City Democrats. Northwest Democrats, and plans to join and support every Democratic Party club in Bexar County.