‘The quintessential volunteer’

Debi Stalions is the office manager at a tire shop, but she comes to work each day dressed to the nines, curly blonde hair in place, makeup and jewelry on. She could pass for a bank manager.

There’s a reason for the classy look: A day rarely goes by when she doesn’t have a meeting or some other event to attend, and she doesn’t want to have to run home and change clothes. She is, in the words of county Supervisor Jane Dolan, “the quintessential volunteer.”

She and her husband, Steve, own and operate Commercial Tire Warehouse, in Chico. They have a 17-year-old son, Cody, who’s a senior at Chico High School. For as long as he’s been in school, his mom’s been involved in school activities—three years as PTA president at Emma Wilson Elementary, two years as president at Chico Junior High, and now four years as president of the PTSA at Chico High School.

Leading the PTSA is only the beginning. She’s also a nine-year member of the board of the PTA’s 13th District, which stretches to the Oregon border; parent rep to school board meetings; member of the CHS administrative council; lead organizer of its Safe and Sober Graduation party each year; a leader in teacher recognition and student scholarship efforts; PTSA rep to the Avenues neighborhood planning process—the list goes on.

Here’s what Dolan wrote about Stalions in nominating her as a local hero:

“She organizes, helps, and continues to go beyond what most parents do. She isn’t just the PTA volunteer, she becomes the leader. She keeps lists, makes all (truly all) the phone calls that are ever needed, writes newsletters, helps new parents, does orientation, makes cookies and even whole meals for teachers, organizes all the extra stuff needed for Back to School Night.”

Then, after providing all this help, Dolan says, Stalions “writes thank-you notes to those she has helped.”

“She’s at every dance, every football game, every basketball game, selling tickets or helping any way she can,” said Jim Hanlon, Chico High’s principal. “She’s just such a positive influence.”

He admits he is worried about what it going to happen when Cody graduates and Stalions steps down as PTSA president. “It’ll take 10 people to replace her,” he said. “I’m going to miss her a lot.”

Why does she do it? Dolan and Hanlon say it’s because she has a big heart and just loves to help others.

Stalions says it’s because she’s “selfish"—"I enjoy it,” she explained. “I love kids. If I had to do it over, I’d probably have been a teacher.”