Nelida Mendoza was elected to the Board of Trustees in November 2012 for Trustee Area 3 (formerly District 1). She currently serves as chairperson of the Board Policy Committee, and member of the Board Legislative and Board Safety & Security Committees, and as representative to the Nominating Committee on School District Organization and the Orange County Legislative Task Force. Mendoza was born in Jalisco, Mexico, immigrated to the United States in 1965 and has been a resident of Santa Ana since then. She became a proud U.S. citizen while in the Army stationed at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. As a former paralegal with Orange County Department of Child Support Services, she managed a legal caseload of over 300 files. She prepared exhibits and witnesses for trial, analyzed existing case information, and researched pertinent case law. In addition, Mendoza researched and analyzed legislation affecting education, family support issues, and the paralegal profession. She retired from that position in January 2017. Previously, Mendoza served as Court Clerk for the Orange County Superior Court. In that role, she reviewed legal documents for accuracy, legal compliance, and filing. In earlier years, she served as a secretary in the City Manager's Office, then as a personnel clerk in the Human Resources Department for the City of Santa Ana. Mendoza is a U.S. Army veteran who served in the capacity of a Telephone Repair Linesperson and Administrative Specialist with the Signal Corps. She was honorably discharged as a Sergeant (E5). Her extensive community involvement includes membership in the Selective Service Board, Former Commander and current Public Relations Officer of United Mexican American Veterans Association, American GI Forum, Rudy Escalante Chapter, American Legion Post 132, American Veterans United, MANA de Orange County, Women in Leadership, and First President of Toastmasters International Local Chapter Tools2Lead. She also served as a member at large for the City of Santa Ana in the Environmental and Transportation Advisory Committee, chairperson of the Community Redevelopment and Housing Commission, community outreach chairperson for the Orange County Paralegal Association, and secretary of the West End Community Oriented Policing Board. She earned an A.A. in liberal arts, an A.A. in paralegal studies, and an A.A. in office technology from Santa Ana College. She holds a B.A. in sociology and a Master's in Public Administration from California State University, Fullerton. Mendoza also earned a Career Technical Education Teacher's Credential from the Orange County Department of Education In April 2014 Mendoza was celebrated as one of Assemblyman Tom Daly's Women of the Year recipients. The award honors her efforts and inspiration in community involvement in areas such as veterans' issues and higher education. Mendoza's motto and belief is to "educate for success," which is the reason her father immigrated his family to the United States. As a higher education advocate, she has instilled those values in her three adult children Joseph, Jonathan, and Marisa; all of whom have worked hard to earn their Bachelor's degree, respectively in the field of Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Sciences, and a Doctorate in Family Medicine. It is her vision that a college degree will be proudly displayed in every household within and beyond RSCCD boundaries and eventually in the entire state of California.
Vice President Mendoza can be reached by email.
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