Juan Mendez grew up in East Palo Alto, where he attended Ravenswood District Schools before graduating from Phoenix Academy. Mendez joined the Nuestra Casa board in 2020 because of his commitment to issues that affect our community—affordable housing, financial literacy, sustainable communities, and high-quality education. No stranger to nonprofits, Mendez has worked in various roles at One East Palo Alto, Rising Sun Energy Center, and Attitudinal Healing Connection. Mendez firmly believes that nonprofit organizations like Nuestra Casa are the backbone to the success of many cities.

Mendez returned to East Palo Alto after graduating college. During the past few years, he’s demonstrated a significant commitment to his community by running for City Council and currently serves as a Planning Commissioner for the City of East Palo Alto.

Mendez is a proud first-generation college graduate from the University of California Berkeley, with a B.S in Legal Studies and a minor in Public Policy. He is currently studying for his Masters in City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning at San José State University. He mentors college students in his spare time, enjoys reading, trips to the beach, and spending time with his family. Connect with Juan on LinkedIn.