Susana A. Mendoza is currently serving her fifth term as State Representative from the 1st District of Illinois, which includes the Chicago communities of Little Village, Back of the Yards, Brighton Park and Gage Park.

Susana A. Mendoza graduated from Bolingbrook High School where she was coached by the legendary Mike Matkovich and earned All-State and All-Midwest honors in varsity soccer. She attended Northeast Missouri State University, (now Truman State University) on a soccer and academic scholarship, earning All-Midwest honors in soccer and a B.A. in Business Administration.

Susana A. Mendoza is regarded as a very effective legislator. In her first term, and as the youngest member of the General Assembly in 2001, she made history by having more bills signed into law than any other freshman of the 92nd General Assembly. Consequently, Mendoza has proved to be an aggressive leader in efforts to improve education, public health, public safety and living conditions for the people of Illinois and the community she serves. She serves on five House committees: Bio-technology (Vice-Chairperson); International Trade and Commerce (Chairperson); Labor; Public Utilities; and Railroad Industry.

Susana A. Mendoza has served as Co-Chairperson of the Conference of Women Legislators and twice served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention (DNC). She is also a co-founder of the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus, and in 2004, was named one of Chicago Crain’s Chicago Business Magazine “40 under 40”. As Chairman of the International Trade and Commerce Committee, Representative Mendoza has traveled to China, Turkey, Ireland, and El Salvador. She has traveled to Uganda and Tanzania as a member of the American Council of Young Political Leaders. The U.S. State Department has selected Representative Mendoza as part of its Professional Speaker s Program, in an effort to have her promote democracy and leadership in the countries of Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela and Chile. Most recently, Mendoza was selected by Robin Read, the President & CEO of the National Foundation for Women Legislators, at the behest of Secretary of State Hilary Clinton to be one of eight women chosen nationally to travel to Iraq where she monitored the Iraqi elections on March 7, 2010. Susana A. Mendoza also met with the tribal leaders and mentored Iraqi female candidates as part of her mission in Iraq.

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