Orange County Water District Welcomes Newly Appointed Director Nelida Mendoza

Nelida Mendoza was recently appointed to the Orange County Water District (OCWD, the District) Board of Directors by the Santa Ana City Council to represent Division 8, the city of Santa Ana. Mendoza replaces former President Vicente Sarmiento who served on OCWD’s board for six years.

“I am honored to represent the residents and businesses of Santa Ana,” said Director Mendoza. “Water sustains our communities and our economy, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to continue the important work of OCWD.”

Mendoza was elected in May 2020 to a four-year term on the Santa Ana City Council. She previously served as trustee on the Rancho Santiago Community College District and was a former Orange County Sanitation District board member. Director Mendoza also served our country as a sergeant in the US Army Signal Corps. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in sociology, a Master's in public administration and a Teacher's Credential from the Orange County Department of Education.

“It is my privilege to welcome Nelida Mendoza to the OCWD Board of Directors,” said President Stephen R. Sheldon. “Her experience and leadership will aid us as we continue to advance the District’s mission to provide a high quality, reliable water supply for the 2.5 million people we serve.”

Mendoza has been a resident of Santa Ana since the 1960s when she immigrated to the United States from her birthplace, Jalisco, Mexico. She is actively engaged in her community and has been recognized for these efforts by receipt of Assemblymember Tom Daly’s Women of the Year award.

Mendoza is part of a 10-member board of directors at OCWD – seven elected from divisions that consist of cities throughout north and central Orange County, and three appointed to represent the cities of Anaheim, Fullerton and Santa Ana. The remaining directors and their divisions are: Dina L. Nguyen, Esq., Division 1; Denis R. Bilodeau, P.E., Division 2; Roger C. Yoh, P.E., Division 3; Tri Ta, Division 4; Stephen R. Sheldon, Division 5; Cathy Green, Division 6; Kelly Rowe, CFM, P.G., C.E.G., C.H., Division 7; Jordan Brandman, Division 9; and Ahmad Zahra, Division 10. Biographies and photographs of all OCWD Board of Directors are available at https://www.ocwd.com/about/service-area-board-of-directors/.

About Orange County Water District
The Orange County Water District is committed to enhancing Orange County’s groundwater quality and reliability in an environmentally friendly and economical manner. The following cities rely on the groundwater basin, managed by OCWD, to provide 77% of their water demands: Anaheim, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster, and Yorba Linda. For more information, visit www.ocwd.com