Susana A. Mendoza was sworn in as City Clerk of Chicago on May 16, 2011. She is the first woman ever elected to the Office, one of only three city-wide elected positions.

Clerk Mendoza is committed to improving the Office by making it the most technologically savvy, user-friendly and efficient City Clerk’s Office in the country. Since being elected Clerk, she has overhauled the Office website to be more intuitive, created new efficiencies to reduce staff overtime costs by 40%, transformed the sales process for 1.3 million city vehicle stickers, and increased dog registration by 122%.

Prior to serving as City Clerk, Mendoza was elected as the youngest member of the 92nd General Assembly where she proudly served six terms as a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 2001 to 2011. As a State Representative, she was publicly recognized for her leadership and legislation on social services, education, law enforcement and job creation. She served as Co-Chairperson of the Conference of Women Legislators and twice served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. Today she serves on the Board of the National Foundation of Women Legislators.

The U.S. Department of State selected Mendoza as part of its Professional Speaker’s Program to promote democracy and leadership in the countries of Uganda, Tanzania, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela and Chile. As a legislator and/or the Chair of the International Trade and Commerce Committee, Mendoza traveled to China, Turkey, Ireland and El Salvador. She also was honored with being selected by Robin Read, the President & CEO of the National Foundation for Women Legislators, as one of only seven women nationally to travel to Iraq. While there, she helped monitor the historic Iraqi elections of March 7, 2010.

Mendoza has been named one of Crain’s Chicago “40 Under 40” and one of its “Women to Watch.” She lives on the north side of Chicago with her husband David. They are expecting their first child in November.