For almost three decades, Ofelia Mendoza has been a devoted employee of the OUSD, devoting 24 years to the UAOS. Throughout her tenure, she has held various administrative positions both in school sites and centrally, including Dean, Elementary Principal, Summer School Coordinator, Special Education Coordinator, and CDC Site Administrator for the last 17 years. She has established relationships with fellow UAOS members, thus leveraging their perspectives to foster more robust advocacy. In negotiations, she played an instrumental role in reminding OUSD that UAOS encompasses all members and not just those based in school sites.

Ofelia Mendoza champions for improving the experience of UAOS members, as evidenced by her contribution to changing salary increases to reflect more realistic compensation for administrators. The changes not only benefitted Ofelia but future administrators in OUSD.

As an active UAOS negotiator, she has advocated for salary increases that reflect on retirement benefits, going beyond OUSD's initial offer of bonuses in lieu of salary adjustments. Ofelia has consistently maintained a cohesive and results-driven collaboration approach, ensuring that UAOS members are heard on core issues affecting their welfare.

Ofelia is well-organized and holds herself to high standards, bringing about impressive results in her various roles like increasing the Academic Performance Index (API) from 1 to 3 within a year as an elementary principal. In her current position, she has shown dedication to increasing preschool enrollment, indirectly promoting enrollment in TK/Kindergarten. Ofelia builds relationships with her teams, and her leadership style is marked by support and teamwork. She is Mexican-American, born and raised in various East Bay cities, fluent in Spanish, and currently serves as a CDC Site Administrator with the Early Childhood Education Department.