David Mendoza

Director of Advocacy and Engagement, The Nature Conservancy - Washington

David is the Director of Advocacy and Engagement for the Washington chapter of The Nature Conservancy overseeing state and federal lobbying and policy communications staff. Prior to TNC, he was the founder of Inclusive Solutions a policy, advocacy and communications consulting firm. Projects ranged from industry research and policy development to legislative advocacy and communications. Clients included state government agencies, cannabis retail companies, non-profits and labor unions. While representing Front & Centered, a statewide coalition of communities of color, David led the development the HEAL Act, a foundational piece of environmental justice legislation in WA, and served as a Co-Chair on the state Environmental Justice Task Force.

From 2014-17, David also served as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Seattle Mayor's Office of Policy and Innovation. His policy portfolio included the development of 12 city ordinances including; cannabis regulations, labor standards, implementation of the Seattle Race and Social Justice Initiative and policies related to Uber/Lyft and AirBnB, among others. Prior to this position he worked as a Policy Counsel for the WA state legislature and at economic justice focused non-profits Puget Sound Sage in WA and LAANE in CA.
He is a graduate of Pitzer College and Seattle University School of Law, a licensed attorney in California and lives with his family in Seattle.