After having served in an interim capacity for the last four months, Connie Mendoza has been named the City of Yakima’s Human Resources Director.
In April, City Manager Tony O’Rourke selected Mendoza to fill the Human Resources Director position on an interim basis while he evaluated how to fill the job permanently. She will officially begin her tenure as Human Resources Director on Monday, August 3rd.
“Connie has exceeded my expectations during her tenure as interim director,” said O’Rourke. “I am confident that she has the leadership skills and customer service experience needed to help the department continue to deliver superior service to City employees and the public. She is a great asset to both the HR Department and our leadership team,” said O’Rourke.
Mendoza, a native of Yakima, graduated from Eisenhower High School in 1989. Mendoza started her career with the City of Yakima in 1993 when she was hired as a department assistant in the Purchasing Division. In 1994 Mendoza was promoted to the position of assistant buyer in the same division.
In 2001, Mendoza relocated to Western Washington where she worked for King County as a contract specialist. About a year later, she moved back to the Yakima area and became the secretary to the superintendent of the West Valley School District.
In 2006, Mendoza rejoined the City of Yakima as the administrative assistant to the fire chief. Almost a year ago, she was promoted to the position of police services manager. As police services manager, Mendoza oversaw civilian staff that manages and processes data for the Yakima Police Department.
Mendoza graduated from Yakima Valley Community College in 2005 with an Associate of Arts degree. In 2008, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in social science from Washington State University. And, last year Mendoza earned a Master of Business Administration degree in management and strategy from the Western Governors University.
The City of Yakima Human Resources Department provides a variety of services including employee recruitment and testing, medical benefits administration, disciplinary action review, union contract negotiations, and employee training.