West Virginia Executive Summer 2017 | Page 105

Mendoza at his investiture ceremony as a federal judge in 2014. Photo by Steve Branyon. Mendoza with his state court colleagues. Photo by StAugustine.com. of the Quarter and a Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal. Mendoza considers his military honors to be the most impor- tant awards he has received. During the end of his service in the JAG Corps, from 2004-2005, Mendoza also served as a special assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia. After- ward, he became an assistant state attorney in the Seventh Judicial Circuit of Florida. At the end of his three-year tenure, he was the division chief for St. Johns County. Men- doza served as assistant city attorney for St. Augustine, FL, from 2008-2011, when he was appointed as a circuit court judge in the Seventh Judicial Circuit by Gover- nor Rick Scott. He stayed in this position until his confirmation as a district judge. “The varied and challenging experiences I had throughout my legal career prepared me for the unpredictable nature of serv- ing as a federal judge,” says Mendoza. Having been endorsed for his federal appointment by both Florida senators—a Democrat and a Republican—Mendoza is well regarded across the aisle. He stresses the importance of being impartial as a judge and listening to diverse views as a thinker. “I think it is important to understand perspectives you may not agree with,” he says. “Surrounding yourself with people who view the world exactly as you do in- vites intellectual lethargy. When I listen to alternative perspectives, I sometimes question my own views, and on occasion, I change my mind.” Beyond his experiences in the military and the law, Mendoza attributes his per- sonal and professional growth to the in- fluence of his family. Mendoza is a first- generation American, and his parents are naturalized U.S. citizens. He and his two siblings, an older brother and a young- er sister, were the first members of their family to graduate from college. “We are the product of driven, hard- working parents,” he says. “My parents made us believe the unbelievable, that with hard work and patience, nothing was beyond our reach. I am very proud of my siblings, and I owe my success in large part to my parents.” The guidance Mendoza received from his parents led him to give the same guid- ance to others. “Not everyone has the benefit of won- derful parents, so those of us that benefited from that type of valuable guidance have an obligation to pass that information along to those who may lack the type of guidance that can make all the difference in the world,” he says. “I feel that I have a responsibility to tell those lacking the parenting I so benefited from that there is really no limit to what they can accom- plish. I think young people need to hear that they control their own destiny. Even now, I do not pass on any opportunity to speak to young people.” Mendoza’s drive to shape his destiny has led him to a highly successful career, but he considers his family his greatest success. He approaches his role as a father with the same resolve he has displayed as a serviceman, lawyer and judge. “I want my children to be productive, well-adjusted adults,” he says. “It is the final act of my life and a work still in progress.” In the penultimate line of his poem, Kipling writes, “Yours is the world and everything that’s in it.” When looking at Mendoza’s career, one can see why he is inspired by it. If there is one recurring theme to his life’s work, it is that there is no limit on what one person can achieve. Mendoza follows this ideal in service to his country, his family and anyone else for whom he can be a leader.  WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM S U M M E R 2 017 105