Bio
Olivia Mendoza is the executive director of the ACLU of Colorado. She joined the organization in February 2026. Olivia has nearly two decades of experience fighting for civil rights and social justice across the nonprofit and government sectors. Prior to joining the ACLU of Colorado, she served as the Director of Litigation and Policy for the National Redistricting Foundation (NRF) where she led anti-gerrymandering efforts and defended the voting rights of historically marginalized communities. Prior to her national leadership role, she was the NRF’s Colorado state director, designing and executing statewide advocacy strategies.
In addition to her positions at the NRF, Mendoza has held senior and executive positions at the Latino Leadership Institute, the Minority Business Office of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade, the Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy, and Research Organization (CLLARO), and the Latin American Educational Foundation. She also has considerable experience with nonprofit boards and currently serves on the board of trustees for Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Olivia earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law with a Public Good Distinction, and has been recognized for her leadership and selected as a German Marshall Memorial Fellow; Livingston Fellow, and a National Hispana Leadership Institute Fellow.