Speaking Truth to Power with Hydra Mendoza

11/21/19 • 42 min

Suppose you step away from work for awhile for personal reasons. Does this have to set you back? The answer is NO! It actually can propel you forward.
On this episode, Hydra Mendoza shares how she used time away from work to develop skills, cultivate a new passion, and find her voice. All of these, especially her ability to speak truth to power, led to big opportunities she never dreamed of for herself.
Meet the Guest
Hydra Mendoza has served Mayors Gavin Newsom and Edwin Lee in San Francisco, and Mayor Bill de Blasio in New York City as their Senior Education Advisor, Deputy Chief of Staff for Education and Equity, and Deputy Chancellor for the Division of Community Empowerment, Partnerships and Communications, respectively.

Hydra was the first and only Filipina ever elected to office in San Francisco. In 2006, 2010, and 2014, Hydra successfully won a citywide bid and re-elections for a seat on the San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education where she was elected by her peers, twice, as the President and Vice President.

Hydra has been honored by many local, state, and national organizations including Pin@y Educational Partnerships, College Track, Mission Economic Development Agency, San Francisco State University, California Association for Bilingual Education, Filipina Woman’s Network – 100 Most Influential Filipinas, and Donor Network West.

Hydra is the current Chief of Strategic Relationships for the Chairman and co-CEO of Salesforce.

Hydra has two adult children and lives with her husband in the Bayview community in San Francisco.

Hydra is the current Chief of Strategic Relationships for the Chairman and co-CEO of Salesforce.

Hydra has two adult children and lives with her husband in the Bayview community in San Francisco.

Previous Episode

Finding Balance with Dr. Markus Watson

What does work-life balance mean to you? Could you achieve it if your career was threatened by something completely beyond your control? Our interview with Dr. Markus Watson explores how he has found balance throughout his life, even during especially challenging times like going to dental school while working full-time, and when receiving a life-changing diagnosis.
Markus candidly shares how he uncovered his interest in dentistry, what he discovered about himself through various jobs, and how he took on a health challenge that threatened everything he was and everything he built. His interview is loaded with wisdom and advice that’s helpful to anyone with ups and downs in their careers — so basically all of us!
Meet the Guest
Dr. Markus Watson, DDS, is a 1995 graduate of New York University’s School of Dentistry in Manhattan. He served a residency in general practice at the Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY. In 1997, he began his practice in general dentistry on Manhattan’s upper east side. He worked part time in Brooklyn, NY for a nonprofit at the Brooklyn Plaza Family Health Center. In 2003, Dr. Watson relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and started as an associate with Union Street Dental Care. In 2004, he founded South Beach Dental, a group practice in San Francisco’s mission bay area.

He has a great passion for giving to organizations which drive changes in our need to create a better, healthier and more livable environment. In 2014, Dr. Watson created an eco-friendly toothpaste called GoGreen, with a percentage of profits going to the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Links
To learn more about Markus’ dental practice or to try his toothpaste, check out these links:

Next Episode

Leveraging Relationships for Impact with Wade Crowfoot

How do you take opportunities and experiences early in your life and use them to shape your career so you can make an impact? And how important are the relationships you form along the way?
On this episode, Wade Crowfoot, California's Secretary for Natural Resources, takes us through his curvy journey from early roles as an intern to where he is today, leading 19,000 people responsible for natural resources across California. His fascinating story is full of insights and lessons that extend far beyond government and politics. Spoiler alert: strong relationships make a big difference.
Meet the Guest
Wade Crowfoot, California Secretary for Natural Resource, was appointed California Secretary for Natural Resources by Governor Gavin Newsom in January 2019. As Secretary, he oversees an agency of 19,000 employees charged with protecting and managing California’s diverse resources. This includes stewarding the state’s forests and natural lands, rivers and waterways, coast and ocean, fish and wildlife, and energy development. As a member of the Governor’s cabinet, he advises the Governor on natural resources and environmental issues.

Wade has over two decades of public policy and environmental leadership, with expertise in water, fisheries, climate and sustainability issues. He most recently served as chief executive officer of the Water Foundation, a nonprofit philanthropy that builds shared water solutions for communities, economy, and the environment across the American West. In that role, he developed innovative partnerships among a broad range of partners including agricultural leaders and environmental conservation groups.

Prior to joining the foundation, Wade served in Governor Jerry Brown’s Administration as deputy cabinet secretary and senior advisor to the Governor. In that role he led the administration’s drought response efforts and spearheaded several of the Governor’s priority initiatives to build California’s resilience to climate change. He previously served as West Coast regional director for the Environmental Defense Fund and a senior environmental advisor to then-San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, where he helped to lead many of Mayor Newsom’s nationally-recognized environmental initiatives.

Wade received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1996 and earned a master’s degree in public policy from the London School of Economics in 2004, where he graduated with honors.

A native of Michigan, Wade grew up spending his summers outdoors. Now, he spends his down time camping and hiking with his wife, Lisa, and their young daughter.

Career Curves - Speaking Truth to Power with Hydra Mendoza

Transcript

Beth Davies: It's not uncommon to be doing one thing in your career and then discover you want to be doing something completely different. It's a big, swooping career curve that can be both scary and exciting. It's also exactly the experience of our guest today.

Welcome to Career Curves where we talk to people who have interesting careers and explore how they got where they are. I'm your host Beth Davies.

Today we're joined by Hydra Mendoza who has held top level p