Christine L. Mendoza

 (she/her)
Board Member

Christine L. Mendoza is an executive leader, arts enthusiast and strategist, and social justice advocate with over a decade of experience building and strengthening mission-driven organizations. She currently serves as Executive Director of the Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights in New York City, where she leads complex fiscal management, public and private funding strategies, and community-centered program development. Christine is also the Founder of Christine L. Mendoza, Inc., a consultancy focused on diversifying the film and media most recently through policy, and serving as a bridge between film studios, directors/producers and non-profits. Christine’s leadership is rooted in advocacy, education, and expanding access to power for communities historically excluded from institutional decision-making.

Christine was drawn to Arts Administrators of Color because it represents what the creative sector rarely offers at scale: a national ecosystem led by and for People of the Global Majority. As both a cultural worker, an executive director and single latina mother, she understands the isolation and structural barriers that arts leaders of color face. AAC creates a container for strategy, solidarity, and shared growth. Christine believes deeply in building leadership pipelines that do not just diversify institutions, but transform them. AAC’s commitment to anti-racist, human-centered systems aligns directly with her own vision for a sector where power, funding, and narrative are redistributed more equitably.

As an AAC Board Member, She works closely with board and staff leadership to support responsible governance, budgeting, and program development and strategy. Her background in managing multi-million-dollar budgets and navigating complex audits informs her approach to building durable infrastructure for AAC’s future. 

Connect with me:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinelmendoza/