Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza

Dr. Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza has served as the 10th president of College of San Mateo (CSM) since 2021. The college was established in 1922 and Taylor-Mendoza is the third woman and first educator of color to lead the 100-year-old institution. Previously, she was the Vice President of Instruction at Skyline College in San Bruno and the founding Dean of Academic Support and Learning Technologies at College of San Mateo. CSM is both a Hispanic Serving Institution and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution. The college serves over 15,000 students annually.  

With over two decades of higher education teaching and administrative experience in instruction and student services, Taylor-Mendoza has found inspiration in the brilliance, power, and endless potential of community college students. She collaboratively leads for social justice and liberation recognizing our shared responsibility to address the legacy of racism by creating a more just system which will ensure long-term equitable outcomes and generational change.  

Taylor-Mendoza’s areas of expertise include accreditation, dual enrollment, educational policy, enrollment management, global learning, online-learning, professional development, strategic planning, and workforce partnerships. As chief instructional officer, Taylor-Mendoza served on the Chancellor’s Office’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statewide Implementation Workgroup to shape policy and practice for California’s 116 colleges.  

Nonprofit advocacy is important to Taylor-Mendoza. She believes that healthy, vibrant communities increase enrollment, build public confidence, attract funding support, and impact local legislation. She serves on a variety of boards, including Cabrillo Education Foundation, California Community College Athletic Association, Castilleja School, CoastPride, and Human Investment Project (HIP) Housing. She is also an Umoja Community Education Foundation legacy founder and former board of director.  

A proud community college alumna, Taylor-Mendoza holds a B.A. in Psychology, California State University, Los Angeles, an M.S. in Counseling, California State University, Northridge, and a Ph.D. in Education, Claremont Graduate University.