Veralucía Mendoza Arana

Afro-Latinx person of medium brown complexion with short curly black hair smiling. They are wearing a black turtleneck tank top and black eyeglasses and pink lipstick, against a vibrant and colorful background of pink and green hues.

Programs Coordinator

Veralucía Mendoza Arana (they/she) is the Programs Coordinator for AAPD’s Alumni Network, Disability Mentoring Day and the NBCUniversal Tony Coelho Media Scholarship. They have extensive experience as a community organizer and have shown strong leadership within various domains of the social-impact sector.

Prior to joining AAPD, Vera served as a Housing and Transportation advocate at one of the nation’s largest Centers for Independent Living, where she spearheaded a historic campaign to secure long-term funding to expand public transportation services for people with disabilities. Her dedicated efforts have garnered widespread recognition, and in 2020 she received the esteemed “Community Advocacy” award from Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc., Legal Aid of Western Ohio, and the Toledo Bar Association for her exceptional work in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, they were among the honorees at the annual Allies & Advocates Ceremony hosted by Equality Ohio.

Vera holds a Certificate in Financial Management from Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business and has a background in Law & Social Thought from The University of Toledo.