Turlock’s Lenny Mendonca, who focused on Valley’s economy, leaving Newsom team
Two local leaders thanked Turlock native Lenny Mendonca for his work in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration to promote the economic well-being of the Northern San Joaquin Valley and the rest of inland California.
Mendonca, a former senior partner at the consulting powerhouse McKinsey & Company, has left to focus on his family and personal business, according to the governor’s office.
“Lenny did more to put the inland region of California on the radar screen of Sacramento and the Silicon Valley than any other person in the last 75 years,” Stanislaus Community Foundation President and CEO Marian Kaanon said in an interview. “His role in (Newsom’s) administration raised the profile of communities like Stockton, Modesto and Fresno and Bakersfield in a way that will pay dividends in the years to come.”
Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Kristin Olsen said in a statement, “Lenny’s departure is a huge loss for California and for the San Joaquin Valley, in particular. His economic expertise and dedication are desperately needed right now.
“I wish him the very best and will always be grateful for his leadership and friendship. I sure hope Governor Newsom appoints someone who has the same strength of credentials and credibility that Lenny has.”
Mendonca spoke in Modesto in August about the Northern San Joaquin Valley’s challenges and opportunities at a Modesto Chamber of Commerce and Stanislaus Community Foundation luncheon.
He talked about restoring California to what it was when he was growing up in Turlock in the 1970s, a state where residents could achieve the California dream no matter what region they lived in.
Mendonca has been Newsom’s top business adviser and helped start the Regions Rise Together initiative to bring prosperity to inland California. He also served as chairman of the High Speed Rail Authority and as a director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, GO-Biz. He served in these roles since 2019.
Newsom’s office announced the departure April 10.
“Lenny has been an invaluable partner in growing our California economy and making sure it includes everyone,” Newsom said in a statement. “... Lenny made room at the table for parts of California that for too long have been left out of our state’s prosperity.”
The Sacramento Bee contributed to this report.
This story was originally published April 17, 2020 at 4:49 AM.
