Laredo College Board Appoints New Trustee to Fill Position 3 Vacancy
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Oct 15, 2026, Comments Off
Courtesy Joanna Santillana,
(Laredo, Texas) – At the Laredo College Board of Trustees special called meeting held Oct. 12, the board selected Luis F. Mendoza III to fill the vacancy in Board Position 3 created by the retirement of longtime Trustee Mercurio Martinez Jr.
Mendoza holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship from St. Edward’s University. He brings extensive experience in finance, including work as a licensed financial advisor and in anti-money laundering investigations. His background includes analyzing complex financial information and translating it into clear, practical guidance for decision-making.
As a member of the Board of Trustees, Mendoza will help provide policy direction, fiduciary oversight and governance support in alignment with Laredo College’s mission of serving students and the community.
A chronology of the appointment process
The vacancy in Board Position 3 was created when Trustee Mercurio Martinez Jr. retired on Sept. 24, 2026, before the expiration of his current term. During this meeting, the board approved a public call for applications to fill the vacancy.
Prior to the vacancy, the board adopted policy BBC (LOCAL) on Aug. 20, 2026. Developed through the Texas Association of School Boards and approved during a public meeting, the policy established procedures for filling board vacancies, including the public call for applications, review of applicants, appointment requirements and duration of service for an appointee.
The appointment process was further guided by board policies BBA (LEGAL), BBC (LEGAL), BAAA (LEGAL), BBE (LEGAL), BBF (LOCAL) and BBD (LOCAL). Together, these policies establish candidate eligibility requirements, the authority and process for filling vacancies, the responsibilities and ethical obligations of trustees, and the orientation and training requirements that follow appointment.
Board policy and state law allow trustee vacancies to be filled either by appointment or special election when applicable. However, when the vacancy occurred on Sept. 24, the legal deadline for filing of a special election in the upcoming Nov. 3, 2026 election had already lapsed under applicable provisions of the Texas Constitution, Texas Election Code and Texas Education Code.
Additionally, BBC (LOCAL) requires that a vacancy be filled no later than the uniform election date of the next regular board election, which falls on Nov. 3, 2026.
As a result, appointment was the only legally available method for filling the Trustee Position 3 vacancy within the timeframe required by board policy and state law. The board’s past two trustee vacancies were also filled through appointment.
Following the vacancy, the board initiated the appointment process outlined in BBC (LOCAL) and publicly posted a call for applications for fourteen days. Interested community members were invited to apply during the application period and were required to submit the same application materials for consideration.
The application was developed by the college’s Elections Officer and Compliance Office based on the eligibility requirements established under BBA (LEGAL) and the powers, duties, responsibilities and ethical obligations outlined in BAAA (LEGAL), BBE (LEGAL) and BBF (LOCAL). Information regarding the vacancy and application process was made publicly available throughout the application period through the college’s website, social media channels and a news release shared with regional news outlets. More information regarding the application process can be found at go.laredo.edu/boardvacancy.
A total of 15 individuals submitted applications. To assist in evaluating applicants consistently, the college developed a review rubric based on the eligibility requirements outlined in BBA (LEGAL) and the powers, duties, responsibilities and ethical standards established in BAAA (LEGAL), BBE (LEGAL) and BBF (LOCAL). The rubric was designed to provide trustees with a consistent framework for evaluating applicant qualifications, experience and readiness to serve on the Board of Trustees.
All board members were afforded ample opportunity to review applications, assess the rubric, participate in discussions regarding the vacancy and appointment process, and evaluate applicants using the established criteria. Under board policy, the authority to appoint a trustee rests with the Board of Trustees.
Consistent with BBE (LEGAL), trustees exercised their authority through the board acting as a properly convened governing body rather than individually. Every board member present when the appointment was considered had the opportunity to vote, and no board member was excluded from participating in the appointment process.
At the special called meeting on Oct. 12, 2026, the board reviewed the submitted applications and unanimously voted to appoint Luis F. Mendoza III to fill Position 3. All seven trustees in attendance voted in favor of the appointment.
