Charlene Mendoza serves as Mayor Romero's Chief of Staff, and leads a high-performing team of policy advisors supporting the Mayor's working family agenda.

Prior to joining the Office of the Mayor, Charlene served as an educator and held numerous leadership roles in Tucson's advocacy community. Passionate about education, equity, agency and choice, Charlene is an outspoken advocate for issues such as access to health care, education, reproductive rights, and voting. 

Charlene is active in the Tucson community with organizations like Arizona List, Las Adelitas PAC, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona and other groups working towards real and meaningful representation on a local, state and federal level.

Charlene holds a Bachelor's in Latin American Studies from Johns Hopkins University and a Master's in Language, Reading and Culture from the University of Arizona. She lives in central Tucson with her husband and two children.

Juan Francisco Ramirez-Robles serves as Mayor Romero’s Executive Assistant and Constituent Liaison. Juan is responsible for managing the Mayor’s calendar and coordinating events for the Office of the Mayor. Juan also plays a central role in supporting office initiatives and connecting constituents to city services.
Juan is experienced in navigating organizational systems and connecting people to resources and services, having worked in real estate sales and marketing in New York City. Upon returning to Tucson, Juan worked in the public health sector providing education on HIV prevention, smoking cessation and wellness coaching, and access to health care services to disadvantaged communities. Juan is experienced in developing curricula and teaching public health-focused workshops for community-based organizations. 

Juan holds a dual bachelor’s degrees from in Public Health and Spanish Literature from the University of Arizona and uses cultural studies and public health frameworks to create a thriving Tucson community.

Génesis Cubillas serves as Mayor Romero's Policy Advisor. Genesis brings to the Mayor's team a strong background in community organizing and electoral politics. She also brings to this role vast institutional knowledge in areas such as housing; community safety, health, & wellness; and the role of arts, culture, and history in creating vibrant cities.

Before joining the Office of the Mayor Génesis served as an organizer with the Raíz program at Planned Parenthood. In this role Génesis led organizing and education initiatives and brought resources into the Tucson Latinx community. Génesis worked closely with community members to build relationships, break taboos around sex education, and ensure that political advocacy and campaign work are accessible and easy to understand.  

Cubillas brings a deep understanding of union and worker solidarity initiatives, having worked at Jobs with Justice. Born and raised in Tucson, Génesis continues to be actively involved in many community organizations. 

Génesis is a proud graduate of the University of Arizona where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Linguistics and a minor in Education. Cubillas also holds a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate. Génesis is fluent in Spanish

Victor Mercado serves as Mayor Romero's Communications and Policy Advisor. He joins the Mayor’s team having served in various roles in the energy, education, and non-profit sectors. Victor is responsible for communicating the Mayor’s policy agenda and sharing the story of Tucson as a thriving, desert City.

Victor brings a wealth of experience in media and communications. This includes engaging with media, creating incisive social media commentary, producing podcasts and webinars to national audiences, magazine publication, and developing case studies and blogs on complex topics such from energy equity to transportation electrification, to climate resilience. 

Prior to joining the Office of the Mayor, Victor served as the marketing and business development principal for ILLUME Advising, a national research consultancy that supports public and investor-owned utilities, state energy programs, and government entities making the transition to clean energy.

Victor is the co-chair of the University of Arizona Hispanic Advisory Council. Mercado holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University. He is fluent in Spanish and is an okay golfer.