(Artesia, CA) Artesia Teacher Tony Mendoza will be sworn in as the member of the California State Assembly representing the 56th District at Local Inaugural Ceremonies at A. J. Padelford Park, 11870 169th Street in Artesia, on Saturday, December 9, 2006 at Noon. The oath of office will be administered by the Honorable Judge Deborah Sanchez of the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Father Charlie Ara will give the invocation and serve as Master of Ceremonies. Mary Crystal Viramontes will sing the national Anthem and the Niemes Ballet Folklorico and the Ye-Eun Academy Korean Traditional Dancing Team will perform.
On the first day of the legislative session, earlier this week, Mendoza was appointed to the powerful Assembly Rules Committee. The appointment by speaker Fabian Nunez, catapults Mendoza into a highly sought after position on one of the most prestigious committees in the state legislature.

Tony Mendoza was a teacher at Brooklyn Elementary School in East Los Angeles. He is the first in his family of nine children to graduate from college. Tony was the first Latino Mayor of the City of Artesia and the youngest person to be selected mayor of that city. He served on the Artesia City Council for ten years. On the Council, Tony has worked to provide important services that benefit children and families––the At-Risk Youth Center, Adult Education Classes, the Artesia Family Resource Center and the Artesia Youth Academy. Tony Mendoza is active in United Teachers Los Angeles, where he serves on the Board of Directors and as a representative to the California Teachers Association and the National Education Association.  He has fought for school funding and more resources for classrooms.  Tony also sits on the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO Board.

Assembly member Mendoza now represents the communities of Artesia, Norwalk, Buena Park, Cerritos, Hawaiian Gardens, Santa Fe Springs and South Whittier.