Lydia Méndez Silva is a Puerto Rican

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

affiliated with the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). She has been a member of the

Puerto Rico House of Representatives The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico () is the lower house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the bicameral territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The House, together with the Senate, control the legislative branch of the go ...

since 1997 representing

District 21 A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

Early years and studies

Lydia R. Méndez Silva was born on January 11 in San Germán. She began studying in José C. Barbosa Elementary School in Sabana Grande, and continued in José A. Castillo Junior High School and Luis Muñoz Rivera High School, where she graduated. In 1972, Méndez began studying Practical Nursing at the Rodriguez Army Health Clinic at

Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico United States Army Garrison Fort Buchanan, is a United States Army installation in Puerto Rico. It is located in the metropolitan area of the capital, San Juan. History Puerto Rico was part of the Spanish Empire from the time of Christopher Col ...

. Méndez received her degree in Nursing from the

University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez The University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus (UPRM) or Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez (RUM) in Spanish (also referred to as Colegio and CAAM in allusion to its former name), is a Public university, public land-grant university in Mayagüez ...

Professional career and public service

While studying, Méndez worked at the University Hospital of Centro Médico in

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...

. After graduating, she went on to work at the Dr. Tito Mattei Hospital in

Yauco Yauco () is a town and municipality in southern Puerto Rico. Although the downtown is inland, the municipality stretches to a southern coast facing the Caribbean Sea. Yauco is located south of Maricao, Lares and Adjuntas; east of Sabana Grande ...

, specifically in the

Intensive care unit An intensive care unit (ICU), also known as an intensive therapy unit or intensive treatment unit (ITU) or critical care unit (CCU), is a special department of a hospital or health care facility that provides intensive care medicine. An inten ...

. In 1985, she worked for the Corporation of Social Action of Puerto Rico as an Assistant Worker of Isolated Communities. In 1989, Méndez began working in Sabana Grande as Community Coordinator during the tenure of Mayor Angel A. Figueroa Ramírez. In 1993, she began working as Special Aide of Mayor Miguel Ortiz Vélez until 1996.

Political career

Méndez began her political career as a voting college volunteer. She then served as Secretary of the PPD Committee in Barrio Rayo Guaras, Sabana Grande. She was also a delegate of the PPD Youth and a member of the RHC Youth in 1976. Méndez was first elected to the

House of Representatives of Puerto Rico The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico () is the lower house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the bicameral territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The House, together with the Senate, control the legislative branch of the go ...

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

. After being sworn in, she was appointed as her party speaker in the Commissions of Tourism, Women Affairs, and Socioeconomic Development. Méndez was reelected at the 2000 general election, and became President of the Commission of Social Welfare in the House, as well as Vice-president of the Commissions of Health and Women Affairs. She also served as member of the Commissions of South Region, Tourism, Housing, and Internal Affairs, among others. Méndez has been reelected five more times (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020). Lydia Méndez Silva announced she will not seek re-election after 28 years at the 21st district for the 2024 elections.

References

External links

Lydia Méndez Silva Official biographyLydia Méndez Profile
on ''

El Nuevo Día ''El Nuevo Día'' (English: ''The New Day'') is the newspaper with the largest circulation in Puerto Rico. It is considered mainstream and the territory's newspaper of record. It was founded in 1909 in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and today it is a subsi ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Mendez Silva, Lydia Living people Popular Democratic Party members of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico People from San Germán, Puerto Rico Puerto Rican women in politics 20th-century American women politicians 21st-century American women politicians University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez people Year of birth missing (living people) 20th-century Puerto Rican politicians 21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico