Biography
President
Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Núñez is a native of the Municipality of Fajardo, where he attended elementary school at St. James the Apostle School and high school at the public school Dr. Santiago Veve Calzada, where he graduated with honors.
In 1982, he completed, with honors, a Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in Labor Relations, along with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. That same year, he began studies leading to a law degree — Juris Doctor — at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, which he obtained in 1986. Through the Training and Employment Program, he entered the workforce in 1986 in the municipality of San Juan.
In 1987, he began working in the Legal Division of the Puerto Rico Medical Services Administration (ASEM). Two years later, he was recruited by the Mayor of Fajardo, Aníbal Meléndez, as Director of the Office of Federal Affairs, and together they began the transformation of the municipality into what is now known as the “Metropolis of the East.” He served in various positions in the municipal administration until, in 1997, the Board of Mayors of the Northeast Consortium appointed him Executive Director, a position he held until 2004, when he was elected a member of
the House of Representatives for District Number 36, which comprises the municipalities of Río Grande, Luquillo, Fajardo, Ceiba, Vieques, and Culebra.
During that four-year term, he was appointed President of the Labor and Labor Relations Commission of the House of Representatives. During his presidency of the Labor Relations Commission, numerous measures were approved that benefited Puerto Rican workers, such as the increase of the Christmas Bonus and the new salary scale for nurses in Puerto Rico.
In 2008, he was re-elected to his seat. For the 2009-2012 term, he was appointed President of the Government Commission of the Legislative Body. During his presidency of the Government Commission, he was responsible for evaluating and approving legislation that establishes the public policy of the Government of Puerto Rico. He also served as Vice President of the Labor and Labor Relations Commission and the Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs Commission. Additionally, he was a member of the Municipal Affairs, Integrated Development of the Eastern Region, Health, and Public Safety Commissions.
Starting February 25, 2011, he was elected by his peers as Majority Whip of the New Progressive Party in the House of Representatives, a position he held alongside the Presidency of the Calendar and Special Debate Rules Commission, in addition to his responsibilities as President of the Government Commission. During the 2013 to 2016 term, he stood out as an ex-officio member of the commissions, serving as Alternate Whip of his delegation.
After being re-elected in the 2016 general elections, he was chosen by the members of his delegation as the President of the House of Representatives, a position to which he was sworn in on the
January 9, 2017, receiving the support of the majority of the members comprising the Legislative Body. He was re-elected again in the 2020 elections, becoming the Whip of the New Progressive Party delegation for the 2021 to 2024 term.
Among the projects and resolutions that became law during his presidency are Law 61-2018, better known as the “New Adoption Law for Puerto Rico,” an initiative that facilitates the adoption of minors. This new law dramatically reduced the number of children waiting for adoption from 345 to less than 70 in just three years. Also outlined was the transformation of Puerto Rico’s electrical system through Law 17-2019, known as the “Puerto Rico Energy Public Policy Act,” which obligates that citizens have access to energy systems that will help lower electricity costs in their homes and businesses, aiming for 40 percent of locally produced energy to be renewable by 2025, and for a complete phase-out of petroleum and coal by 2050.
In November 2024, he was elected to his seat as Representative for District Number 36. Once again, he was selected by the members of the House of Representatives to preside over the legislative body, becoming only the twelfth legislator in the nation to hold the Speaker position on two separate occasions.