André Mendes

André Mendes began serving as Chairperson of the Board of Trustees for Capitol Technology University in July 2022. He is currently the Chief Information Officer for Tarrant County, Texas and was previously the Chief Information Officer at the U.S. Department of Commerce from 2018 to 2023. Previously, he served in multiple leadership roles at the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), which oversees U.S. international media initiatives such as the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia. In most recent role as chief information officer/chief technology officer, he was responsible for all IT and infrastructure support services required by the media networks under the BBG’s purview.

During 2015, Mendes served as the agency’s interim CEO and director. Prior to that, Mendes directed the BBG’s Office of Technology, Services and Innovation, tasked with executive-level decision-making concerning the engineering and technical systems needed to communicate globally across a variety of media platforms.

Mendes has also served as senior vice president, strategic planning and global CIO for Special Olympics International, with responsibility for global technology infrastructure and the development of the organization’s 2011-2015 strategic plan. In addition, he has served as chief technology integration officer for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), where he spearheaded the transition from a legacy tape-based environment to a new, file-driven workflow, as well as overseeing IT and broadcast engineering during PBS’s move from analog to digital TV broadcasting.

Mendes was awarded the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa at the Fall 2025 Convocation on October 7, 2025. This prestigious honor recognizes his enduring commitment to the mission of Capitol Technology University. Since joining the Board of Trustees in 2017, Mendes has played a vital role in shaping the university’s future. He became a member of the Academic Affairs, Planning, and Enrollment Committee in 2021, serving as committee chair beginning in 2023. He accepted the role of Vice Chairman in 2021 and was appointed Chairman of the Board of Trustees in July 2022.

Beyond his leadership on the Board, Mendes has demonstrated a deep dedication to expanding access to STEM education. He established the Fernando & Rosa Maria Mendes Scholarship, which prioritizes students who:

• Speak Portuguese or have heritage from a Lusophone country (Portugal, Angola, Brazil, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, São Tomé & Príncipe),
• Have immigrated to the U.S., or whose parent has immigrated to the U.S. and the student was born in the U.S. Citizenship status is not a consideration for this scholarship.

Mendes exemplifies the mission of Capitol Technology University through his time, energy, and resources, and his help in achieving institutional goals.