Victor Mercado Email and Phone Number

I have the honor of serving as the Mayor’s Communications and Policy Advisor, after fulfilling various roles in the energy, education, and non-profit sectors. I am responsible for communicating the Mayor’s policy agenda and sharing the story of Tucson as the sustainable, economically-vibrant, progressive city of the future. I also advise Mayor Romero on economic development matters.

The University of Arizona Hispanic Advisory Council provides community input and support to the President and Office of Diversity and Inclusion on strategic initiatives and promotes diversity and inclusion. Our efforts support the mission and success of the University of Arizona by strengthening the UA’s ability to serve the Hispanic community.We are committed to serving as a communications conduit between Southern Arizona’s Hispanic communities and the UA.

Creative direction and expertise in areas of visual communication, qualitative research and business intelligence. Supervised Master's and Ph.D. students in nationally-ranked programs. Worked across campus with multiple units and departments to build brand awareness and foster a culture of academic support and growth. Supervised professional staff working on a variety of programs and initiatives.

Champion the efforts of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Arizona to help children realize their potential and build their futures, through fundraising, influencing others, and elevating the organization's mission.

Responsible for the deployment and oversight of ILLUME’s marketing and business development efforts. Maintain and establish relationships among key associations and partnerships to continue ILLUME's trajectory as a leader in the energy industry, while ensuring best-in-class marketing and communications standards that reflect our firm's authenticity, incisiveness, and bold industry and social commentary.

At Child and Family Resources, we build strong communities where children can reach their full potential. Our family programs build resilient children and families. Being a parent presents special challenges and joys. Some parents are faced with even harder challenges such as having a child with developmental disabilities, living in poverty, or not being able to provide basic needs for their children. Our in-home Family Support Specialists teach parents how to be the best parents they can be despite these challenges.Our youth programs teach teens how to be leaders in their schools and communities. They also teach teens about safe sex and how to make the best choices for themselves and their bodies.Our services for childcare providers help them provide the highest quality child care possible. Investment in quality early childhood care saves money by increasing the likelihood that children will be literate, employed, enrolled in post secondary education, and less likely to be school dropouts, dependent on welfare or arrested for criminal activity.

We use qualitative research, visual design, and principles of design thinking to help businesses and organizations solve complex challenges. We specialize in focus group research, qualitative interviews customer interviews, and product development. We operate the first mobile podcasting studio in the American Southwest producing world-class storytelling experience for premiere clients such as the Arizona Opera, non-profits, and universities. www.swdesignlabs.com

Chief storyteller for the Sunnyside Unified School District, overseeing branding, media relations, public affairs, strategic partnerships and communication. The Sunnyside District is the second largest in Southern Arizona with more than 16,000 students across 21 schools, a workforce of 2,000+ employees and an annual operating budget of $85M. A deft communicator, Victor has brought coherence andelevated the District’s voice and brand.

Responsible for creating a climate of entrepreneurship and personal and professional growth to level the playing field for minority, low-income and women entrepreneurs. In charge of delivering a world-class learning experience to emerging entrepreneurs, managing grants and other public-private partnerships; producing data-driven insights and executing a marketing and communication strategy to tell our story.