Rush Enterprises appoints Elaine Mendoza as first female board director

Mendoza is an early pioneer in the technology sector in South Texas

Rush Enterprises CEO Rusty Rush said one of the reasons for Elaine Mendoza's appointment was her expertise in technology solutions. Image: Rush Enterprises

Rush Enterprises Inc. (NASDAQ: RUSHA) recently announced the appointment of Elaine Mendoza as a new independent member of its board of directors.

Mendoza becomes the first woman to be on Rush Enterprises’ board since it became publicly traded in 1997. New Braunfels, Texas-based Rush Enterprises operates the largest network of commercial vehicle dealerships in North America.

The Rush Enterprises board position is paid, with independent directors making $200,000 to $230,000 in cash and stock awards last year, according to the San Antonio Business Journal.

Elaine Mendoza

“We are delighted to have Elaine join our board as a new independent director,” W.M. “Rusty” Rush, chairman, chief executive and president of Rush Enterprises, said in a release.

Rush stated that Mendoza’s entrepreneurial success and leadership make her a valuable addition to the board.

Mendoza is founder, president and chief executive of San Antonio-based Conceptual MindWorks Inc. (CMI). CMI is a biotechnology and medical informatics company founded in 1990. 

Mendoza is also chairwoman of the board of regents for the Texas A&M University System. She graduated from Texas A&M with a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering in 1987. 

“I am particularly excited about [Elaine’s] future contributions with respect to her expertise in technology solutions — internal and customer-facing technology solutions are a major growth driver in the commercial vehicle industry and particularly as it relates to our aftermarket strategic initiatives,” Rush said.

Rush Enterprises is the United States’ only publicly traded truck dealer, with more than 100 dealerships in 22 states. Rush Enterprises currently has a market cap of $1.32 billion. 

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Noi Mahoney

Noi Mahoney is a Texas-based journalist who covers cross-border trade, logistics and supply chains for FreightWaves. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in English in 1998. Mahoney has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working for newspapers in Maryland and Texas. Contact nmahoney@freightwaves.com