House Member

J.D. Mesnard is State Representative from Legislative District 17 (Chandler, Gilbert and Sun Lakes), having been elected to the Arizona House of Representatives on November 2, 2010.

Prior to running for office, J.D. spent eight years working at the Arizona Senate where he served as a policy advisor on issues ranging from education, transportation and retirement, to family services and government administration. One of J.D.’s proudest accomplishments during his employment at the Senate involved his role as Senate Coordinator for the "Legislators Back to School Program." Sponsored by the National Conference of State Legislatures, the intent of this program is to bring civics to life by connecting legislators with classrooms to give kids of all ages a chance to talk about their ideas with the state legislators who represent them. The program is designed to motivate students to engage in politics, and help build personal links between schools and legislators while providing legislators an opportunity to observe what is going on in classrooms. J.D.’s work ethic and passion for civic engagement were instrumental at helping to move Arizona to #1 on the national charts, in terms of legislative participation in the program.

J.D. is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Arizona State University with a Bachelors degree in Music Composition. He also holds two masters degrees, one in Business and the other in Public Administration—exemplifying his interest in both the public and private sectors—and had the honor of being named The Outstanding Student of his MBA program. While in graduate school, J.D. caught the attention of a professor who was an Adjunct Scholar with the National Center for Policy Analysis (a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy think tank based in Texas and Washington D.C.), and was subsequently recruited to join with the professor and with Chief Economist and internationally renowned speaker Dr. Barry Asmus to be a spokesman for the NCPA. As such, J.D. traveled all over Arizona, speaking to numerous foundations, companies and Rotary/Lions/Kiwanis clubs regarding the issue of Social Security reform.

Born at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, FL (his father is a retired fighter pilot), J.D. has lived in Arizona for over 20 years. He is a small business owner, investor and consultant, and has always sought to be an active participant at all levels of the community. In terms of his immediate surroundings, J.D. spent many years as a music team leader, and as a youth counselor and mentor at his local church. He also serves on the board of his homeowner association. In addition, J.D.’s compassion for those less fortunate—who struggle in places outside of the greatest country on earth—led him to help establish Voices of the World, a non-profit Christian charity whose mission includes providing humanitarian aid to the poor and destitute of the world.

J.D. is currently adjunct professor at Mesa Community College, where he teaches courses in political science.