Heather Goldberg Mendelow PPS'95: Sanford leaders taught her to lead a life of purpose

Joel Fleishman, founding director of Sanford, said this about his career just before teaching his last class (at 89 years old). “It’s an unbelievable feeling of having made a contribution to people that they value in their own lives, and in their professions, and everything else.”

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Heather Goldberg Mendelow is one of those people, and she has passed that contribution on to others through a life of teaching and service.

Heather has built a career at the intersection of law, education, and social impact, embodying the values of service and leadership she cultivated at Duke. Inspired by Sanford professors and her work leading a big brother, big sister program for at-risk Durham youth, Heather’s commitment to fostering authentic relationships and improving lives has guided her journey from the classroom to the corporate world.

As an undergraduate at the Sanford School of Public Policy, Heather earned a B.A. in Public Policy and Certificates in Women’s Studies and the Arts. She was recognized with the Duke Community Action Award for her dedication to at-risk Durham youth through a mentoring program she led with Volunteers for Youth. Today, Heather continues to impact as an attorney, teacher, and board member for WomenStrong International, an organization committed to empowering women and communities worldwide.

From teaching elementary school in Compton, California, as a Teach For America corps member to practicing corporate law at Pfizer and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Heather’s career reflects a deep commitment to equity and service. She has also lent her expertise and compassion to nonprofit organizations, serving as a Wish Granter and Advisory Board Member for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and as a volunteer at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a camp for seriously ill children.

Heather lives in New York City with her husband and two children, staying closely connected to Duke as a member of the Duke Women’s Impact Network and the Sanford School’s Board of Visitors.

We recently connected with Heather to learn more about her impact after Sanford.

What impact has Sanford had on your professional and/or personal journey?

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I majored in public policy with the hope of making a difference.  While I was an undergrad at Duke, I ran a big brother, big sister program called Volunteers for Youth, which paired Duke students with at-risk Durham youth.  From this experience, as well as from watching and learning from my Sanford professors, I decided to become a Teach For America Corp member after graduation.  I modeled my classroom on the interactions I had with Sanford professors. I strove to develop authentic relationships with my students, fellow teachers, and administrators, becoming an excellent listener, clear communicator, and trusted advisor.

After Teach For America, I chose to attend law school in hopes of being able to make a difference via another pathway.  I joined Skadden, where I practiced corporate law for a few years, but then I wanted to return to the areas that are my passions – either education or healthcare.  I joined Pfizer as a product lawyer with a focus on ensuring that the public receives truthful and honest information about Pfizer’s products. Currently, I serve on the board of WomenStrong International, which partners with grassroots women-led organizations dedicated to improving the lives of the girls and women they serve, and on the Board of Visitors of Sanford.

Why does public policy matter in 2025 and beyond? 

Public policy, both at the local and national levels, will continue to be the primary tool to improve people’s lives.  I continue to be in awe of the work that Sanford does to educate future leaders.

What is the most interesting highlight so far in your career?

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During my time as a TFA corps member, the ACLU brought a class action lawsuit in 1997 on behalf of 29,000 students in the Compton Unified School District, and the school where I taught, McNair Elementary, was the lead school in the case.  In its 1997 lawsuit, Serna v Eastin, the ACLU charged state education officials with failing to provide students with equal and adequate education and a safe learning environment following the state’s takeover of the district in 1993.  The suit was the first of its kind ever to be filed in California.  Students in the district had been denied the most basic educational tools available to public school students elsewhere in California, such as textbooks, certified teachers, and classroom homework policies.  In addition, students were deprived of even minimally acceptable learning conditions as a consequence of unusable restrooms, boarded-up windows, broken lights, and exposed electrical wiring. The settlement was the first to require a court order that the state provide students within a particular school district with educational opportunities equal to other Californian students in grades K-12.

Terry Sanford implored students to 'stand for something.'  What do you stand for?

Through my work with Teach For America, I stood for the goal of providing a high-quality education to all children.

Through the work I did at Pfizer, I stood for the hope that medical innovation could improve people’s lives.

Through my work with WomenStrong, I stand for promoting grassroots women-led organizations that improve the lives of the women and girls in their communities.

Through my role as a mother and wife, I stand for love, support, compassion, encouragement, and joy.

What seeds of change are you planting in your community?

My family and I plant seeds of change through the volunteer and community service work we do for a number of different organizations in our community.  We volunteer both as a family and individually for organizations that deliver life-saving medical supplies, equipment, and humanitarian goods to those in need around the world, food pantries that provide produce and fill community fridges to help feed people in need, a camp that provides opportunities for children with serious illnesses and an organization that brings music, conversation, and kindness to isolated New Yorkers.

I encourage my children to follow politics, both locally and nationally, and my hope is that they become active members of their communities as adults.