About Mendi

Mendi Cooley lives in Westfield, Indiana with her husband, Brent, and their two sons, Gabe and Ian. She is a licensed Occupational Therapist, systems change leader, and passionate advocate for inclusion and belonging.

Mendi serves as the parent lead of the Westfield Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC), a role she has held since its founding in 2022. She also facilitates the Indiana SEPAC Collaborative, a statewide initiative that empowers families and schools to partner in shaping more inclusive special education systems. Her leadership continues as the Community Engagement Chair for the Westfield Mayor’s Council on Disabilities, program lead for The Westfield Family Network, and a board member for Down Syndrome Indiana.

As an OT, Mendi brings deep expertise in activity analysis, collaborative goal setting, and holistic, person-centered interventions. Her clinical background is matched by years of executive leadership experience in facilitation, team building, recruitment, conflict resolution, and culture design. She uses this unique blend of skills to galvanize teams, elevate family voice, and create systems-level change. Whether she’s consulting with a district, speaking at a community forum, or building a peer network from the ground up, Mendi leads with empathy, clarity, and an unshakable belief that inclusion must be intentional.

Mendi believes that engagement and inclusion benefit everyone—not just those impacted by disability. Inclusive communities begin with awareness, evolve through understanding, and thrive when we accept one another as the talented, worthy individuals we all are.