Maritza Martinez

Maritza Martinez, Senior Associate, Fellow and Alumni Programs
212.400.3958
Maritza@echoinggreen.org

Before joining Echoing Green as a program associate, Maritza was the administrative coordinator at AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps, an organization that integrates work for social change, Jewish learning, and community-building. Additionally, she recently completed her Masters degree in Nonprofit Management at the New School's Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy. Before moving to New York, Maritza worked at the Whitman-Walker Clinic and Friends of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. She is a certified human resources professional and has five years of human resources experience.

Why do you do what you do?

wdydwyd sign: To use my powers 4 good, NOT evil.

We all possess skills and talents. Each of us has to make the choice whether to use these powers to create the world we want to live in or just accept the status quo.

What drew you to work at Echoing Green?

While I was in graduate school I ended up working with a few organizations that were in start-up mode. I found I really enjoyed the energy social entrepreneurs bring to the sector. Echoing Green was a natural place to look for a job, and this work is what graduate school trained me to do. Echoing Green Fellows are constantly pushing the envelope and challenging the status quo in their communities, in their fields, and in the sector. They are truly what social justice is all about.

What book are you currently reading?

I am currently reading Finding Mañana: A Memoir of the Cuban Exodus by Mirta Ojitos.

What do you do for fun in your free time?

I really enjoy creating. I have several crafty habits. I like to crochet, sew, sculpt and reconstruct t-shirt and other clothes. I also enjoy playing computer games, watching crime shows on TV and spending time with friends and family.

When was your last Be Bold moment?

Mother’s Day 2008…My family loves giving gifts, even my eleven year-old niece gets a Mother’s Day gift (no, she’s not a parent). This year instead of getting people something they don’t need or want. I made a donation in their name to a charity I thought they would like. I was slightly afraid of how they would react to this change in protocol but it was very well received. Several people remarked that they loved the gift and preferred it to getting something else. We all have so much stuff already. In the end, I was glad I thought outside of the box.

In the next month, I plan to…

This summer, I hope to visit all the beaches in the five boroughs of New York City and maybe also take a few little trips to other nearby beaches. It’s not the Caribbean but I think for this summer I’ll have to make due. We visited Brighton Beach a few weekends ago and it was a blast. It was still pretty chilly, so we didn’t go in the water, but just sitting on the sand was therapeutic.

Any pets?

We have two cats, Wabun and Aphrodite. They are both named for deities and demand to be treated as such. Wabun is the spirit keeper of the east in Algonquin Indian culture and Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love.