PAT MARTINEZ

Pat Martinez's expertise is in leadership development, community relations and engagement, organizational transformation, and nonprofit management. Her extensive executive leadership experience across various sectors underscores her ability to lead, transform, and drive impactful change, propel organizations forward, foster innovation, and strengthen community collaboration. Her NC involvement has been to be appointed and served on the NC Commission on Inclusion and the Andrea Harris Task Force; University City Family Zone Steering Committee member; Board Secretary for the Urban League of Central Carolinas; Board Member for the University City Partners (UCP) Foundation, and UCP Economic Development Committee member. She has served as an Advisory Board member for Opera Carolina and Hispanic Scholars Fund-Charlotte. She co-founded the UCPAC, an innovative political action group that attracted political candidates to the University City area of Charlotte. She has received awards for her advocacy and leadership. Among them was an award from BMW, ""Paying It 4Ward,"" for her high impact on the community. Pride Magazine recognized her for creating ""Diversity in the Clouds."" She was one of the ""25 Distinguished Women in Business"" by MEA Magazine and named ""Businesswoman of the Year"" by La Noticia and the Diamante Awards for Advocacy. She is the second Latina inducted into the Women's History Hall of Fame at the Levine Museum of the New South. She has received leadership recognition from Toastmasters and various student organizations. She has been a recurring mentor for successful entrepreneurs participating in Stanford University's Latino Business Action Network (LBAN) scaling-up program.