Martinez to be recognized on Oct. 25, for his leadership, achievements
and commitment to the community
Santa Ana, CA – On Friday, Oct. 25, Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) Chancellor Marvin Martinez will be honored with an Excellence in Leadership Award from the Salvadoran American Leadership and Educational Fund (SALEF). The award will be presented at SALEF’s 24th Anniversary and Scholarship Celebration and will recognize Martinez for his leadership, achievements and commitment to the community.
“More than any other time in history, SALEF’s mission is vital – to bring awareness of the importance of becoming naturalized citizens to the Latino community in an effort to ultimately increase the Latino voice in the political and electoral process,” stated Martinez. “The Latino voice truly matters and I am proud to support the work of this important organization.”
Martinez was named RSCCD Chancellor in May 2019. From 2013 to 2019, he served as president of East Los Angeles College. Under his leadership, the college was ranked No. 6 in the nation and No. 1 in California for community college degrees and certificates granted to Hispanic students in 2017, according to Hispanic Outlook on Education magazine. Prior, Martinez served as president of Los Angeles Harbor College, where he was responsible for $444 million in bond construction, balancing the college budget in his first year as president, and making significant gains in student success.
A member of the board of the Chief Executive Officers for California Community Colleges (CEOCCC) since 2015, Martinez will serve as its immediate past president for the 2019-2020 term. Chancellor Martinez is also a member of the College Board’s Community College Advisory Panel, which works to promote national recognition of the role community colleges plan in providing access to higher education.
A native of El Salvador, Martinez immigrated to Brooklyn, New York, and later moved to Long Beach, California, where he graduated from Long Beach Wilson High. He holds a Master of Arts in Urban Planning and a Bachelor of Arts in English from UCLA.
As Chancellor, Martinez leads the Rancho Santiago Community College District, which includes Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College. The district serves more than 52,000 students annually in a district with a population of more than 700,000 residents in the communities of Anaheim Hills, Orange, Santa Ana, Villa Park, and portions of Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove and Tustin.
In addition to the colleges, Martinez maintains oversight of the district’s Centennial and Orange Continuing Education Centers, the Digital Media Center, the Orange County Regional Fire Training Center, the Orange County Sheriff’s Regional Training Academy, and the district operations center.
“It is with great pride that we honor Chancellor Martinez, the second Salvadoran chancellor in the State of California, on the eve of our 24th anniversary," Jocelyn E. Duarte, M.A., Executive Director, SALEF. "Through his leadership, Chancellor Martinez is forging ahead and creating spaces for Latinos in higher education. His work has been instrumental in crafting pathways for Latino students to attain access to higher education. The leadership exhibited by the Chancellor has ensured higher rates of enrollment and retention at Hispanic serving institutions. Chancellor Martinez changes the narrative of what is possible for Salvadoran Americans in the United States to accomplish when given the opportunity; which includes success, leadership and the capacity to become a champion of change.”
In addition to recognizing Martinez and three additional “Champions of Change,” SALEF will award 20 scholarships to underserved and undocumented students who attend universities and community colleges in throughout California. As an organization that promotes giving back to communities, scholarship recipients are expected to complete community service hours and receipt of the scholarship award is dependent on completion of their pledge.
SALEF’s 24th Anniversary and Scholarship Celebration will be held Friday, Oct. 25, at 5:30 p.m., at The L.A. Grand Hotel Downtown, 333 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90071.
About Salvadoran American Leadership and Educational Fund (SALEF)
SALEF’s mission is to promote the civic participation and representation of the Salvadoran and other Latino communities in the U.S., promote the economic development and democracy in El Salvador, as well as to advocate for its economic, educational, and political advancement and growth.
About Rancho Santiago Community College District
Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College are public community colleges of the Rancho Santiago Community College District, which serves the residents of Anaheim Hills, Orange, Santa Ana, Villa Park, and portions of Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, and Tustin. Both colleges provide education for academic transfer and careers, courses for personal and professional development, and customized training for business and industry.
