Anita Martinez (March 2024)

Anita Martinez is a retired City College teacher who held various leadership positions throughout her career. She was elected President of both AFT 2121 (her union) and the Academic Senate at City College, representing faculty statewide in both roles. Subsequently, she served as City College’s Dean of Students and its Vice Chancellor of Instruction, and also held administrative positions at Skyline College and the College of Marin.

During the 1990s, Anita was appointed twice to the San Francisco Human Services Commission, where her mentor was Jane Morrison. Through this experience, she acquired community organizing skills, starting as a student striker at San Francisco State, where their strike led to the founding of the College of Ethnic Studies.

Anita has been actively involved in civic participation, having voted in every election, volunteered on or donated to various campaigns, and was elected to the Board of Trustees at City College in 2022. Her inclusive campaign drew on the talents of youth, seniors, and individuals in the middle, engaging activists and newer voters. She emphasizes the importance of nurturing grassroots leaders for the well-being of all people at the city, state, and national levels.

Furthermore, Anita mentors individuals seeking elective office, sharing her knowledge about campaign logistics and strategy. Before retirement, she was involved with LULAC, a historic national organization for Latinos, and played a key role in organizing a local Talent Search agency in San Francisco. Additionally, she proposed and implemented El Colegio de la Mission, bringing City College credit classes to the Mission District. Anita also served on the boards of Jamestown, the San Francisco Bay Area Educators Credit Union, and Bay Area MANA, an affiliate of a national Latina organization that sponsored a middle-school program for Latinas.