Eduardo Served as NMMS’s Organization and Leadership Development Revitalization Specialist for 12 Years
Eduardo Martinez has been engaged with the New Mexico MainStreet (NMMS) program since 2011 when he presented at the Santa Fe Winter Conference on engaging youth and people of color, relating to that year’s theme of diversity and inclusion. A year later, he joined the MainStreet team of Program Associates (now called Revitalization Specialists) and took on the Organization support role. His extensive experience with the U.S. Department of Commerce, nearly a dozen nonprofits, and numerous philanthropic initiatives has been an invaluable asset to the NMMS program and communities throughout the state.
His role with NMMS covered quite a few areas, including training on the Main Street Approach, Board development, Executive Director mentoring, and nonprofit management topics; supporting and later co-leading annual Accreditation reviews for districts; and helping new communities with readiness assessments, onboarding through the “startup” process, and incorporation as a new MainStreet nonprofit organization.
In the last 12 years, much of Eduardo’s work focused on facilitation of strategic and work plans for MainStreet organizations, mediating contract negotiations between local programs and government partners, and troubleshooting nonprofit/Board operational issues. In 2014, he worked alongside a group of dedicated, community-minded individuals to start the NM Resiliency Alliance, NMMS’s nonprofit partner that provides small grants to MainStreet/Arts & Cultural District programs.
Eduardo said, “It was also an honor to be part of the team of Specialists that helped design NMMS’s programming and technical assistance service delivery approaches.”
“I would like to thank Eduardo for his service to the NMMS Network, New Mexico Resiliency Alliance, and his larger work with New Mexican communities more broadly,” New Mexico MainStreet Director Daniel Gutierrez said. “His nickname, Doctor Eduardo, is well deserved and we will all miss his commitment and passion for developing community leaders and organizations, his guidance in troubleshooting and solving problems, and his compassion for people and the work we all love. Eduardo has been a great leader, teacher, colleague, and friend and I wish him all the best on his next adventure or challenge in life.”
Eduardo’s first task as a Program Associate in 2012 was to help bring Zuni Pueblo through the MainStreet startup process. He previously worked in numerous Pueblos prior to joining NMMS, and he found the Zuni Pueblo experience extremely gratifying.
Eduardo said, “The people were amazing, and the work was challenging, but even the smallest wins were meaningful. The Zuni people were always extremely welcoming, and I will never forget those initial experiences with NMMS.”
For Eduardo, the best thing about working with NMMS has always been seeing people across the state take the information he shared and use it to create positive impact in their communities. There is no better payment for him than seeing others succeed and thrive. An Executive Director or Board Chair that “gets it” and injects all their energy into being successful was a fun experience for him to be a part of.
“Helping the MainStreet network grow from 15 to more than 32 communities has also been amazing to be involved with. Kudos to Rich Williams and Daniel Gutierrez for embracing a comprehensive statewide vision and then moving it forward. Being part of the NMMS team has been an amazing experience,” Eduardo said.
Eduardo will miss those he’s known and befriended through working with NMMS.
“As an Organization Specialist, working with diverse people (and all that comes with it) can be challenging, taxing, and even frustrating at times. I’ve not always had a perfect relationship with everyone in the MainStreet network, but acquaintances become colleagues, colleagues become associates, and associates become friends. Some of those friendships will persist beyond my time with NMMS. I have great appreciation for everyone on the NMMS team (past and present) and local Executive Directors that care about their community and find ways to make things happen. I’ll carry those memories, experiences and friendships forward into the future,” he said.
Eduardo’s advice for new Revitalization Specialists or Executive Directors is that MainStreet work is a marathon, not a sprint.
“We all have a certain level of impatience and want to see change happen quickly. But mostly, we’re just setting the table for long term change. Be kind to yourself and those around you. In everything you do, open the door to helping others less fortunate, less skilled, and less resourced,” he said.
Eduardo said he still has energy and desire to work and contribute to community improvement efforts across the state, and beyond.
“After 12 years, I believe it’s a good time to create opportunities for others who want to step into the spaces I’m holding at NMMS, and for me to shift my attention to other community initiatives. While I won’t be directly supporting the MainStreet network in the future, I plan to continue my work as an organizational/nonprofit development consultant,” he said.
He plans to continue his facilitation work to support planning and capacity-building in the social sector and is interested in supporting organizations focused on strengthening individual/family economic security. He hopes to research and analyze related topics and use that information to support statewide policy development.
He’s also working on a history project researching the histories of more than 500 men of the “Lost Battalion,” an artillery unit that was captured by the Japanese during WWII. He put together a website for this effort and is committed to documenting and retelling the story of every man in that unit, some who never returned home. It’s a project with a personal connection for him and he’s enjoying it.
Finally, he plans to spend more time traveling for fun (instead of work), including motorcycle camping trips in NM and beyond. Mark Twain once wrote, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness,” and he wants to reconnect with those types of experiences.
Please join us at the upcoming NMMS Institute in Deming on Sept. 25-27 to honor and celebrate Eduardo’s contributions to the NMMS program and communities throughout the state.
Eduardo is finishing his contract with NMMS at the end of June 2024. If any you have any questions about ongoing projects, please reach out to NMMS’s Revitalization Specialists or staff.
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