Dr. Ted Martinez, Jr.

Dr. Martinez is the Executive Director of the NCCHC Leadership Fellows Program, hosted at San Diego State University, and serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of

San Diego and University of Florida.

 

He retired after a 41-year career, capped by service as the eighth Superintendent/ President of Rio Hondo College in Whittier, CA. He also served in teaching and administrative positions in Texas, Chicago and San Diego. He has served as a member of the AACC Board of Directors, was twice elected as president of the National Community College Hispanic Council (NCCHC), and is a champion of preparing Hispanic leaders for public service.

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A Texas native, Dr. Martinez has dedicated himself to education, and has been a strong role model for Latinos in academia. In a family of seven children, he was the eldest male child.  When he was 14, he and his family joined the migrant farm worker stream, but because his parents were determined that he receive an education they did not go north to the fields until school was out in June and were back for the start of school in September. His parents’ commitment to education paid off, and all of their children completed high school.

 

Dr. Martinez earned both master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Business and Economics from Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas, and went on to receive a PhD degree as a Ford Fellow in Higher Education Administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

 

He began his community college career teaching occupational education classes at Western Texas College. His community college experience includes several administrative positions with the El Paso Community College District and the Dallas County Community College District (Texas), the presidency of Richard J. Daley College in Chicago, and Associate Vice Chancellor of the City Colleges of Chicago. Dr. Martinez also served as president of Grossmont College (east San Diego County).

 

Nationally, Martinez has been an effective force in building the NCCHC Leadership Fellows Program to prepare mid management personnel as future community college leaders at the executive level. He has also served as a board member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities; and as president of the National Council for Occupational Education; and he served as co-chair of the United States Department of Agriculture HACU Leadership Group.

 

His commitment to excellence in education has been recognized by several honors including the 2016 Alfredo G. de los Santos Jr. Distinguished Leadership in Higher Education Award; 2014 NCCHC Outstanding Latino CEO Leadership Award; the Outstanding President Award from the California Community College Council for Staff Development, Certificate of Recognition  for Outstanding Service to the Community in the Category of Education from California Assemblywoman Dr. Shirley Webber; MANA de San Diego President’s Award.