Martinez in race for Commissioner of Costilla County’s 2nd District

SAN LUIS — Fernando A. Martinez is a sixth-generation resident of San Luis, has announced he is running for Commissioner of Costilla County's 2nd District seat.

Martinez is a descendant of Ricardo de Jesus Vigil and Maria Dolores Ballejos, who were among the first settlers in Culebra in 1851.

He graduated from Centennial High School in 1973 and earned two degrees from Alamosa State University, a Bachelor's in Sociology and a Master's in Guidance and Counseling. He also earned a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Michigan, located in Ann Arbor, Mich. He was the first in his family to earn a college degree, but not the last. He returned to the San Luis Valley with an MSW and as a newlywed. 

He subsequently obtained employment with the San Luis Valley Mental Health for 10 years as a grant writer and Director of Substance Abuse Services. He then moved his family to Trinidad, where he served as a Probation Officer for the 3rd Judicial District and then the 11th Judicial District as Chief Probation Officer until 1997. 

The family of six, Fernando, Priscilla, Avelina, Marcello, Rafael and Carlos, eventually returned to San Luis to help care for Fernando’s ailing father, Amadeo Martinez, retired Costilla County Clerk. Sadly, Priscilla died 13 years ago. The family remained united under Fernando’s guidance. During this time, he was hired by the Centennial School District to administer a youth service program. After two years, he was hired as the Deputy Mental Health Director for the San Luis Valley Mental Health Center, and eventually promoted to Chief Executive Officer.

For the past 21 years, he has led the organization's expansion and transformation into becoming the San Luis Valley Behavioral Health Group. The organization brings services directly into small towns and villages in the San Luis Valley, to provide access to quality behavioral health that enriches lives and promotes wellness. 

Martinez believes that his educational background, professional work experience, along with leadership roles, past, and present, in acequia districts, and other organizations, will be helpful with the responsibilities of county government administration. He recognizes the challenges of living in a rural community where accessing state and federal funding can be an obstacle, but one that needs persistent action by local government to ensure funding and training resources arrive in Costilla County. He believes the top priorities of the area are the replacement of the local jail facility, additional funding for the Road and Bridge Department, maintaining a qualified workforce with ongoing training opportunities, and proactive budget management.

He recognizes the role and duties of County Commissioners are numerous, that the county is a complex organization, and he is prepared to tackle the task, keeping the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the county as a top priority. He believes that a strength-based approach to smart growth strategies will help our rural communities achieve their goals for growth and development while maintaining their rural character, values, local traditions, and the preservation of land and water rights. 

He has engaged in small row crop farming for the past 25 years, keeping local traditions of land management alive as well as growing traditional foods using heirloom seeds. 

Martinez believes his values and skill set are suited to work with the community to develop and implement creative and sustainable solutions for Costilla County to thrive.