Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker announced Alba Martinez and Renee Garcia as Philadelphia’s new commerce director and city solicitor, respectively.
“I am proud to have two exceptionally qualified Latina women as members of my Cabinet, including the first Latina and member of the LGBTQ+ community to lead the city’s Commerce Department in history,” Parker wrote in a statement released Wednesday.
Who is Alba Martinez?
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With her appointment, Alba Martinez is the first Latina and member of the LGBTQ+ community to lead Philadelphia’s commerce department, according to Parker.
“Under the leadership of Alba Martinez as Director, the Commerce Department will be responsible for delivering the promise of economic opportunity for all, and Alba is the best person to ensure that the growth of our city is truly equitable,” Parker said.
Martinez served as a senior executive for the global investment company Vanguard for more than a decade and managed the company’s largest client group while serving as Head of Retail Client Services. She also implemented the company’s recruitment strategies while serving as Vanguard’s Head of Global Talent Acquisition.
Business
Martinez also co-founded Magnolia Impact Solutions, described by Parker as a web-based financial health measurement tool allowing workforce organizations and funders to “effectively evaluate the impact of their programs on clients’ economic well-being.” Martinez also founded Street Knowledge, an initiative that aims to connect disadvantaged Philadelphia residents to career paths and financial mobility.
Martinez also worked in non-profit and government sectors. She was the President and CEO of the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania and Philadelphia’s Commissioner of Human Services. She also launched innovative programs at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, including Pennsylvania’s first Latina domestic violence program and a neighborhood-based carpenters union training program.
Martinez was born and raised in Puerto Rico and earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Puerto Rico. She also earned her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and attended advanced management programs at Wharton Business School and Harvard Business School.
“Alba brings decades of executive leadership experience in business, government, non-profit, and cultural sectors and a deep understanding of the stakeholders the City needs to work with to ensure every resident has access to economic opportunity,” Parker said.
Who is Renee Garcia?
Renee Garcia has served as the Chair of Litigation in the Philadelphia Law Department since 2021. She currently leads six units made up of 130 people in the areas of Torts, Code, Civil Rights, Appeals, Affirmative and Special Litigation, and Labor and Employment.
Garcia counsels city work groups and helps with defining, implementing and assessing legal and policy issues for City agencies in relation to litigation strategy.
“It was under her leadership in the Solicitor’s office that launched some of the City’s most impactful cases to combat gun violence, protect affordable housing, and fight against companies polluting our environment,” Parker said. “I can’t wait to see her apply these talents and mirror these successes for the entire legal department.”
Garcia also serves on the Boards of Planned Parenthood of Southeast Pennsylvania, the Hispanic Bar Association of Pennsylvania and the arts non-profit Intercultural Journeys. She received her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2008 and her B.A. from Barnard College, Columbia University in 2003.
