Director of Environmental Health
Angel Martinez is a home-grown Nuevo Mexicano who grew up in the Southern New Mexico small farming communities of La Mesa and Vado. His career has demonstrated a strong commitment to working with communities to protect their health and the environment. He also brings vast regulatory experience and technical skills to the position.
After a military career in the United States Marine Corps, Mr. Martinez began his environmental work at Sandia National Labs’ Hazardous Waste Management Facility as a Lead Chemist. He also served on Sandia Labs’ Hazardous and Radio Active Materials Release Response Team. He then worked for the City of Albuquerque as the first Environmental and Regulatory Compliance Specialist with the Solid Waste Department. Soon, Mr. Martinez moved on to the Environmental Health Department, where he served in several capacities, including regulatory development, permitting, enforcement and ultimately Environmental Health Manager in the Air Quality Division.
As a consultant, Mr. Martinez worked projects in New Mexico, West Texas and Southern Arizona related to the Clean Air, Clean Water Act, RCRA, CERCLA, SARA Title III, NEPA, Title 6 of the Civil Rights and other environmental laws. Mr. Martinez was then joined Valencia County as Environmental and Public Health Director. Mr. Martinez then moved on to the Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as a Strategic Planner and Environmental Coordinator. He oversaw BLM’s interdisciplinary team of scientists, analyzing federal projects in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, Title 6 of the Civil Rights, Tribal Consultation Laws and other applicable federal laws. Mr. Martinez then became the Manager for the BLM Rio Puerco Field Office in Central New Mexico, where he served as the Federal Authorized Officer for all BLM federal projects within his assigned Field Office. Mr. Martinez made his way back to the City of Albuquerque after completing his federal service, joining the Solid Waste Department as the Superintendent of Collection Services during the peak of the COVID pandemic.
Mr. Martinez served with distinction in the U.S. military, both in the infantry and as rotor wing (helicopter) pilot. He holds B.S. degrees in Chemistry and Professional Aeronautics, and a M.S. Certification in Advanced Risk Analyses from San Diego State University, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and Harvard University School of Public Health respectively. Mr. Martinez also holds minors in Environmental Sciences and Security and Intelligence Policy.