Lori Martinez

I’ve lived my life in border communities. Raised in Farmington, my family roots lie in Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado. In 1998, I moved to Las Cruces to attend New Mexico State University, fell in love with southern New Mexico, and got my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Social Work.

Complexity has been embedded into the story of my life for as long as I can remember. I was born to a young mom who had given birth to my older brother 13 months before having me. Being a single, working mom and unable to rely on my biological father at the time, she made the difficult decision to give me up for adoption to her older brother and his wife, who had also adopted a niece from her side of the family. My adoptive father was a Vietnam veteran with an 8th grade education, who became a mechanic after coming back from the war. My adoptive mom was a nurse before getting married and becoming a homemaker. My parents instilled a strong work ethic in me and my siblings.

When I was 7, my parents adopted 3 more kids who were in foster care from the New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department. Altogether I have 6 siblings, both adopted and biological, and 3 family lines to track, those of my biological mother/adoptive father, my biological father, and my adoptive mother. And like many families in New Mexico, my family is big, with many primos, tíos, abuelos, y más. I was raised with the understanding that life is meant to be lived in community,

Here in Las Cruces I found a home and my calling as a social worker. I’ve built a life here with my daughter, driven by a belief in the importance of community and service, a commitment to human rights and opportunities, and a desire to fight for a just world.

I’ve been privileged to serve this community for over 20 years as a social worker, where my work has often been at the intersection of education and mental health.