George L. Martinez

George L. Martinez

George L. Martinez
george.martinez@nih.gov">Email George L. Martinez

Power Words

Power Words: Spanish: 
Persistencia, confianza, familia
Power Words: English: 
Persistence, confidence, family

Where were you born? 

Chicago, IL

What school did you attend? 

I attended Samuel Gompers H.S. in the Bronx, NYC. I dropped out and completed my GED while serving in the US Army. I subsequently completed my education with a Bachelor of Science Degree (Business and Management Administration) with the University of Maryland and completed a graduate program with the University of Phoenix (Master’s Degree in Organization Management).

What gained you interest in the NIH? 

While serving in the US Army, I was in the Army Medical Department and spent a large portion of my career with the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, which sparked an interest working with the research community. NIH has a reputation throughout the nation as the premier research activity and has successfully helped in resolving so many health and disease issues. There is no better way to give back to a country that has given me and my family so many opportunities than by offering to help NIH continue with their research mission. NIH is so fascinating; so many people from around the word which in itself is a great learning experience.

What kind of work do you do at the NIH? 

I am the Director of the Division Logistics Services; I manage and administer the logistics management program for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). I provide program oversight of logistics services in support of the NIH research mission, which includes Property Management policies and procedures; Supply Management Services, an ISO 9001-2008 organization, and the NIH Transportation Services with over 300 government owned vehicles.

What message would you like to send to young Hispanics who are considering going to college? 

During my teen years, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life (“what I want to be when I grow up”) and I did not have any focus, but my family values taught me never-to- give up, have confidence and persevere. When I enlisted to serve the U.S. Army, I took those same values and upbringing, which allowed me to have a successful military career. Because of my persistence to succeed I was honored to be inducted into the U.S. Army Sergeant Audie Murphy Club (named after a WW II hero who earned the most medals and the Congressional Medal of Honor) and completed my service as a Command Sergeant Major (highest enlisted grade in the Army). I am not special or there is nothing extraordinary about what I did, like you I just wanted to make my parents proud of me and I did not want to let them down. That is what motivates me; my family.