Jason Martinez, MS

Jason was born and raised in New York City, but currently resides in Seymour, CT. He is a first-generation college graduate and holds his bachelor's degree in Sociology and Theater from Northwestern University, and a master's degree in Urban Education from Mercy College. Jason spent 6 years working as a special education teacher in New York City before transitioning to the non-profit sector as founding program manager for Reading Partners NYC, whose literacy intervention model focused on training community volunteers to provide 1 to 1 tutoring to students reading below grade level. In 2013 Jason joined United Way of Greater New Haven, where he had the opportunity to support widespread change in a 12 town catchment area. His work was focused on basic needs, ensuring those in the region had access to housing and food. In August of 2020, Jason had the opportunity to join the team at United Way of Greater Waterbury when he was named the new Vice President of Community Impact. He continued supporting some of Connecticut’s most vulnerable communities by leading the impact team via an equitable and inclusive approach, launching the first Equity Fund to drive positive change and improve outcomes for historically marginalized communities. In 2022 Jason joined the team at the Office of Community & Practice as the inaugural director of the Community Impact Lab. In this most recent role, he serves as the community-facing staff member in the office, helping to connect MPH students to experiential learning opportunities in New Haven and CT.