The Pacific Institute is pleased to announce the addition of a new member to its board, Marielle Villar Martiney, an organizational strategist, community advocate, and equitable environmental policy enthusiast. “The board is delighted to welcome Marielle,” says Board Chair Tony Stayner. “She brings a passion for water politics and policy, a dedication to social justice, and experience in strategic communications. We’re looking forward to benefiting from her expertise in the coming years.”
“As the Pacific Institute works towards water resilience in the era of climate change, the support of those with direct experience supporting underserved communities will be crucial for our approach going forward,” says Pacific Institute President Jason Morrison. “We believe Marielle’s insights will be invaluable as we seek a way forward to true water resilience for all.”
Marielle currently serves as the Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES), a community-based environmental and racial justice organization dedicated to helping low-income communities of color stay in their homes and community. She oversees the implementation of GOLES’ first impact evaluation to support data-driven organizational transformation and leads GOLES’ communications team.
Previously, Marielle worked as program manager with the Fresh Air Fund, consultant for social impact venture capital firm Propel Capital, and Campaign Manager in Pennsylvania for the 2018 midterms, where her team made history by electing the first woman and first Democrat to PA-158. A lifelong environmental and water policy enthusiast, Marielle worked on single-use plastics policy for the Mayor’s Office of Climate Policy and Programs and the New York Department of Sanitation, and was a Deloitte Smart Cities consultant.
Marielle currently serves on the Associate Board of United Neighborhood Houses, Race and Equity Committee for Association of Princeton Latino Alumni, and the Racial Justice Advisory Committee for Coro New York. Marielle is a recipient of several fellowships: New York City New Leaders Council (2020), New York Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs (2018), and Frontline Solutions Hilliard P. Jenkins (2013). Marielle received a B.A. from Princeton University and is completing her Executive Masters in Public Administration at Columbia University. A proud Boricua,
Marielle was born in the Bronx and now resides in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Marielle was born in the Bronx neighborhood in New York City and now resides in the Lower East Side. Public service was an important part of her childhood, as her mother was a public school teacher and her father a Navy veteran. Marielle is a former ballet dancer, and continues to enjoy dancing and the performing arts.
View the Pacific Institute’s full Board of Directors and Advisory Council here. This biography was adapted in part from the New Leaders Council website. Read the full bio on their website here.