Reach Out and Read, a leading national organization that embeds literacy promotion into pediatric care, is pleased to announce Marty Martinez as Chief Executive Officer. Appointed by the Reach Out and Read Board of Directors, Martinez will succeed Brian Gallagher on February 14, 2022.
In his most recent role as Chief of Health and Human Services for the City of Boston, Martinez led the city in meeting the needs of its citizens during the course of some of the most pressing contemporary social and community challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to that, he served as President and CEO of Mass Mentoring Partnership, where he led hundreds of mentoring and youth development programs across Massachusetts.
“I am excited to join Reach Out and Read in the next chapter of the story of this amazing organization. I am looking forward to working with the committed staff, board members, affiliate leaders, volunteers and supporters as we continue to lead our efforts to strengthen healthy child development and build stronger communities across the country,” said Martinez.
Through his personal and professional experiences working on behalf of young people, families and under-resourced communities across the Greater Boston area, Martinez has become a mainstay community leader who has dedicated his career to centering equity at the heart of his work. He has tirelessly aimed to break down barriers and create systemic opportunities to advance the lives of his neighbors in Boston and beyond.
Martin J. Walsh, Secretary of Labor and former Mayor of the City of Boston, said of Martinez’s appointment, “Marty Martinez is not only a strong leader and a great manager, but he is deeply committed to strengthening communities by lifting those who need it most. I saw it firsthand when he worked for me at City Hall as the Chief of Health and Human Services. Reach Out and Read is lucky to have him bring those skills to their workplace and I look forward to seeing the impact of his work across the country.”
Reach Out and Read aims to give every young child in the United States a foundation for success, strengthen society, and help combat the effects of income inequality by sharing the power of reading with families of all backgrounds and economic means. In fact, the program model has the potential to reach 90% of all children in the United States through well-child visits, beginning at birth.
“Reach Out and Read is an unparalleled example of embedding public health within clinical medicine,” remarked Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, Reach Out and Read National Board Chair. “Marty Martinez’s experience in public health melded with his service mindset makes him a fantastic choice to lead us in our mission to ensure that families nationally feel confident, capable, and comfortable sharing books with their young children.”
Providing more than 4.2 million children with 6.4 million books through 40,000 clinicians annually, Reach Out and Read is the only national early literacy organization working directly with pediatric care providers to share the lifelong benefits that result from families reading aloud to their children every day. The effectiveness of Reach Out and Read model is recognized by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which recommends early literacy promotion as an essential component of pediatric care.
About Reach Out and Read
Founded in 1989, the Reach Out and Read program begins in infancy and continues through age five, with a special emphasis on children growing up in low-income communities. Pediatric teams provide new, age- and language-appropriate books and share literacy advice with children and parents at each well-child visit. The program is both cost-effective, and evidence-based: research shows that Reach Out and Read results in more frequent reading at home, more enjoyment by families reading together, and accelerated language development.
For more information visit reachoutandread.org, or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
