Martinez Announces Candidacy For Utica School Board

The President of the Mohawk Valley Latino Association is setting her sights on winning a seat on the Utica Board of Education.

Sonia Martinez announced her candidacy on Tuesday, saying her experience bringing different groups of people together will help her if she is elected.

"One of the great characteristics of the Latino Alliance is that we have made partners with individuals and groups that are not Latino, because we all know that what is good for one ethnic group in this community is good for all," Martinez said. "I am running to serve all the children and all the families in this city, because through my work with the Latino Association, I know the depth that exists."

Martinez, who came to the United States from the Dominican Republic in 1972, currently serves on multiple boards. Among them are the Boy Scouts of America Revolutionary Trails Council, the NAACP Oneida County Branch and the Utica Public Library.

She was also a member of Utica Mayor Rob Palmieri's Transition Team when he was first elected.