December 2004 - Vol. 33, No. 12 - Philadelphia Bar Association

United Way’s Martinez
Talks of New Challenges
by Joseph A. Sullivan
Alba Martinez, named this summer
as the new president and CEO of
United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania,
spoke at the November meeting
of the Delivery of Legal Services Committee
(DLSC) about her first 100 days
at the helm of the largest health and
human services organization in the
Delaware Valley.
Martinez talked not only about United
Way’s plans to develop more effective
strategies to fight problems such as
domestic violence, abuse and neglect
and the plight of the disabled and elderly,
but also of the need to build
stronger partnerships for change.
Martinez ascended to United Way’s
top post in June, after nearly threeand-a-half
years of service as commissioner
of the city’s Department of
Human Services (DHS). Martinez noted
that one of her proudest accomplishments
at DHS was her focus on achieving
greater permanency for children.
As commissioner, she spearheaded
SPLC, a new subsidized permanent
legal custodian project through which
240 children (most of whom had been
Before taking over as president and CEO of United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Alba
Martinez was Philadelphia Commissioner of the Department of Human Services. In the background
is Delivery of Legal Services Committee Co-Chair Joseph A. Sullivan.
in foster care for many years) achieved
a permanent home. In that same period,
DHS also facilitated a record number
of adoptions.
To many DLSC members, Martinez’s
arrival seemed like a homecoming.
Martinez, who was born and raised in
Puerto Rico and attended law school at
Georgetown University, first came to
Philadelphia in 1985, where she began
a career of public service as a lawyer at
Community Legal Services. In 1991, she
became executive director of Congreso
de Latinos Unidos, and helped to build
it into a multi-level social services agency
and forceful voice for Latinos in
Philadelphia. In 2000, she was named
by Mayor John F. Street as DHS commissioner
and was quickly recognized
as a reformer.
At the meeting, DLSC leaders noted
that there were many parallels between
the work of United Way and
DLSC-member public interest and legal
services organizations. These include a
commitment to the poorest and most
vulnerable of our neighbors, the regular
use of partnerships, a holistic approach
to complex problems, and efforts
to develop long-term strategies to address
them. Louis Rulli, clinical professor
at the University of Pennsylvania
Law School, noted that one key focus
of United Way is strengthening communities
- a natural fit for many DLSC
organizations. Robert Schwartz of the
Juvenile Law Center and Janet Stotland
of the Education Law Center raised issues
about how to better measure outcomes
of the work of nonprofits, and
how United Way and DLSC can work
more collaboratively on policy issues
of common concern.
Other critical issues that were discussed
include use of United Way’s
Donor Choice option and membership
by DLSC agencies in United Way. At
Martinez’ suggestion, DLSC will invite a
member of United Way’s Public Policy
Committee to a meeting in the near
future to address common priorities
and potential collaborations.
Joseph A. Sullivan, a partner at Pepper Hamilton LLP, is
co-chair of the Public Interest Section’s Delivery of Legal
Services Committee. He is counsel to the Association, and
a member of its Board of Governors.
Photo by Jeff Lyons
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4 DECEMBER 2004 / BAR REPORTER