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Member Profile: Rebecca MartinezMay 1, 2003ULI Los Angeles NewsletterBy Jack Skelley Spring, 2003  "I remember the sense of being absolutely welcomed at that Trends conference," says Rebecca Martinez referring to the first ULI Los Angeles event she attended just over two years ago. "I wanted to get involved."And she did. Quickly. Today Martinez serves on the Executive Committee as chair of the Membership Committee. Martinez is a constant, calmly energetic presence at ULI Los Angeles events, recruiting new members, suggesting fruitful roles for them to play, and in general supporting the organization far beyond the call of duty. In particular, she urges members to join her committee: "It's the best opportunity to interface with new and existing members and see the many positive ways ULI is involved in the community." Martinez knows a lot about involvement. As director of marketing for Cuningham Group Architecture, based in Marina del Rey, she is immersed in the company's business development goals at a very high level. A mid-sized yet international architecture firm, Cuningham Group competes with the big boys for high-profile assignments. They are increasingly involved in large-scale developments in China as well as continuing to focus on entertainment, retail, hotel and education projects. Cuningham Group was one of three architectural firms contributing to Disney's California Adventure. And Cuningham Group received eight awards and national press attention for Minneapolis' innovative Interdistrict Downtown School, which challenged the architects to design flexible learning spaces for over 500 children in a tight urban site of less than one acre. "It wasn't easy," says Martinez of the 1999 project. "But what we learned about how people learn has enabled us to successfully apply these principles to our other projects." Her business-development philosophy is strategic and people-oriented: "Our approach is based on building solid relationships. We don't simply respond to bid lists with the lowest bid. We prefer to work collaboratively with our clients and consultants." Martinez extends this high-level approach to ULI. "Members often offer a very strong commitment to ULI," she says. "The return they get from that, developing their own personal and professional relationships, can be very enriching." Membership in the L.A. District Council has grown from about 1,100 to over 1,400 in two years, but Martinez is not simply interested in higher numbers. She wants people to find a rewarding place for themselves in the organization, and she wants ULI to reach out to those who wouldn't automatically consider joining a land-use institute. "It's important for membership to reflect the diversity of our community, not only in terms of gender and race, but also in terms of the range of professions." And, she offers a final friendly admonishment. "Don't let your membership lapse!" | |
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