Cathy Blanco Martinez is a social justice advocate committed to educational equity for students from underrepresented populations. Cathy is currently the Director of External Affairs and Strategic Planning. In her role, she oversees the development of systems designed to streamline program operations and communications. She also manages educational and business partnerships, alumni engagement, and oversees the Puente Southern California Regional Center. She works closely with the Executive Director regarding strategic planning for national expansion and program research. With an extensive career of over 30 years in higher education, Cathy brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from various state and federal student outreach programs. She has held multiple positions within the Puente statewide office for both the secondary and community college units and has helped to support sites with program implementation while also assisting with faculty professional development training. Previous to Puente, Cathy served as an Assistant Director of EAOP at UC Riverside and a College Counselor for the Talent Search Program at CSU Fullerton.