Richard L. MartinezMetropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

Richard L. Martinez, Jr., is the Acting Diversity Administrator of the Diversity Section of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. He has nearly 29 years of governmental service and experience. This includes stops at the City of Chicago, State of Illinois, and Cook County government. During his tenure at MWRDGC he has monitored over $1 Billion in public construction contracts for compliance.

Richard has a Bachelor of Science degree from Loyola University of Chicago in both Political Science and Criminal Justice. He is also certified as an “Executive Certified Master Compliance Administrator” from the American Contract Compliance Association and Morgan State University.

Richard has received several awards for his advocacy including the President’s Volunteer Service Award, Advocate of the Year, Federation of Women Contractors (2016), the HACIA Advocate of the Year Award (2019) and 2023 Champion of Diversity & Economic Inclusion, Compass DEI Institute.

Richard comes from a family of three generations of Steelworkers on Chicago’s Southeast side. Rich and his wife Sandi have been married for twenty-six years and have raised five Generation Z children. Richard and his wife are also military parents, with their oldest daughter currently serving in the U.S. Coast Guard. Socially, Richard serves as a Pastor and has been recognized nationally and locally for his pastoral work, ministry, and community service. This work has earned him an Honorable Mention commendation from the Chicago Police Department.