Sacramento State welcomed the new Multi-Cultural Center Director Charlene Martinez this afternoon at a reception in the Multi-Cultural Center.

Martinez comes to Sac State from Mills College where she served as assistant director in the Office of Student Activities.

Prior to the hiring of Martinez, the Multi-Cultural Center had been without a full-time director since the post was vacated by Leonard Valdez in December of 2005.

Valdez, who now serves as director of student conduct for the Office of Student Affairs, was one of more than 60 faculty, students and staff members who attended the event.

Martinez previously worked as the assistant director and program coordinator for the Cross-Cultural Center at UC San Diego and as the office manager for the Multicultural Center at UC Santa Barbara.

Her job will be to reengage the Multi-Cultural Center with the campus community and make the center more active on campus, Valdez said.

“The center has been through a low tide over the last couple of years,” Valdez said. “Now the center has a chance to rise and be a more energetic presence on campus.”

Martinez said she is excited and happy to be a part of the Sac State staff. She also said she would like to bridge gaps between the center and the campus community that have grown over the past two years by building and strengthening relationships within the community.

Julia Acuna, senior sociology major, said she feels that Martinez can work toward that goal by making the center a more visible presence on campus. Acuna also said she hopes that students will use the center more and feel welcome under Martinez’s leadership.

Sac State Pride Center Co-Coordinator Alexa Harris said she likes that Martinez wants to make the center more collaborative with other campus groups and incorporate more of the campus community into center activities in order to make the center more diverse.

Marlyn Jones, a professor in the criminal justice department, and ASI Office of Governmental Affairs Director Erika Alatorre were both happy to finally have a full-time director for the center.

“It is nice to have a director that can implement new directions for the center,” Jones said. “I hope she will have a positive impact on the center.”

The hiring of Martinez motivated Alatorre, who said she is excited to see what the center will be able to offer in the way of diversity and multiculturalism in the next year.

“It took Sac State a while to get a new director and I am glad we now have a good person in the position,” she said.

Todd Wilson can be reached at [email protected]