Written by Maureen Brakke
MONMOUTH, Ore. — The Research Institute at Western Oregon University is pleased to announce the appointment of Kat Martinez, MPA, as the new Director for the Center on Workforce and Systems Development. In this pivotal role, Martinez will oversee two key early learning systems in Oregon: The Central Coordination of Child Care Resource and Referral and Child Care Substitutes of Oregon.
Martinez has 20 years of experience in early learning and care, along with eight years in public administration and policy. She earned her Master of Public Administration from Southern Utah University in 2023. For the past three years, Martinez has worked at Western Oregon University within the Center on Workforce and Systems Development, contributing to various committees that support the institute’s ongoing equity initiatives.
“I am passionate about expanding equitable access to high-quality childcare for Oregon families,” Martinez said. “I am grateful for this opportunity to lead the Center on Workforce and System Development in supporting the early learning field and strengthening relationships within the WOU community.”
For more information about the Center on Workforce and Systems Development, visit The Research Institute.
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About The Research Institute at Western Oregon University
The Research Institute at Western Oregon University is an innovative and unique grant-funded department on campus that supports the university’s mission and core value focus areas, including valuing community and embracing diversity by producing measurable outcomes in communities across the state and the nation. The Research Institute at Western Oregon University has a 60-year history of working in education, family and community services, and ability services and has produced academic and research to practice-based products and services that are still in use in classrooms and schools today.
TRI has an annual budget of approximately $8.5 million through grants and contracts with a variety of funders, including various departments within the state of Oregon, county governments, other universities, non-profit organizations, and foundations. TRI is continually working to better serve our communities, and over half of our full-time employees are fluent in at least one additional language besides English.
