Elizabeth “Liz” Martinez is the interim executive director at Making Waves Academy, a public charter school serving predominantly underserved students in the Bay Area. Liz was the first person in her family to attend a four-year university and the first in her family to complete a graduate degree. A savvy and strategic leader with over 15 years of experience transforming education organizations, Liz is an expert at navigating complex bureaucracies to drive meaningful change. In every role, Liz has been instrumental in developing high-performing teams and creating efficiencies that support student achievement. Liz specializes in leadership development, risk management, process improvement, and policy implementation. Her skills as a certified coach help her develop individual contributors into talented leaders. Prior to joining Making Waves Academy, Liz spent almost a decade in student affairs at the University of California, Berkeley. During her time at UC Berkeley, she acquired experience in residential life, student conduct, threat assessment, marketing & communications, human resources, and business operations. In addition to her formal roles, Liz was a part of multiple (voluntary committees) that advanced culture and climate for employees, strategic planning for the division, behavior intervention and response, as well as creating an intentional pipeline of underrepresented students into the field of Student Affairs. With degrees from the University of California, Berkeley and St. Mary’s College of California, Liz is well equipped to give back to the field of education as a professional.