Susana Martinez is the 31st and current Governor of New Mexico. She is the first woman to be elected governor of New Mexico and the first Latina elected governor in the United States. In this role, she has signed into law the New Mexico Jobs Package and has worked to amend the New Mexico tax code. She has also worked to improve New Mexico’s education system and supports job-creating industries. Prior to becoming Governor, Ms. Martinez served as a prosecutor, working as Assistant District Attorney for New Mexico’s 3rd Judicial District, and in 1992, was appointed Deputy District Attorney. In 1996, she was elected District Attorney for the 3rd Judicial District and was re-elected three times.

Ms. Martinez earned her J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law and her B.A. from the University of Texas, El Paso. She has received several awards for her extraordinary work and achievements. In 2013, she was named by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the world, and in 2011, was named “Woman of the Year” by the Hispanic Business Magazine.

In the words of the HLS community member who nominated her, “Governor Martinez inspires me — both in English and in Spanish. Her base of support in New Mexico is strong across all cultures, and I appreciate her common sense approach to business regulation and equal access to legal services.”