Why is leadership important?
Our mission at St. Laurence is to develop faith leaders by living the Essential Elements of an Edmund Rice Christian Brother.  At St. Laurence, we give students opportunities to build on their faith and stand in solidarity with those marginalized by poverty and injustice, which includes having compassion and kindness for them.  We also teach students the importance of celebrating the value and dignity of each person and nurturing the development of the whole person.  We know that our students will be future leaders and it is our responsibility to prepare them to make informed decisions while inspiring others around them.  To this end, St. Laurence will continue to enhance our already competitive academic and athletic programs, an enriched leadership program, and an environment that is diverse, safe, full of spirit and forgiving.

What do you most like to do in your time off?
I enjoy spending time with my family.  I was blessed to marry my high school sweetheart and we now have three beautiful children.  While we are very active with school and sports, we also have some challenges.  Our daughter, Natalie, was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at birth.  The diagnosis, while devastating to learn of at first, has given me a new purpose.  While being the best father I can be, it has become a priority of mine to help find a cure for this disease.  Thus far, our team, Crazy for Natalie, has raised over $500,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

What is one of your favorite quotes?
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”- Eleanor Roosevelt

BOARDS
West Point 3rd Congressional District Coordinator, Jun 2012- Present
Damien Memorial High School, Board Member, Dec 2014- Jan 2019
United Neighborhood Organization, Board Member, Aug 2015- Dec 2018
Family Advisory Board for Ann & Robert H. Lurie, Children’s Hospital of Chicago Sep 2010- Aug 2015
Solutions for Patient Safety Board for Ann & Robert H. Lurie, Children’s Hospital of Chicago Sep 2013- Aug 2015

Read more about Joe Martinez

Why did you choose to work at St. Laurence?
I have returned home to St. Laurence because I believe in all for which it stands. I am a 1990 graduate and, as a student, St. Laurence provided with me with more than I could have ever asked. The faculty challenged me academically and personally to be the best I could be. The school is dedicated to that ideal today more than ever.

Through modernizing the curriculum and learning environment, St. Laurence has rededicated itself to putting the success of the student at the forefront. By employing best practices in secondary education, St. Laurence has established an optimal learning environment that affords our students a competitive advantage. Finally, St. Laurence prepares young men in a Catholic, faith filled environment insuring that students are spiritually aware and committed to helping one another.

What do you like to do with your time off?
I am a husband and father of three and I enjoy spending time with my wife, Mary, and children Walter, Cecelia and Henry. We are very busy with school, sports and extra-curricular activities. While a student at St. Laurence, I was a four year member of our soccer team and have carried the love of the sport with me through life. I am involved with our community soccer organization, and I am proud to serve as a volunteer coach. Being able to coach my children in a variety of sports is one of the greatest joys that life has offered. During the summer, we enjoy spending time at my parents’ lake house in Michigan.

Why is leadership important?
In my opinion, it is important because firstly leadership requires personal responsibility. Leadership, when cultivated in a faith environment, implies that we have an obligation to use our skills to advance our community in a way that benefits all. Developing these skill sets will benefit our students and the communities in which they serve.

Degrees:
BA in Marketing Communications (Columbia)
Secondary education certificate in Business (Trinity Christian College)
Masters in School Leadership (Concordia)

Endorsements:
Social Studies
LBS1

Why is leadership important?
Leadership is important because it is a valuable skill you can apply to all areas of your life. In families, circles of friends, the workplace or the community, good leaders are needed. They are needed to serve, support, inspire and guide those around them to rise up to challenges set before them and strive to be their best selves.

What do you most like to do in your time off?
I most like to spend time with my family and friends. I like my time off to be as relaxing as possible.

What is one of your favorite quotes?
“I can. I will. End of story.” It reminds me that success is possible so long as you have the determination and drive.

Why did you choose to work at St. Laurence?
Throughout my entire career, I have worked in Catholic education and have been familiar with St. Laurence ever since I was a student at Queen of Peace. I believe my values and vision align with those of St. Laurence and am beyond excited at the opportunity to develop leadership within our students and contribute to the ongoing success of the school.

Why did you choose to work at STL?
I had the pleasure of working with the St. Laurence team during my time at Queen of Peace. I was able to see first hand how the administrative team worked tirelessly to embrace the Queen of Peace students and how invested everyone was in the transition process. I am honored to be able to work alongside amazing people and watch the transformation of students to leaders.

Why is leadership important?
In a world full of constant distractions strong leadership is critical for success. Leaders craft a vision and then inspire others to join in. Leaders who carry a passion and a desire to motivate themselves and others to achieve great things. Leaders who listen when necessary and use their voice when appropriate–who act on their ideals but know when to hold back and let others enjoy the spotlight. Many of our country’s best and brightest leaders are walking the halls of St. Laurence at this very moment.

What do you like to do on your time off?
For fun I love spending time with my husband (an STL Viking!) and my two children. That usually entails attending some sort of school function or sporting event!

Why did you choose to work at St. Laurence?
Going to St. Laurence was such a tremendous experience for me. I developed life-long friendships with many people during my 4 years here and also was fortunate enough to be on some great athletic teams. I want to relay those experiences to our students now and try to teach them the valuable life lessons that I was taught when I attended St. Laurence.

What is one of your favorite quotes?
One of my favorite quotes is, “Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there,” by John Wooden. Our kids have character. They believe in St. Laurence and take great pride in their school, their teams and in each other. And, because of that, they’re willing to put in the work, which is important. They hold each other to a very high standard.

What do you most like to do in your time off?
The thing I enjoy most in my time off is spending time with my five children. Most of all, I enjoy being around their athletic events and being able to practice with them on a daily basis.

Why is leadership important?
Leadership is so important in all aspects of life. Being a leader can take on many different forms, but to me it means being willing to do the things necessary to be a great and influential person. It also means being someone that people can respect. If people respect you and the things that you do and stand for, then they will follow you. If you have a lot of leaders, which St. Laurence has, then everyone has the ability to learn and grow from each other. This is one of the aspects that I like most about St. Laurence. Not only do we have dedicated faculty that are leaders, but our students also learn those characteristics from the faculty and become great leaders amongst their peers and in their communities.

MA Educational Leadership Concordia University
BS Physical Education/Driver Education Northern Illinois University

Why is Leadership Important?
Leadership is a process that is ongoing and ever evolving. In every facet of life you are going to be or need a leader. Everyone needs someone who can leave a great impression on them and help lead them in the right direction. Leadership cannot be a “sometimes” thing, as we are always being studied and judged by our words and actions and you never know who is watching. Therefore, you must always put forth the best version of you, which is your Leadership Legacy.

What is one of your favorite quotes?
John Wooden is one of the best and most influential leaders of the last 100 years. He has said many great quotes that I like, but my favorite is: “If someone tells me they accomplished something and it wasn’t very difficult, I have a hard time thinking they accomplished anything at all.” If you accomplish something, and it truly is special, odds are that the effort you put into it was significant. If it were too easy, you could have put more effort in to make it better.

What do you like to do most in your time off?
I spend my time off with my family. My family has much to do with the person I am today. I like to cook, travel, attend sporting events, golf and stay active. My wife Inga and I have two kids, Nathan (7) and Brayden (3), who we spend all of our time with. Staying close with family is important because they are often the ones who are there when you need them most.

I became Athletic Director at St. Laurence in the summer of 2012. In the time since, I have been fortunate to work with some outstanding coaches and student-athletes who have put Viking athletics back in the spotlight. My philosophy is to employ an education-based athletic department that uses sports as a vehicle for teaching life lessons. So, while I enjoy seeing our teams win, I am more proud about the manner in which our student-athletes achieve these wins. As AD, I have defined the core values of the department, and I encourage all coaches and student-athletes to use these core values as
guiding principles in focusing on the process over the product.

Just as our student-athletes are always looking to improve themselves, I take the same approach to my professional development. I am a member of the National Interscholastic Association of Athletic Administrators (NIAAA) and the Illinois Athletic Directors Association (IADA). I am a Certified Master Athletic Administrator (CMAA) through the NIAAA, the highest certification attainable. Additionally, I serve as the District 8 rep in Division 3 for the IADA. Moreover, I attend the annual local meetings and state conference for the IADA while also taking a number of professional development courses offered through the NIAAA. My professional development through these organizations has greatly impacted my performance as an athletic administrator, which in turn benefits the coaches and student-athletes I work with.

Before coming to St. Laurence, I worked as the Alumni Officer and Assistant Athletic Director at my alma mater, Immaculate Conception Catholic Prep. In addition to my prior administrative experience, I have coached high school basketball, baseball, and softball.

I am a lifelong product of Catholic education. After graduating from Immaculate Conception, where I played baseball, basketball, and football, I attended Loras College. I majored in Sport Management and minored in Business Administration at Loras, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2005. I went on to receive my physical education teaching certification through Trinity Christian College, where I graduated Summa Cum Laude.

I currently reside in Westchester with my wife Gina and our children Leah and Brandon. Both of our children attend Divine Providence Catholic School.

“Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching” – C.S. Lewis

“Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished
with your ability” – John Wooden

After graduating from St. Laurence in 1994, I always thought it would be great to come back and be a part of the school that was so special to me. In 2002, I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to come back, and have been blessed the past 16 years having the pleasure to work with outstanding faculty, coaches and of course, the students. I can truly say that St. Laurence is my home away from home.

I’m also very fortunate to have an amazing, supportive family. My wife Carrie and I were married in 2006 and have three awesome children, Joey (10), Lilia (7) and Cade (3).

“The challenge of leadership is to be strong but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly”
-Jime Rohn

Why did you choose to work at St. Laurence?
I had an amazing experience at St. Laurence as a student, and I had always hoped to give back to the school that gave so much to me. I knew the school was entering a very special time in its history, and I wanted to be a part of it. I think St. Laurence has an incredibly special story, and I want to be the one who tells it. This job has been everything I hoped it would be. The family environment that I experienced as a student is still alive. I cannot wait to see what our future holds.

What do you most like to do in your time off?
I am an avid sports fan and can watch anything that involves athletic competition. My favorite sport is soccer, whether it is playing or watching. I enjoy staying active, whether it is playing pick-up games with my friends or riding my bike on Lake Michigan.

What is your favorite quote?
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” – Gandhi

I heard this quote when I was at a leadership conference as a sophomore at St. Laurence and it really resonated with me. To this day, I see that leadership conference as a pivotal moment in my life. It helped me truly embrace my potential and gave me the courage to seek out new opportunities and make the most of them.