In addition, Maria serves and holds officer positions in other volunteer boards at the local, state and national level.
    She has made presentations at local, state, national and international seminars, workshops, and conferences on various financial topics, credit union issues, and on her life/career experiences.
    Maria was born in Reynosa, Mexico, immigrated to the USA when she was 13, grew up in San Antonio, TX, is married to Abner Martinez and they have three children, Anali, Abner, and Adriana.
    As her most significant accomplishment, Maria quoted the following: “I value the opportunity I was given through the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 when my family and I were able to legalize our immigrant status in this country.
    This important government intervention granted me the freedom to apply the education I had acquired and to further my knowledge and experience in the USA.
    This has ultimately benefited entire communities and others that I have touched through implemented programs for the underserved and the youth, and through my speaking engagements and mentorship ability.
    My experience and involvement in the financial industry have allowed me to reach out to the financially underserved and most especially to the Hispanic market.
    I’m a strong believer that by becoming financially educated we make effective contributions to real economic growth and can help reduce poverty levels. Financial education is easy to teach and attain, it is non-risky and it has enormous rewards; it’s a great investment!” Maria expressed her gratitude towards TAMACC’s awards selection committee for choosing her for this prestigious recognition and congratulates the other award recipients. She is very thankful to her family, all her staff and those serving in volunteer capacity at Border Federal Credit Union, credit union peers and her entire community for the support she’s received throughout her career that has allowed her to lead and serve.
    The Mistress of Ceremonies for TAMACC’s award ceremony was the Honorable Gisela D. Triana, Judge, 200th District Court in Travis County.
    The 2015 Women of Distinction were:
    Janet Aguilar, CIC, AAI, Vice President and Sales Executive, USI Southwest, El Paso; Linda V. Alaniz, M.A.I.S., President, Educational Research Institute, Harlingen; Rose Benavidez, M.P.A., President and CEO, Starr County Industrial Foundation, Rio Grande City; Emily Calderon-Galdeano, Ed.D., Director of Research, Excelencia in Education, San Antonio; Sonia Clayton, President and CEO, Virtual Intelligence Providers, LLC, Houston; Nora de Hoyos Comstock, Ph.D., President and CEO, Las Comadres Para Las Americas, Austin; Marlene DiLillo, M.S., Executive Director, Greater Killeen Free Clinic, Killeen
Adela N. Gonzalez, Ph.D., Healthcare Consultant, San Antonio; Teresa Granillo, Ph.D., M.P.A., Executive Director, Con Mi Madre, Austin; Maria J. Martinez, B.B.A., President and CEO, Border Federal Credit Union, Del Rio; Nelda Martinez, B.A., Corpus Christi Mayor, Corpus Christi; Anita Ramirez, McAllen.