Jaime H. Martinez is the newest member of the Harris County Emergency Services District Number 9 Board of Commissioners. Originally from Colombia, he moved his family to the United States in 2001 to protect them from an unstable political environment. Since then, they have lived in the Copperfield/Cy-Fair area.
Martinez comes from a long line of entrepreneurs. In 1957, the Colombian government granted his grandfather the first license to produce a cream-based liquor called Sabajón Apolo, which in turn became the name of the family business. Martinez now serves as its CEO and president of the board. This background instilled in him a stalwart work ethic, an innovative skill set, and a scrappy resourcefulness—all of which have shaped his diverse career.
He deeply values education. He obtained an undergraduate degree in accounting from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and is a certified public accountant in Colombia. In Houston, he finished his master’s in business administration at the University of St. Thomas.
Martinez has a passion for both business and finance. He started as an auditor with Arthur Andersen when he was 19 years old, then spent 17 years in the oil and gas industry with Triton Energy and Harken Energy. He also worked for several years in finance in the pharmaceutical industry. His five years with the Harris County Department of Education, where he was in charge of budgets, investments, and taxes, gave him an insider’s view on how government works.
He is a devoted family man. He and his wife, Marcela, have been married 34 years. They have a son, Mateo, a chemical engineer with a degree from Caltech, who is married to Laura.
Faith is at the center of his life. He and Marcela lead a Spanish prayer group that has gathered every Monday for 23 years. Martinez is also a lector, sacristan, and instituted acolyte.