Lydia Martinez

About Lydia Martinez

Highly accomplished executive leader with over 20 years of progressive experience driving workforce excellence, organizational success, and large-scale cultural transformation within the Human Resources industry. I am a seasoned and strategic Labor Relations and Culture Strategist uniquely positioned by a robust academic foundation, holding a Juris Doctor (J.D.) and dual Master of Science degrees in Criminal Justice and Industrial/Organizational Psychology, complemented by extensive certifications in management and people development.Leading the Labor Relations and Culture Strategy at Fairfax County Public Schools—one of the nation\'s largest and most diverse school districts—I provide executive oversight and strategic direction for the entire HR labor relations operations and strategy for a unionized workforce exceeding employees.I have led the design and implementation of innovative programs and policies for talent acquisition, rewards, and employee development, ensuring compliance, collaboration, and engagement across all organizational levels, particularly within the regulatory framework of complex collective bargaining agreements.My core mission is to leverage executive leadership and strategic HR expertise to build efficient, compliant, and collaborative work environments that are directly correlated with sustained organizational success and optimal employee satisfaction.

Experience

1. Dept Head, Labor Relations & Culture Strategist

   Fairfax County Public Schools

   Jul 2022 — Present

   In this role, I direct a workforce of more than 38K employees to provide world-class education and guidance to K-12 students in a unionized environment. And I also formulate organizational strategies for workforce management, talent acquisition, and rewards and recognition programs in alignment with the regulatory constraints of collective bargaining. Some key achievements in this role include:• Optimized workforce cost budget of $2.8B by guiding teams on best practices and effective utilization of collective bargaining approach for newly developed bargaining units.• Coordinated between unions, bargaining agents, school board, division counsel, and leadership team to attain results and ensure compliance with regulations.• Developed and implemented strategies to incorporate collective bargaining into workforce management while maintaining workflow and positive relationships with staff at all levels.

Education

• University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras

  Master of Arts in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Industrial and Organizational Psychology

• Interamerican University of Puerto Rico

  Bachelor of Arts in Industrial/Organizational Psychology

• American University Washington College of Law

  Juris Doctor

• Inter American University of Puerto Rico

  Master of Science in Criminal Justice

Skills

• Executive Coaching
• Management
• Organizational Design
• Policy
• Strategy
• Succession Planning
• Recruiting
• Fmla
• Staff Development
• Social Networking
• Performance Management
• Employee Training
• Onboarding
• Training
• Labor Relations
• Strategic Planning
• Employee Relations
• Change Management
• Team Leadership
• Sourcing
• Coaching
• Interviews
• Leadership Development
• Leadership
• Executive Search
• Contract Negotiation
• Benefits Administration
• Talent Acquisition
• Employment Law
• Organizational Effectiveness
• Workforce Planning
• Employee Benefits
• Organizational Development
• Employee Engagement
• Hiring
• Deferred Compensation
• Human Resources
• Budgets
• Hris
• HR Policies