Gov. Moore’s Maryland Stadium Authority nominee won’t back down, finds community support

An more and more various group of politicians and enterprise leaders from across the state are throwing their weight behind considered one of Gov. Wes Moore’s nominees for the Maryland Stadium Authority – a 9 member monetary board with most of its members nominated by the governor and confirmed by the senate.

The nominee, Yolanda Maria Martinez (who goes by Maria), is a Latina enterprise proprietor who lives in Ellicott Metropolis whose nomination was not confirmed by the Senate Government Nominations Committee on March 14.

9 days later, a small group of Black enterprise and group leaders gathered in Nancy Cafe on North Avenue in Baltimore to share their experiences with Martinez. They’re amongst a rising faction of leaders asking lawmakers to rethink their preliminary determination.

“Enterprise is a kind of issues the place you do fail every day. And should you’re not failing, you are not stretching, proper?” mentioned Shelona Stokes, president of the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, a nonprofit that contributes to financial growth efforts.

If confirmed, Martinez would serve on a board answerable for overseeing the issuance of tax-exempt bonds to finance tasks statewide, a robust however unpaid position.

Maryland lawmakers hesitated to verify Martinez when Maryland Issues, a nonprofit state authorities centric information group printed an investigation into Martinez’s private and enterprise monetary historical past on March 13, someday earlier than her affirmation listening to.

The investigation revealed that Martinez filed for private chapter safety in 2019 with $7.2 million in debt however was additionally coping with lawsuits. Over the previous 35 years, there have been 64 lawsuits or liens for unpaid money owed filed towards the enterprise proprietor.

Her supporters spoke about how she would hop on the telephone at nearly any hour to unravel an issue, describing her as giving with the whole lot – time, cash, and experience. And that she’s been a pacesetter within the enterprise group for many years and has served on dozens of boards previously.

On March 21, greater than 80 politicians statewide signed a joint letter in assist of her nomination. 

That letter didn’t acknowledge Martinez’ chapter or different monetary troubles.

However on Friday, the group rallied round Martinez and wished her to be given a second likelihood.

Martinez can nonetheless be confirmed. The Moore administration stands by her, a spokesperson mentioned final week that the governor “absolutely helps” her.

Martinez says she has moved on from her monetary points and commenced to take a defensive stance.

“I want to remind everybody that I’m considered one of a number of people who might be making choices,” she mentioned.

The chapter was associated to her firm Respira, a medical respiratory tools firm, which started to fail in 2018 after authorities reimbursements decreased, defined Martinez.

“I did the whole lot to the very best of my potential,” she mentioned. “I went into private chapter as a result of at that time, I assured a number of the loans and issues that the corporate was obligated to.”

She additionally attributes a few of her monetary woes to what she describes as abusive previous relationships, together with an organized marriage from when she was a teen.

Martinez could be the one Latina on the board and that distinctive perspective is a essential element for the financial growth government and supporter, Stokes.

“We want to verify there is a voice of the minority enterprise, who is aware of what it has been wish to undergo, and… thrive and develop,” she mentioned.

The nominee nodded to the Moore administration’s aspirations to extend minority and women-owned enterprise contracts to hit state targets.

“It is going to actually be a pleasure so as to add my piece with the 29% minority targets that the governor has,” Marinez mentioned. “I feel I’m the individual to try this.”

The Stadium Authority oversees lots of of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} for capital tasks and leases.

These are vital issues to contemplate, mentioned State Sen. Mary Beth Carozza, a Wicomico County Republican in the course of the Government Nominations Committee final week.

“When our constituents elevate considerations a couple of challenged fiscal historical past and background that’s being utilized to an appointment to one of the crucial vital and prestigious [boards] within the state, these are reputable questions,” Carozza mentioned.

Constituents surprise if there are higher selections with out such monetary challenges, she mentioned.