Martine Blake serves as Deputy Director II of External Affairs at EdTrust-West, where she leads coalition-building, strategic engagement, and advocacy efforts to advance educational equity for students and families across California. She brings more than 20 years of experience across public education, nonprofit leadership, community engagement, and systems change, with a career grounded in advancing opportunity for historically underserved communities.
Prior to joining EdTrust-West, Martine served as Director of Family and Community Engagement at West Contra Costa Unified School District, where she led districtwide community engagement and Community Schools strategy across more than 50 schools serving approximately 25,000 students. In this role, she partnered with families, educators, local government, labor, and community organizations to strengthen equity-centered policy, integrated student supports, and cross-sector collaboration. Her leadership helped secure significant public and philanthropic investments to expand services and improve outcomes for students and families.
Earlier in her career, Martine held leadership roles at Higher Achievement and Center City Public Charter Schools in Washington, D.C., supporting academic enrichment, youth development, and college- and career-readiness initiatives for historically marginalized students. She also led advocacy, fundraising, and community engagement efforts at Contra Costa Interfaith Housing, advancing housing stability and supportive services for low-income families.
Raised by a single mother who worked multiple jobs to provide access to meaningful educational opportunities, Martine’s lived experiences deeply inform her commitment to educational justice. She believes every child deserves access to a high-quality, affirming education regardless of race, income, or zip code, and is passionate about dismantling the systemic barriers that continue to limit opportunity for students and communities across California.
Martine holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Howard University.
