As Direct as it Gets

Dr. Martinez Meets the Schutz Community
By Marina Guirguis

The search for the new Head of School is on, and the first candidate introduced to the student body publicly was Dr. Joyce Martinez. Her short stay in Egypt (October 20-24) was packed with hours of meeting new people including Board members, teachers, students and parents.
Dr. Martinez has always had a dream of coming to Egypt. She stated, “This is where I want to be”. Currently working as Head of the American School of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands off the shore of Spain, Dr. Martinez would like to move on to another international school. She declares that her main qualities are flexibility, patience, love for other cultures, and pursuit of visions. These are also qualities that Dr. Martinez claims every head of an international school should have.
She took a year off her busy schedule in Florida, and wrote Eight Steps to a Financially Successful School before resuming her career in international education. In her past, she has worked in cities from Miami to Denver, Los Angeles to Mexico City. This has influenced her views as a leader due to her work with different environments and cultural backgrounds. She describes herself, “What you see is what you get, blunt, direct, consistent, and open-minded.” Her leadership style is collaborative, but Dr. Martinez does not hide that she can be a dictator when certain decisions need to be made.
Dr. Martinez left behind her a strong impression of a tough leader who loves to work on a vision and excels in the international crowd. She definitely came across as someone who naturally fits in a multi-cultural environment.