Miguel Martinez, 51, chairs the Town of Miami Lakes Blasting Advisory Board.
Martinez and his wife, Millie Martinez, 51, own a speech and occupational therapy rehab clinic in Palm Springs North. Miguel Martinez is also a construction executive, and has served as a Miami-Dade County hearing officer for people who want to appeal their zoning and building code violations. The Martinez’s have a son, Allen Martinez, 16. The family lives in unincorporated Miami-Dade County.
Q: Where are you from, and what is your background?
A: I was born in Miami and my family moved to New Jersey. We moved back to Miami when I was 16 years old. I graduated from Christopher Columbus High School in Miami and earned my architectural degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.
Q: What do you most like about Miami Lakes?
A: Miami Lakes is a small town feel inside a large city.
Q: What do you dislike about the town?
A: The traffic congestion.
Q: As chair of the Blasting Advisory Board, what are the challenges and what do you hope to accomplish?
A: The challenge is dispelling rumors about the blasting that lead to a lot of confusion, and we hope to educate residents about the real reasons for blasting.
Q: What is your biggest accomplishment, whether in your personal life or career?
A: That I am alive. I have diabetes and congestive heart failure and [as society is] going through the coronavirus, I wake up every day and thank God and make the best of every opportunity in life.
Q: Do you have a fantasy career?
A: An industrial engineer. When I studied architecture, I didn’t know what industrial engineering was at the time. It allows you
to invent things and find solutions to problems. I like to think of myself as an inventor to solve problems.
Q: What are you reading, what podcasts are you listening to?
A: I am getting into Computer Numerical Control (CNC). It’s a new digital building system that allows you to design and build wooden structures without screws or visible metalwork. I’m reading and studying for CNC work.
Q: What have you binge watching on TV?
A: “West Coast Customs” [about the makers of custom cars]. The show allows me to separate from reality a bit and let someone else build something.
Q: Where did you last travel to on a vacation?
A: Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions, last year my family rented a car, drove through the state of Florida and stopped in cities and towns near the Gulf Coast and Panama City.