03/11/2026
Honored to serve my community in ways other than insurance! 🌻
... ~ Meet Our Members ~ ...
We’re introducing you to our council’s members so that you can get to know who is fighting for and representing our community.
Next in our series, meet Valerie Martinez , Treasurer Elect of the East Side Neighbors Council and owner of Phoenix Rising Insurance Group, Inc.
Valerie was born and raised in Pueblo and is a proud graduate of East High School. To her, the East Side is the true heart of Pueblo. She was once told to never forget where you come from, and it means a great deal to her that the legacy and people of the East Side are never forgotten.
Her journey to the Council began when Vickie Gatlin’s home was taken over by criminal squatters. That difficult situation revealed deeper issues facing the neighborhood, and Valerie knew she could not sit back and ignore it. She joined the Council determined to help find ways to bring life back into a community she cares deeply about.
Valerie is most passionate about people. In both her business and her advocacy, she believes in people over policies and feels leadership should always prioritize those being served. She believes it is easy for elected officials to forget who they represent and the promises they made. Being a voice for the community and working with organizations that celebrate empowerment and unity is where her heart is happiest.
She is proudly Pueblo focused and carries the city’s best interests with her in every role she serves. Valerie sits on other local nonprofit boards and brings that experience to the Council with an emphasis on leadership and fostering common ground so members can work together effectively to meet community needs.
Her goals for the East Side include addressing abandoned buildings and the loss of business growth. She recognizes the housing crisis facing the community and believes burned and vacant structures should be redeveloped into viable housing options. She is also concerned about businesses leaving the area and commercial properties sitting empty as reminders of what once was. Most importantly, she wants real solutions for unhoused neighbors that help them find a path back to independence.
To Valerie, community means leadership, and leadership means serving others. Her father always encouraged her to lead and never follow, and he lived that example through service as a union president and by helping anyone who needed him. That value was instilled in her deeply, and leading by example continues to guide her today.
Outside of her Council work, Valerie owns Phoenix Rising Insurance Group in Pueblo and is a proud mother of four. One of her biggest dreams is to coach basketball again.
What inspires her to keep showing up is the belief that a unified community can create real change and take back the power within their neighborhoods.
Her message to the East Side is simple. Every voice matters, and everyone has the choice to step forward or stay on the sidelines. She looks forward to working with those who are ready to help make real change.
