Reuben Martinez is a member of the Makah Nation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Western Washington University (2020) and a Master of Marine Affairs from the University of Washington (2024). His passion for climate resilience work started while at Northwest Indian College in Bellingham Washington, where he began exploring Tribal strategic energy plans. This led him to a Policy Analyst position at Renewable Northwest. A renewable energy advocacy organization specializing in policy work, where he helped co-write the Tribal Solar Barriers Report.
Afterwards, Reuben worked at Spark Northwest as a Tribal liaison where he managed the Energy Transition Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP), a federal initiative to help islanded communities with technical support. He was responsible for outreach and engagement with Tribes on the Westcoast, and for the development of strategic energy plans.
Currently Reuben works for the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians as their Energy Program Manager on a number of topic areas. He started his role with offshore wind, and has since committed ATNI to the expansion of energy education, working regionally on the potential future of Tribes and transmission, questions of AI and the Pacific Northwest, and the siting problems that are emerging with the “need” for additional energy generation. 
Reuben is committed to supporting Tribal Nations interested in energy initiatives and is eager to contribute his expertise to an organization that serves a diverse range of Tribal communities