Staff Biographies

Kurt Gregory Erickson
President
e-mail: kurt@wrap.org

Identified by the Washington Business Journal as a "standout among a large crop of business and community leaders who will make a difference in the success of greater Washington" and by The Washington Post as a "never tiring advocate in pursuit of safer roads," Kurt Gregory Erickson serves as President of the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program or WRAP.

Since 1999 and in addition to serving as CEO for the more than $3 million public-private partnership fighting drunk driving and underage drinking in the Washington-metropolitan area, Erickson also spearheads WRAP's public and government relations initiatives by serving as a registered lobbyist before Maryland and Virginia's General Assemblies as well as the District of Columbia's City Council. In Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia — and via leadership roles like serving as Legislative Chairman of the more than 280-member Maryland Impaired Driving Coalition — Erickson has successfully advocated the passage and enactment of landmark and nationally-heralded anti-drunk driving and underage drinking laws.

Under his leadership, WRAP has earned numerous honors including Virginia's prestigious Governor's Transportation Safety Award as well as The Washington Post hailing the organization in its July 18, 2005 editorial, "Fewer Drunk Drivers," as an organization "taking the fight (against drunk driving) seriously, advocating for tougher penalties for repeat offenders and teaching schoolchildren about the dangers of drinking and driving."

For the decade prior to his WRAP tenure, Erickson served as Executive Director, public affairs director and registered lobbyist for Northern Virginia's oldest voluntary public health agency, the American Lung Association of Northern Virginia. His successful track record of championing historic public health policies before Virginia's General Assembly (including those restricting youth access to tobacco products in the Old Dominion) led both The Washington Times to identify him as "a fixture of the state capital" and the Washington City Paper to hail his organization as "the most informed clean air lobby in the area."

Before his distinguished tenure with both WRAP and the lung association, Erickson served in a number of management posts including stints at a large, Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization and for a prominent D.C.-based financial institution.

Erickson is a Virginia Governor appointee (designee) to Virginia's Task Force to Combat Driving Under the Influence of Drugs and Alcohol and recently served as a Virginia Governor-appointee to the Citizens Advisory Committee to the Chesapeake Executive Council. In addition, he is also a gubernatorial-appointee to the Goose Creek Scenic River Advisory Board; past president of both the Virginia Conservation Network and the Waterford Citizens Association; past Vice Chairman of Loudoun County, Virginia's Advisory Commission on Youth; and a Fairfax County Board of Supervisors-appointee to that county's Oversight Committee on Drunk Driving.

Erickson is also a graduating member of the 2005 class of Leadership Greater Washington as well as the recipient of numerous honors including the Metropolitan Police Department's (D.C.) 2008 Chief of Police Special Award, MADD-Chesapeake Region's 2007 Community Champion Award, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's 2006 Public Service Award, the Maryland Impaired Driving Coalition's 2004 Award, the Washington Wizard" 2002 Pollin Award for Community Service and MADD-Maryland's 2002 Leadership Award.

Erickson's work has been featured on NBC-TV's "Today" show, NPR, CNN, The Washington Post, USA Today and the Christian Science Monitor.

Erickson has Bachelor of Science degrees in both Communications and Sociology and resides with his wife and three children in Waterford, Virginia.

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Marcela Martinez
Program Manager

e-mail: marcela@wrap.org

Marcela Martinez, Program Manager, is responsible for managing the organization's programs and services including its school and workplace health education initiatives as well as WRAP's popular free cab ride service for would-be drunk drivers, SoberRide.

She is a graduate from George Mason University with a B.A. Degree in Communications including a Minor in Spanish (2004). She has a background in journalism and marketing and is a fluent Spanish speaker. Most recently she worked as a Community Education Specialist for the Washington Regional Transplant Community (formerly the Washington Regional Transplant Consortium) developing and implementing educational programs on organ and tissue donation in the metropolitan area and outreaching to the Hispanic community.

She has participated in several task forces and is a Board Member for the Concilio Metropolitano para la Salud Latina, a network of nonprofit and private organizations outreaching Greater Washington's Hispanic community to improve and create access to health services.

Marcela resides in Oakton , VA with her husband.

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Robin Black
Director of Operations

e-mail: robin@wrap.org

Robin Black, Director of Operations, joined the Washington Regional Alcohol Program in 1987. In addition to supporting the activities and programs of the President and the Program Manager, Robin manages the administrative and financial activities of the organization, including grant fiscal management and reimbursement. Prior to joining WRAP, Robin was in the banking field and was active in the local community. Residing in her native Vienna, VA, Robin and her husband are the parents of two adult children.

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