Get to Know the Newest Members of the W&L Community – 11/3/22 The following individuals recently joined the Washington and Lee employee workforce.
Pilar O’Valle Martinez, Assistant Director of Alumni and Career Services Marketing – Alumni and Career Services
Pilar O’Valle Martínez,Assistant Director of Alumni and Career Services Marketing
Q. Tell us a little about you and your background.
I was born and raised in the fascinating city of Granada, Spain. I’m part of a big fun family (almost 100 people, living all over Spain). I earned my bachelor’s degree in advertising and public relations and my master’s degree in brand strategy and creative brand management. I moved to Barcelona, with my husband and the most important person in my life, Justin Davis, a new professor here at W&L. We spent eight more years living in Barcelona and traveling through Europe and the west coast of the U.S. We just moved to Lexington and it has been great. I’m learning how to drive, discovering all the fun places and bookstores in town, and meeting the kindest people.
Q. Any favorite Lexington/regional spots or activities?
So far, my favorite spots are The Bookery, Macado’s, Natural Bridge and Devils Backbone, and I like traveling to Charlottesville and Roanoke. I’m very excited about traveling around a new part of the world.
Q. How do you unwind/have fun? Any hobbies/hidden talents?
I love to read, sing, play the ukulele, go on long walks, cook and discovering new podcasts.
Mark Robbins, Director of Jewish Life and Rabbi – Office of Inclusion and Engagement
Mark Robbins, Director of Jewish Life and RabbiQ. Tell us a little about you and your background.
I graduated from Harvard with my bachelor’s degree in history. A few years later, I started rabbinical school at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in Manhattan. There, I received Rabbinic Ordination and my master’s degree in Jewish Education. I am married with a daughter in college and a son soon to go. I am originally from Rhode Island, have lived up and down the northeastern seaboard, spent two years living in Israel and just completed almost 10 years living in Michigan — my first experience living in the midwest. I’m an introvert by nature and particularly love one-on-one and small group deep discussions.
Q. How do you unwind/have fun? Any hobbies/hidden talents?
I love following sports and talking about our Boston teams with my children Adina and Coby. In particular, we are rabid Patriots and Celtics fans. I also love watching our kids compete on the field or court. I love to walk, hike, see beautiful scenery (especially quaint small towns like Lexington), read, and look at maps for hours and hours. I also write poetry. My poetry helped me make my way through the confusion and many paradoxes of the early pandemic period.
Q. Anything you are looking forward to in particular at W&L?
I am so looking forward to being on a small, intimate campus — in such a vigorous intellectual and spirited community. I look forward to being a guide and mentor for Jewish and non-Jewish students alike, and to helping facilitate vital Jewish living on campus. I am excited to meet staff from all over the campus, and talking with them also about why they enjoy doing what they’re doing.
Devan Street, Catering Cook II – Dining Services
Devan Street, Catering Cook in Dining ServicesQ. Tell us a little about you and your background.
My friends call me Dev. I’m passionate about cooking delicious and holistically satisfying food. I moved from Chicago to Glasgow, Virginia with my wife Leah in 2022. We purchased a beautiful home from Washington and Lee University. We moved here to enjoy nature and the fresh ingredients we have access to in such close proximity to this agricultural hotspot. We are loving it more each day.
Q. Any favorite Lexington/regional spots or activities?
Though I don’t live in Lexington, I am excited to learn more about gardening, farming and animal husbandry. I spent most of my life living in cities where that type of thing is hard to come by. I hope by next year I have enough space cleared on my property to raise ducks in our freshwater stream.
Q. How do you unwind/have fun? Any hobbies/hidden talents?
I love to hike, forage and play video games in my free time. I also enjoy cooking as a hobby and especially like to prepare food from the cultures of my heritage — German and Jamaican.
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