María Meléndez

María Eloisa Meléndez Altieri (born December 26, 1951) also known as Mayita, is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the mayor of the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico,[4] from 2009 to 2021. Meléndez Altieri was elected during the Puerto Rican general elections of 2008,[5] becoming the first woman elected to the office in Ponce's political history. She was also the first mayor of a party other than the Popular Democratic Party in Ponce since 1989, when Rafael Cordero Santiago became mayor. This is Mayita's second candidacy in politics on the island and her first electoral win. In the Puerto Rico's 2004 general election, Mayita presented her candidacy for a senatorial seat representing Puerto Rico's 5th district, but lost in her bid for the position. Meléndez Altieri lost her bid for reelection in the 2020 general elections to Luis Irizarry Pabon from the Popular Democratic Party.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Meléndez and the second or maternal family name is Altieri.
María Meléndez Altieri
135th Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico
In office
12 January 2009[1] – January 10, 2021
Preceded byFrancisco Zayas Seijo
Succeeded byLuis Irizarry Pabón
Personal details
Born (1951-12-26) December 26, 1951
Río Piedras, Puerto Rico[2][lower-alpha 1]
NationalityPuerto Rican
Political partyNew Progressive Party (PNP)
Spouse(s)Rafael Arturo Mateu Cintrón (former)[3]
Children2
EducationUniversity of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus (BS)
University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine (DMD)
ProfessionPolitician, dentist
WebsiteMunicipality of Ponce (Spanish)

Biography

Meléndez Altieri was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico.[6][lower-alpha 2][2] She was the daughter of Eloísa Altieri Brau and José Luis Meléndez Mena. Meléndez studied secondary education in the city of Bayamón. She obtained her high school diploma at Colegio Santa Rosa in 1969 with high honors. Meléndez studied at the UPRRP College of Natural Sciences where she earned a bachelor of science degree in 1973. After graduating with a degree in dental medicine from the University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine, she worked as a dental assistant until she established her own dental practice in Ponce.[7]

Works

Under her administration, construction of the $4.5 million Parque Ecológico Urbano (English: Urban Ecological Park) was started and completed. She called the construction of the park one of the five "signature" projects of her administration.[8]

Another signature project of her administration was the Sistema Integrado de Transportación del Sur (SITRAS) (English: Southern Integrated Transportation System).[9]

In all, Melendez Altieri identified five signature projects of her administration:

  1. ) Acueducto Municipal del Norte (Northern Municipal Zone Aqueduct) at a cost of $5 million
  2. ) Sistema Integrado de Transportación del Sur (SITRAS) mass transit, at $1.66 million the initial phase
  3. ) Parque Ecológico Urbano, at an investment of $4.5 million
  4. ) Ciudad Deportiva at an initial cost of $4.5 million
  5. ) The restoration of the Juan Bigas Building (old Plaza del Mercado) to convert it into "Ponce Servicios" at an undisclosed amount of money

The entire penta-project effort went under the name "Ponce Avanza" and the permanent structures have an assignment of $177 million.[10]

Acueducto del Norte envisions bringing round-the-clock drinking water to the residents of the northern mountainous sections of the municipality. It is expected to serve communities from the easternmost community of Hogares Seguros in the northeastern Barrio of Anón to the northwestern community of Santas Pascuas in the northernmost part of Barrio Guaraguao just south of the border with Adjuntas, and from the southern community of Paraíso in Barrio Machuelo Arriba, to the municipal boundaries with Adjuntas, Utuado and Jayuya. It includes a new water purification plant in the Burenes sector of Barrio Tibes, that would be using water from Río Portugués and Río Inabón in Ponce, and from Río Jauca in the Adjuntas/Jayuya area, and will also use water from four other water purification plants on Guaraguao, Burenes (Tibes), Hogares Seguros (Anón), and Real Anón (Anón).[11]

Family

She was married to Rafael Arturo Mateu Cintrón.[3] She has two daughters, Ana Margarita Mateu Melendez and Maria del Mar Mateu Melendez.[12] Each of her two daughters are officially titled "The First Lady of Ponce".[13]

References
  1. Mayita ofrece su mensaje de logros. El Sur a la Vista. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 12 October 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  2. Hon.María E. Meléndez Altieri, Alcaldesa. Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce. 2016. Accessed 25 March 2020.
  3. Avalan millonaria exención contributiva. Reinaldo Millán. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 2 November 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  4. "Perfil de alcalde María Eloisa "Mayita" Meléndez Altieri". Puerto Rico Decide 2016 - ENData (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  5. Alex Figueroa Cancel (5 November 2008). "Mayita se impone en Ponce". Primera Hora. Archived from the original on 8 December 2008. Retrieved 18 February 2009.
  6. Históricas las elecciones en Ponce. Archived by the WayBack Machine on 2008-August-09.
  7. Celebridades del Sur y el país: Evocan con orgullo su primer empleo. Carmen Cila Rodríguez. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 1 September 2010. Year 28, No. 1396. Page 20. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  8. Encaminados los trabajos del parque ecológico. El Sur a la Vista. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 20 September 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  9. Inversión millonaria en Ponce para el sistema de transporte colectivo. El Sur a la Vista. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 16 September 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  10. Municipio de Ponce con déficit menor. Michelle Estrada Torres. 31 May 2011. Primera Hora. San Juan, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  11. Ponce: agua al final de la tubería. Darisabel Texidor Guadalupe. 4 February 2014. Primera Hora. 18 February 2014.
  12. Hon. María E. Meléndez Altieri, Alcaldesa: Municipio Autónomo de Ponce. Camara de Comercio de Puerto Rico. nd. Accessed 11 October 2017.
  13. Abren centro de distribución de suministros en Ponce. Primerahora.com. 3 October 2017. Accessed 11 October 2017.

Notes
  1. Some sources, such as WAPA-TV, state she was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. See here
  2. Some sources, such as the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce, state she was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. See here.
Political offices
Preceded by
Francisco Zayas Seijo		 Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico
2009–2021		 Succeeded by
Luis Irizarry Pabón
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