María Eloisa Meléndez Altieri (born December 26, 1951) also known as Mayita, is a Puerto Rican

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

who served as the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

of the city of

Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce ( , , ) is a city and a Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The most populated city outside the San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan metropolitan area, Ponce was founded on August 12, 1692Some publ ...

, from 2009 to 2021. Meléndez Altieri was elected during the Puerto Rican general elections of 2008, 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 Rafael Cordero Santiago (24 October 1942 – 17 January 2004), better known as "Churumba", was the Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico, Ponce, Puerto Rico, from 1989 to 2004. Many considered him as a synonym of Ponce, being baptized as "El León Mayor ...

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.

Biography

Meléndez Altieri was born in

Bayamón, Puerto Rico Bayamón (, ) is a Bayamón barrio-pueblo, city and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in Puerto Rico. Located on the northeastern coastal plain, it is bounded by Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, Guaynabo to the east, Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, Toa A ...

. 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.

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. Another signature project of her administration was the '' Sistema Integrado de Transportación del Sur'' (SITRAS) (English: Southern Integrated Transportation System). In all, Melendez Altieri identified five signature projects of her administration: #) ''Acueducto Municipal del Norte'' (Northern Municipal Zone Aqueduct) at a cost of $5 million #) '' Sistema Integrado de Transportación del Sur'' ( SITRAS) mass transit, at $1.66 million the initial phase #) '' Parque Ecológico Urbano'', at an investment of $4.5 million #) '' Ciudad Deportiva'' at an initial cost of $4.5 million #) 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. ''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 Anón (''Barrio Anón'') is one of the 31 barrios in the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Along with Marueño, Coto Laurel, Guaraguao, Quebrada Limon, Real (Ponce), Real, and San Patricio (Ponce), San Patricio, and the coastal barrios of Ca ...

to the northwestern community of Santas Pascuas in the northernmost part of Barrio

Guaraguao Guaraguao (''Barrio Guaraguao'') is one of the 31 barrios in the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Along with Anón, Coto Laurel, Marueño, Quebrada Limón, Real, and San Patricio, and the coastal barrios of Canas and Capitanejo, Guarag ...

just south of the border with

Adjuntas Adjuntas () is a small mountainside Adjuntas barrio-pueblo, town and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in Puerto Rico located in the central midwestern portion of the island on the Cordillera Central, Puerto Rico, Cordillera Central, no ...

, and from the southern community of Paraíso in Barrio

Machuelo Arriba Machuelo Arriba is one of the 31 barrios of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Along with the barrios of Magueyes, Tibes, Portugués Rural, Portugués, Montes Llanos, Maragüez, and Cerrillos (Ponce), Cerrillos, Machuelo Arriba is one of t ...

, to the municipal boundaries with

Utuado Utuado () is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central mountainous region of the island known as the '' Cordillera Central''. It is located north of Adjuntas and Ponce; south of Hatillo and Arecibo; east of Lares; and west ...

and

Jayuya Jayuya () is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the mountainous center region of the island, north of Ponce; east of Utuado; and west of Ciales. Jayuya is spread over 10 barrios and Jayuya Pueblo (the downtown and administra ...

. 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 Río Inabón is one of the List of rivers of Ponce, 14 rivers in the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. With a length of some , it is Ponce's second longest river after Río Jacaguas. It is fed by the Río Anón, Río Guayo (which itself is f ...

in Ponce, and from

Río Jauca The Jauca River is a river in Puerto Rico. See also *List of rivers of Puerto Rico List of rivers in Puerto Rico ( U.S. Commonwealth), sorted by drainage basin and then alphabetically. There are 47 main rivers and 24 lagoons or reservoirs. Mos ...

in the Adjuntas/Jayuya area, and will also use water from four other water purification plants on

, Burenes ( Tibes), Hogares Seguros (

), and Real Anón (

Family

She was married to Rafael Arturo Mateu Cintrón. She has two daughters, Ana Margarita Mateu Melendez and Maria del Mar Mateu Melendez. Each of her two daughters are officially titled "The First Lady of Ponce".''Abren centro de distribución de suministros en Ponce.''
Primerahora.com. 3 October 2017. Accessed 11 October 2017.

References

Notes

External links

* * , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Melendez, Maria 1950 births 21st-century mayors of places in Puerto Rico Democratic Party (Puerto Rico) politicians Living people Mayors of Ponce, Puerto Rico New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico) politicians Puerto Rican Roman Catholics University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus alumni American women dentists 21st-century American dentists Women mayors of places in Puerto Rico