Marty Martinez, who served as Boston’s health and human services chief for the first two years of the coronavirus pandemic, will start on March 31 as the next president and CEO of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay.

A Dorchester resident, Martinez has worked as CEO of Reach Out and Read since 2022. He was City Hall’s health chief from 2017 to 2021 and previously led the Mass Mentoring Partnership.

“Marty has a depth and breadth of experience on an array of critical issues facing our region. During his time as our chief of health and human services, he was a strong advocate for what our communities needed, especially in times of crisis,” said former Mayor Marty Walsh.

United Way of Massachusetts Bay “focuses its efforts on the cities with the highest number of households excluded from financial wellbeing,” the agency notes.

“As someone who grew up in a low-income household, led by a single mother, I’m someone who knows the systems and supports that created the opportunities for me to access the American dream that I know today,” Martinez said. “Experiences shape how I see the world.”