Legal Aid of Napa Valley is pleased to announce the addition of Osvaldo Gómez Martínez and Julia Walk, to its board of directors. Gómez Martínez is a Ph.D. candidate in social and political science at the University of Cambridge, and Walk is an attorney in the Napa office of Dickenson, Peatman & Fogarty, where she specializes in estate planning and administration.

“We are excited and honored to have Osvaldo and Julia become Directors of Legal Aid,” said Naomi Dreskin-Anderson, president of Legal Aid’s board. “They each bring a unique energy and intellect to the organization and will make great additions to our team.”

Gómez Martínez, who was one of the first Gates Millennium Scholarship recipients, served as an economic and policy analyst for the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Relations and the Mexican Delegation to the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development. He has also consulted and worked for the Mexican Ministry of Social Development, the city of New York and other public and non-for-profit organizations.

Walk previously co-chaired Habitat for Humanity projects, provided research assistance for the Public International Law & Policy Group’s Kosovo Independence Project and assisted low-income taxpayers through Tax-Aid.

Legal Aid of Napa Valley is a not-for-profit organization that provides free legal assistance to Napa County’s most vulnerable populations — seniors, immigrants and low-income residents. Legal Aid represents clients before courts and agencies, helps them obtain benefits, and protects their rights through advocacy, consultation, education and referrals.