Dr. María Eloísa (“Mayita”) Meléndez Altieri was sworn in as Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico, on January 12, 2009. Before becoming mayor, Dr. Meléndez began her professional career as a dental surgeon in Ponce for 31 years (1977-2008), standing out both in the clinical area and in education. The commitment to public service and especially to the city of Ponce impelled Dr. Meléndez to get involved in various boards and committees in which, on a voluntary basis, she offered her advice, practice and knowledge.
During her administration as mayor, she has overseen five signature infrastructure projects under the "Ponce Avanza" initiative worth $177 million:
The Northern Municipal Zone Aqueduct with new water purification plants at a cost of $5 million
Sistema Integrado de Transportación del Sur (SITRAS) mass transit, at $1.66 million for 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. Learn more about Mayor Meléndez.