
INGRID LEWIS-MARTIN
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Chaplain Ingrid P. Lewis-Martin is an advocate for community empowerment, realizing her passion as a 4th grade student when, under the leadership of her African-American studies instructor Ms. Scott, she and other students organized a protest of the local A&P Supermarket to express their displeasure that no persons of color were employed.
Chaplain Ingrid currently serves as the Chief Advisor to Mayor Eric Adams. Prior to her current position, she proudly served with Adams as Deputy Brooklyn Borough President and his senior advisor, and for seven years as his chief of staff in the State Senate.
Her political career started in 1983, when she volunteered at Renaissance Development Corporation as she awaited her test results from the New York City Board of Education to pursue a career in teaching. Ingrid wrote several grants for the organization, which successfully garnered funding for the organization. As a result, the organization’s executive director asked her to volunteer with the re-election campaign of Representative Major R. Owens. Within two weeks, she was offered the paid position of deputy campaign manager, and her journey in politics began.
From 1984 until 1992, Chaplain Ingrid was hired as an educator at IS 320 Jackie Robinson, her alma mater. In addition to her duties as an instructor, she served as a dean of students, graduation coordinator, as well as taught modern and African dance in the after-school programs. During the summer months from 1990 until approximately 2005, Ingrid was the executive director for Youth Development Center, Inc. (YDC), a program she founded and privately funded that annually provided free summer camp programs for 200 youth living in Vanderveer Estates and Ebbets Field Apartment Complex. To date, former campers ask her to reinstitute the camp so that they may enroll their children in the program.
Chaplain Ingrid continued to utilize her free time to assist numerous elected officials and individuals who aspired to public office. During the early 2000’s, Chaplain Ingrid helped Roger Green in his bid for re-election, and as a result, Assembly Member Green offered Chaplain Ingrid a part-time position on his team. As a member of Assembly Member Green’s team, Chaplain Ingrid was always called upon to help elected officials on their campaigns, serve as a surrogate, and perform a host of other responsibilities.
Chaplain Ingrid is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Eastern Star, and New Life Ministries Pentecostal Church. She is a member of the Healing Hearts Chaplaincy, which serves as an ambassador to the United Nations. Chaplain Ingrid has been married to Glenn D. Martin I for more than 36 years and is the proud mother of Glenn D. Martin II and grandmother of Meagan P. Martin. She is a black belt in Shotokan Karate, loves to dance, and has two titles that she boasts about: the “Empress of Karaoke” and “Grandma-ma.”