She’s a Tar Heel and a Trailblazer

“I’m Martina Ballen. And I am a Tar Heel.”

It’s how she introduces herself — plainly, confidently, without flourish. For Ballen, that identity has never needed explanation. Carolina has been home for most of her life, and the work she has done here has always felt less like a career and more like a responsibility.

Ballen joined Carolina Athletics in 1987 as director of finance and retired in January as senior associate athletics director and chief financial officer. The first African American administrator in UNC Athletics history, Ballen supported 44 Tar Heel national championships and managed a budget that has grown from $16 million to more than $180 million during her tenure.

“I love this place,” Ballen says. “From my undergraduate days to where I am now, I’ve seen a lot of change in the industry. I’ve worked for three athletic directors. But when people say, ‘You’ve been there for so long — how did you do that?’”

Her answer is simple. “One thing about athletics — there’s always change. And so that in itself kept me engaged and challenged and made the job very interesting, because it too changed.”

That idea — growth through change — runs quietly through Ballen’s reflections. She never frames her career in terms of milestones or moments. Instead, she talks about evolution. About learning. About adapting. About understanding what leadership requires in each season.

And about why visibility matters.

“You can’t understand or realize what you might be able to do unless you see others in those roles,” she says. “And so that’s one of the things personally that I’ve tried to do — is really spread the word, especially among young women, about possibilities.”

That belief would later shape one of her most meaningful contributions: helping establish the Tar Heel Trailblazers program. “Particularly our pioneers of color — those who blazed trails for others to follow in athletics. Just to really highlight what they did while here and what they’ve continued to do,” she explains.

That same perspective now applies to her.

In 2026, Ballen is being recognized as a Tar Heel Trailblazer — a moment that still catches her off guard.

“This is really — it still feels really weird — to be on the other side of this,” she says. “I’m humbled. Just knowing the group — those folks that have been acknowledged already — to be part of this very special class is just so moving.”

Ballen never sought to be a Trailblazer. She sought to do the work well. To stay curious. To hold herself to a standard. To make room for others to see what was possible — and to believe they belonged.

Now, as she reflects on a career defined less by titles and more by trust, Ballen understands what the recognition represents. Not a conclusion, but a confirmation.

That the work mattered.

That the example mattered.

That the quiet leadership endured.

And that sometimes, the most meaningful legacy is simply showing others the way — even when you never imagined the path would lead back to you.

Read more about Martina Ballen.