Jose Rodriguez: From UCLA Alumnus to Downey Board of Education Advocate
Jose Rodriguez, a longtime resident of Downey, has transitioned from a successful career as a civil engineer and construction manager to a dedicated advocate for education, culminating in his election to Downey’s Board of Education. His journey, rooted in the values instilled by his parents and nurtured by his experiences at UCLA, reflects a deep commitment to community and a passion for ensuring quality education for all students.
Early Life and the Influence of Education
Growing up southwest of Downey, Rodriguez recognized the importance of education from a young age. His parents, immigrants from Mexico, instilled in him and his three younger siblings the significance of attending college. With this encouragement at the forefront, Rodriguez worked hard in school and was ultimately accepted into UCLA, where he began to study Civil Engineering. “My dad always told me that I was going to college… I was extremely fortunate,” Rodriguez shared, reflecting on the opportunities that education afforded him.
UCLA and Career Beginnings
Professionally, Rodriguez graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. Nearing his graduation from UCLA in 2002, when web-based careers began to flourish, Rodriguez started to realize that Civil Engineering wasn’t as lucrative of a field as he had anticipated. He quickly began an internship with Turner Construction where he built relationships and made an impression within the organization. Rodriguez has been a part of Turner Construction ever since.
As an engineer and active recruiter for his company, Rodriguez understands the importance of preparing students for college and careers. “As an engineer and active recruiter for my company, it’s important that our school district build students who are college and career ready with good character and are globally competitive,” Rodriguez said. “This translates into the real world where competition is tough and we are constantly looking for the best and brightest talent with strong leadership skills.”
Working in Construction Management, he has been fortunate enough to have overseen the creation of large-scale notable projects like the Long Beach Miller’s Children’s Hospital and the recently completed SoFi Stadium.
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Giving Back: Alumni Engagement and Community Involvement
Over Rodriguez’s career, he has been involved with mentoring high school students in the areas of architecture, construction and engineering. He has served on a steering committee within Turner Construction to increase the diversity and inclusion within his company. As a proud UCLA alum, Rodriguez has also served on the Southeast UCLA Alumni Board which encourages alumni to network and give back to their respective communities. He feels it’s important to give back to the next generation and provide opportunities for others who may need a helping hand. Rodriguez has also served on the Southeast UCLA Alumni Board as director at large over the last two years.
Family Life and Deepening Community Ties
High school sweethearts, Rodriguez married his wife Brenda during his final year at UCLA. As his career began to take off, they began to plan for the future. Knowing the importance of being an extremely involved father, Rodriguez took part in all aspects of his children’s lives even, coaching them in various sports, from as young as kindergarten all the way through their middle school years. Rodriguez is an involved parent of three children in DUSD and his wife is an elementary school teacher in the neighboring Norwalk - La Mirada School District.
“We moved to Downey because of the schools,” said Rodriguez. “Once we moved here, we realized how giving this community is. The Kid’s Days, the annual carnivals, the summer concerts… it was such a solid community, we wanted to get more involved.”
All three of his children attended Gallatin Elementary School where his wife volunteered during their years there. She soon became a member of Gallatin’s PTA and Rodriguez quickly followed as he supported his wife with various events.
“I started by barbecuing at the annual carnival. That’s really how I got involved and then I got approached to be the PTA President,” Rodriguez began to laughingly explain. “Well they actually asked my wife first, but she said ‘no’. So, they then asked me, and I said yes.”
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Rodriguez served as PTA President at Gallatin Elementary for two years while his three kids attended the school. He was awarded an Honorary Service Award by the Gallatin PTA for his commitment to the campus. “The elementary school years were extremely rewarding for me as a parent. Gallatin Elementary gave my children the opportunity to really flourish as learners, but also build their confidence and character while participating in programs such as Character Counts Council, Playworks Junior Coaches and numerous talent shows,” he said.
Transition to the Board of Education
Rodriguez credits his involvement on Gallatin’s PTA to “opening his eyes” to the district, where he quickly began to get a more in-depth look at how the schools and Downey Unified operate. He began to invite more parents to join the PTA in hopes of getting more families involved and broaden the membership at Gallatin. Through his years on the PTA, his interest in the programs within the district began to grow and he soon wanted to be a voice for families with children in schools.
“That was my motivation to run for the Board, I wanted another parent on the Board that currently has children in the district,” shared Rodriguez. “I can relate and see firsthand to what the parents and kids are going through with distance learning. So, I can empathize with a majority of parents. I feel like that is extremely important.”
Rodriguez is running to replace Tod Corrin in Trustee Area 2; Corrin’s term expires this year and he is not seeking re-election. “Tod Corrin has done a great job in leading our school district for many years and I am honored to have his endorsement and support. I take great pride that he would endorse me, and I will honor that trust with my dedication to our students,” said Rodriguez. “I am also proud to have the endorsements from outstanding DUSD Board Members Martha Sodetani, Nancy Swenson and Donald LaPlante. I look forward to working together with them on behalf of all Downey students.”
Rodriguez’s boys will attend Downey High this upcoming school year. His daughter plays soccer for AYSO United and attends Doty Middle School. Seeing not only his children but also his wife deal with the various challenges all families are facing provides him a unique perspective, and he is looking forward to the work ahead of him as he begins his first year on the Board of Education.
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Vision for Downey Unified School District
“The professional development the teachers received really translated into the classroom, and I saw that firsthand. I want to help build on that by serving on the Board of Trustees for DUSD,” he said. Rodriguez is committed to ensuring that the Downey Unified School District continues to provide a stable and strong educational environment. “This board has provided stability and strength to the Downey Unified School District and I look to continue the collaboration between the board, the city, and our community,” he said.
“I moved to Downey many years ago because I wanted a great school district and safe community to raise my children,” Rodriguez said. “I have been coaching my twin boys since they were in kindergarten through nine seasons at Downey Junior Athletic Association (DJAA). I love our community and want to continue to help in any way possible.”
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