Miguel
Rodriguez

Miguel Rodriguez is the executive vice president for External Relations and Programs at American Progress.

Miguel Rodriguez joins American Progress after five years at the Gates Foundation, where he served as the director for Government Relations for North America. Located in Washington, D.C., and Seattle, Washington, his teams were tasked with formulating and executing strategies to promote the foundation’s programmatic goals and priorities with federal and state and local lawmakers and decision-makers. Prior to joining the Gates Foundation, Rodriguez was the senior vice president for Government Affairs at American Progress. Rodriguez joined American Progress after practicing law as a partner at Bryan Cave LLP, where his practice consisted of providing his clients with legal and political counsel.

During the Obama administration, Rodriguez served as an assistant to the president and as director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. In this role, he served as President Obama’s primary liaison to the U.S. Congress, working to advance the administration’s legislative agenda. Prior to his appointment as director, Rodriguez served as a special assistant to the president in the same office. Rodriguez also previously served as the deputy assistant secretary for Senate Affairs at the U.S. Department of State from 2009 until 2011. From 2005 to 2009, Rodriguez was chief counsel for then Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), also serving as the senator’s legislative director from 2008 through 2009. Rodriguez graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1994 and the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1999. He is a frequent lecturer at the university and has served as an adjunct professor there since 2014.