Ben Rodriguez, Jr. joined the R Fund in September 2022. In his role, Rodriguez oversees major gift efforts and cultivating new and meaningful relationships with the Rutgers Athletics community.
Prior to his arrival at Rutgers, Ben served as the Assistant Athletics Director of Major Gifts at Georgia Southern and was part of a team that broke several fundraising records in two consecutive years, including total dollars raised, total major gift dollars raised, and total number of major gifts.
During his time in Statesboro, Rodriguez has focused on bringing in new revenue streams with 94 percent of his major gifts coming from first-time major gift donors. In addition, Rodriguez collaborated on a $2 million gift to support the construction of a new indoor practice facility, the largest gift in Georgia Southern Athletics history.
Rodriguez has also led the charge for diversifying Georgia Southern Athletics’ donor base, including the first ever major gifts from Black alumni and women alumni, as well as the first ever donor event with the Network of Black Alumni (NOBA).
Rodriguez was also a member of the athletics Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council, APEX (Athletes Preparing for Employment eXperiences) Committee, and Recruiting Task Force.
Rodriguez continues to facilitate leadership development programs with the NCAA (Career in Sports Forum, Student-Athlete Leadership Training), the Sun Belt Conference (SAAC conference meetings), Huddle Up (sexual assault and gender violence prevention), and the Institute for Sport and Social Justice.
Prior to Georgia Southern, Rodriguez was the Assistant Athletics Director of Student-Athlete Development at Mississippi State University, where he oversaw the holistic growth of all Mississippi State student-athletes.
At Mississippi State, Rodriguez introduced Life After Sport Initiatives (LASI), a set of foundational programs designed to assist student-athletes’ growth and transformation from first-time college students to career-ready leaders set to embark on life after their respective sports. LASI programming is based on four pillars: Career Development, Leadership Development, Personal Development, and Community Engagement.
As a member of the athletics senior staff, Rodriguez was the founding chair of the Student-Athlete Welfare Committee, a group of senior administrators focused on the wellbeing and performance of all Mississippi State student-athletes. In addition, he was also the chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Council, a member of the University Athletic Council, and a member of the University Community Engagement Committee.
Prior to his time in Starkville, Rodriguez worked at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in several capacities. He was the Director of Student-Athlete Welfare & Development (2015-2018), Assistant Director of Student Services (2013-2015), and an Intern in the Business Office (2013).
As a member of the UCF senior staff, Rodriguez managed and oversaw the holistic development of all UCF student-athletes. In addition, Rodriguez was the lead facilitator for the UCF Student-Athlete Leadership Institute, creating leadership development programming aimed at growing student-athlete leaders into positive influencers in and out of the locker room.
In addition, Rodriguez was part of the solicitation and stewardship of several donations and major gifts, totaling over $100,000.
Rodriguez also served on several UCF committees including the Student-Athlete Welfare Committee, Scholarship and Awards Committee, University Athletics Compliance Committee, Title IX Outreach Committee, and the University Anti-Hazing Committee.
In 2017, Rodriguez was selected to participate in the NCAA Dr. Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute. He also participated in the NCAA Effective Facilitation Workshop and was a facilitator in the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum in 2016.
An alumnus of the UCF DeVos Sport Business Management graduate program, Rodriguez earned an MBA and MS in sport business management. During his time with the DeVos program, he co-authored and contributed to several national studies for the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, including the 2012 Major League Baseball Racial and Gender Report Card and the 2011 College Sport Racial and Gender Report Card.
Prior to the DeVos program, Rodriguez worked in the accounting/finance industry for six years before deciding to pursue a career change.
Rodriguez played football at Stony Brook University before graduating from the College of Staten Island with a B.S. in business management and a minor in finance.
Rodriguez and his wife, Emily, have two children – Ben III (5) and Charlotte (4).
