Angel Rodriguez
Public, Proprietary, Non-Profit Representative Governor Appointee

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Commissioner Angel Rodriguez

Angel Rodriguez was appointed to the California Student Aid Commission by Governor Newsom in March 2021. Angel, a son of immigrants from Mexico City, serves as Associate Vice Chancellor of Government Relations & Strategic Communications at the San Bernardino Community College District.

Angel, like many other Californians, understands the life-changing power of student financial aid. He was midway through completing his bachelor’s degree at the University of California, Riverside, when his family lost their home and small business at the height of the Great Recession. With the help of Cal Grants, a part-time job in retail, and what little his family could afford, Angel got to the finish line and became the first in his family to graduate from college.

Since then, Angel has dedicated his career to easing the pathway to higher education for students.

At the San Bernardino Community College District, Angel negotiated an MOU with the Mexican Consulate in San Bernardino to establish a year-round help desk inside the consulate to assist families with the FAFSA and California Dream Act Application. He also managed public outreach to win 63% voter support for a $470 million local bond measure to fix, modernize, and build college classrooms, STEM labs, and career training facilities at Crafton Hills College and San Bernardino Valley College.

From 2014 to 2016, Angel was Associate Director of State and Regional Government & Community Relations at his alma mater, UC Riverside, where he conducted state budget advocacy to prevent UC-system tuition increases. 

In 2012, Angel served as Strategic Communications Specialist for an initiative by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the National League of Cities, and the City of Riverside Mayor’s Office to boost college completion among low-income young adults.

From 2008 to 2012, Angel held multiple positions at the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce, managing business-education partnerships, community development, and workforce development advocacy.

In 2021, Angel earned a master’s degree in higher education administration and policy from UC Riverside. He is a member of the Campaign for College Opportunity Advisory Council and the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California Board of Directors. He lives with his husband, Jesse, in Riverside County.