Cecily Rodriguez

For 30 years, Cecily Peeples Rodriguez has been developing, implementing, and evaluating policies and programs that address equity and access in the human services sector. Currently, she is responsible for developing and implementing interventions designed to advance social equity in public sector management. She is one of several members of the SPIA-Richmond team that works to shape and manage state government and non-profit research initiatives and program evaluations. Current projects include curriculum development and knowledge transfer for a national behavioral health interpreter training program; a project with the National Hispanic/Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center on behavioral health and wellness in agricultural communities; the design and
implementation of a racial equity review program at the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and a diversity, equity, and inclusion evaluation and planning project with the American Research Center in Egypt. Along with her duties as the manager for applied research, she also teaches
courses related to social equity and policy evaluation at Virginia Tech’s Center for Public Administration and Policy.

She came to Virginia Tech from the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) where she was the Director of Refugee Health Services Division. She was responsible for executive leadership of grant and contract-related planning; implementation of new state health and wellness programs; and the development, management and oversight of program budgets totaling more than $30 million annually. During previous service with the Commonwealth of Virginia, Cecily was the Director of the Office of Health Equity Advancement and Workforce Development at the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS). There, she led the agency’s response to inequities in state behavioral health and developmental services. She was responsible for developing and implementing numerous programs and initiatives designed to increase health equity in the state system of care.

In her free time, she serves as the Vice President of Communications at the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Richmond Region Council #4614; a board member of the Health Brigade, a Latinx serving health clinic; a member of the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps; and a member of the
advisory committee of the National Network for the Elimination of Disparities (NNED). She has a degree in political science with a minor in international relations from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master’s in Public Administration from Virginia Tech.