Idida Rodriguez ‘86, one of New Jersey’s top political strategists, and Audrey McDowell ‘91, a leading executive in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, have been appointed to the William Paterson University Board of Trustees.
“William Paterson is fortunate to have a wonderful board composed of wise and dedicated trustees, under the leadership of Chair Michael Seeve,” says President Richard J. Helldobler. “I know that the deep experience and unique perspectives that both Idida Rodriguez and Audrey McDowell will bring to the board will make it even more effective in helping the University grow stronger and continuously improve our service to our students. I am also proud to say that both of our new trustees are William Paterson alumnae. I, along with our cabinet of senior administrators, look forward to working with them.”
Idida Rodriguez, of Woodland Park, earned a bachelor of arts in sociology from William Paterson and is now one of New Jersey’s most renowned and respected political strategists, working as a partner at the firm 1868 Public Affairs. She has played a prominent role in a number of New Jersey gubernatorial campaigns. Among other key positions that she has held throughout her career, Rodriguez served as chief of staff for then-Assemblywoman (now Senator) Nellie Pou from 1997 to 2003. Throughout her career, Rodriguez has helped to strengthen local communities and serve at-risk students through her work, including previous positions as director of Paterson’s School-Based Youth Services and as an instructor for the Pre-College Consortium Program at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. She is also the past owner of I. Rodriguez Sales & Marketing, where she worked with food industry companies, nationally and internationally. She has a long history of service through a variety of public and civic organizations, including her church.
Audrey McDowell, a resident of Paterson, earned a bachelor of science in community health education with a minor in biology from William Paterson. She has held executive sales and marketing positions with several leading organizations, primarily in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, where her success in increasing sales and launching new products has regularly been recognized with organizational awards. She is currently senior territory sales manager with Biogen, and has previously held positions with CSL Behring biopharmaceuticals, Syneos Health, and Johnson & Johnson, as well as American Express Global Merchant Services. McDowell has served as the volunteer chair and commissioner of the Paterson Environmental Commission Board’s Recycling Initiative. She also has long been active through various volunteer roles with her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta.
William Paterson University
300 Pompton Road
Wayne, New Jersey 07470
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