Dr. Nino Rodríguez was elected to the Board of Education in November, 2009. Dr. Rodríguez served as Deputy Superintendent from 1999-2001, when he retired from the District after 30 years. He began his tenure with the Lansing School District in 1971 as a Counselor at C.W. Junior High School and moved through the ranks, working in numerous positions such as Assistant Principal at both Gardner Junior High and Eastern High School. Dr. Rodríguez is most known for his time as the Pattengill Middle School Principal from 1984 to 1994. He also served as Director of Student Services and Director of Curriculum and Staff Development. Specific accomplishments at Pattengill included development of the clustered teaching approach which is still used throughout the district to this day, and implementation of guidelines from the Youth Violence Prevention Coalition, which fostered a new era in community and student relations in the district.

In addition to his years with the Lansing School District, Dr. Rodríguez also served as Associate Director of the Julian Samora Research Institute at Michigan State University and was appointed to serve the remainder of a term on the Lansing City Council. He is currently Visiting Assistant Professor of Spanish and Portuguese at Michigan State University and publisher ofAdelante Forward magazine. He serves the community through positions on the Otto Community Health Center Advisory Board, the Mayor’s Drug Free Youth Task Force, Lansing’s Chicano Advisory Committee and the Ingham County Board of Health.

Dr. Rodríguez believes in giving children a good foundation for life through education, and he has demonstrated a tremendous empathy and love for children. Parents and students spanning three generations continue to remember and thank him to this day.

Dr. Rodríguez has been married to his beautiful wife, Margarita, for 30 years and together they have two beautiful and successful daughters who are products of the Lansing School District, and two grandchildren.