Interview with Nancy Rodrigues (2025-03-06)

Nancy Rodrigues served Secretary of the State Board of Elections from 2007-2011 and Secretary of Administration from 2004-2018, working under three Virginia governors (Kaine, McDonnell and McAuliffe). As Secretary of Administration for the Commonwealth of Virginia--an expansive position within the governor’s cabinet--she oversaw Virginia’s elections, administered state employee policies and benefits, maintained the physical plant of the state, and oversaw Virginia’s information technology, to name just a few of the responsibilities. Rodrigues’ parents — both of Portuguese descent — immigrated from Brazil to Newark, New Jersey, where she grew up. In this interview, Rodrigues shares about her childhood in Newark, her dedication to education, her experiences as the child of Brazilian immigrants, and how that has influenced her role in the Latino communities she has worked with.