Lou Rodriguez

“True Leaders lead by example and have high morals and values. In a world of self-gratification and social media promotion they expect absolutely nothing in return for their efforts.”

Lou Rodriguez is the CEO and founder of Rodriguez Consulting LLC (Rodriguez), an award-winning professional engineering and land surveying firm that showcases his unique combination of civil engineering and information technology expertise. He is a professional civil engineer with 30 years of experience primarily focused on water infrastructure and geographic information systems (GIS). He worked at the Philadelphia Water Department in its design branch and became the Department’s first GIS program manager. Lou is passionate about regional economic development, workforce development, and educational equity. He serves as the Board Chair of the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and is a Trustee at Widener University where he earned his BS in Civil Engineering.

What does leadership mean to you?

“True Leaders have integrity, inspire excellence, and assist those around them to reach their full potential. True Leaders lead by example and have high morales and values. In a world of self-gratification and social media promotion they expect absolutely nothing in return for their efforts.”

Where do art and your discipline meet?

“One of the biggest misconceptions in my profession, civil engineering, is that someone must be "good in math" to enter the profession. The reality is that civil engineers require a broad range of skills beyond math such as art and an solid understanding of civics and history. For example, it's extremely valuable to have a artistic and communication skills to better communicate built enviroment and infrastructure improvements to civic and community leaders that do not necessarily care about technical details.”

Biography:

Lou Rodriguez is the CEO and founder of Rodriguez Consulting LLC (Rodriguez), an award winning professional engineering and land surveying firm which he founded in 2007. With a bachelor of science degree in Civil Engineering from Widener University, Lou provides a unique combination of civil engineering and information technology experience in both the public and private sectors. Lou is a professional civil engineer (PA and NJ) with over 30 years of experience, primarily focused on water infrastructure and geographic information systems (GIS). Prior to forming Rodriguez, Lou worked at the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) as a civil engineer in its Design Branch and eventually became the Department's first GIS Program Manager.

Lou is passionate about regional economic development, workforce development, and educational equity. He serves as the Board Chair of the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Trustee with Widener University. Lou recently created Rodriguez University, a workforce development and training initiative that is focused on providing the necessary skills and promoting careers in infrastructure at all levels and in every community.

Lou was honored by the Philadelphia Business Journal as a 2017 Power 100 and AL DIA News Media as a 2020 Hispanic Heritage Awardee (Entrepreneur).