Port of Long Beach Hires Communications Director

 

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners on Monday selected Noelia Rodriguez as the Managing Director of Communications to oversee the Harbor Department’s Communications, Government Relations and Marketing divisions.

 

Rodriguez brings diverse and extensive experience to the newly created role at the Port of Long Beach, ranging from the White House and Los Angeles Mayor’s Office to her most recent position with Metro Los Angeles, which is the county’s public transportation authority.

 

As Metro’s Chief Communications Officer, Rodriguez led 275 employees and managed a $50 million budget overseeing media relations, government relations, marketing, communications and community relations. She was also responsible for customer programs and services.

 

She previously served as Director of the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at Harvard University, Vice President of Corporate Communications at Univision, Director of Communications and Press Secretary to First Lady Laura Bush from 2001 to 2003 and Deputy Mayor under former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan. In 2000, Mayor Riordan appointed Rodriguez to serve as president and CEO of LA 2000, the host committee for the Democratic National Convention, Los Angeles’ first political convention since President Kennedy’s nomination in 1960.

 

Rodriguez earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from California State University, Los Angeles. She also completed one year of studies in the social ecology program at University of California, Irvine.