Florida State Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez on Leadership, Service, and Legacy

I like [music] getting the right information out. I think sometimes as we've seen, you know, over the years [music] sometimes information gets misconstrued or misinterpreted. How have you created that mental [music] fortitude to say, "Yeah, I'm going to I got this. I'm going to do this." You know what I mean? It's not personal. It's just meant to be like Pause up. Pause up. Always. Always. And welcome to Game Changers live from the College of Communications, Architecture and the Arts here at Florida International University. And today we have a very special guest. She is an individual who has worked in the private industry. She has worked in local government. She has worked in state government both

in the House and now the Florida State Senate and she's the chair of the Miami-Dade delegation, Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez. Welcome to the show. Thank you for having me. I really appreciate the invitation. And a fellow panther. Right? Pause up. Pause up. Pause up. >> [laughter] >> Yeah, so welcome welcome [snorts] home. Thank you. Great to be home. Yeah, absolutely. So Anna, you have a tremendous career. You've worked in every facet of, you know, both private and government that you possibly can. Tell me a little bit about your journey growing up. What was it like for you, you know, growing up and what inspired you to then take on that path? So having been born

and raised in Miami-Dade County is such a blessing to to be a a homegrown product, right? To to see how our community has evolved and to have been involved since a very early age as a volunteer in numerous activities throughout the community. My parents always encouraged me to give back. You know, I'm Catholic and and you know, part of our religion is you know, we we try to help others and serve others. Absolutely. >> And so, you know, we you know, my parents always said, "Anita, you know, do what you can to to give back." And so that's that's kind of been my mantra is to to help others, give back and make our community

a better place than when we started it, right? So I see that evolution. I see how it's getting better and better every day. And I think it just takes people to step up and and you know, sometimes get a little uncomfortable and get out of their comfort zones to to help out. So that's something I've I've done my entire life. I was I was speaking to my daughter this morning in the car on the way to school and I was telling her about how important it is to be able to communicate and and put yourself out there and take a leadership role even if it's like a club, something, you know, that's like a step

that gets you uncomfortable every day. I think it's important to to do that. When you started serving and you started putting yourself out there in different positions, a lot of individuals start getting imposter syndrome, right? They they're saying I you know, I don't feel comfortable here. Maybe I'm kind of being somebody I'm not. When you're taking on these challenges like you have you have throughout your career, how have you created that mental fortitude to say, "Yeah, I'm going to I got this. I'm going to do this." I think it's important to kind of block out the noise and and the critique and people who, you know, the naysayers that say, "Oh, you know, this is

not for you." If something is that you enjoy, that you feel comfortable with, that you that you like doing and just feels natural to you, you have to embrace it. I think you need to just do things even though people out there might say, "Oh, like again, it you know, why why are you like what's your end game? Like what are you trying like where are you trying to go with this?" Sometimes you you don't have an end you don't want to use it for political gain or to run for office or to do anything except for just the good of serving and helping others. And that in and of itself is very fulfilling. And

I think young people need to kind of come back to that and say, "Okay, you know, sometimes people feel like they don't have a purpose or they don't know like what they want to do." You don't know what service is going to lead you to. You don't know if, you know, the smallest act of kindness of of helping somebody with something. That could help open a career path that you may not have even been aware of. So I I feel like service is again, not that it's that there's an end game per se for service except that you're doing it just for the act itself to help that person and then again, sometimes it leads

to other opportunities or avenues. And you worked in communication in Baptist, right? Kind of growing up and and you starting your career. What was it about communications that that you loved? I like getting the right information out. I think sometimes as we've seen, you know, over the years sometimes information gets misconstrued or misinterpreted. One of the things I really truly care about is making sure that people have not just the correct information, but also stuff that's relevant, stuff that they want to know about and stuff that affects their community, right? So at the end of the day all politics is local and I think that when you're helping people and you're serving the community, people

want to know what have you done for me lately? How does this affect my day-to-day life? And sometimes as a state senator, people feel a little disconnected from us because we're in Tallahassee, but we also live here. This is really my home. I spend part of the year up there, but I think it's important for my staff who is also FIU, Cedric McMahon who's here today, you know, we we try to really excel at making sure that our constituents know that we are available, that we are here to serve them and I think communication comes in many shapes and forms, right? So it's it's again the physical act of being present, of being at events,

of letting people know that we're here to help them, but it also has to do with social media communication. It has to do with email communications. It has to do with, you know, all sorts of things. So again, it's about conveying your truth, your your your availability, what you're trying to help people with. Another thing I I send people my constituents is you know, do you need help with an agency, right? Some people we have veterans in our community who have served that may not know how to access their benefits. We have a lot of elderly people in our community who may not know all the benefits that they're entitled to because of their age,

because of their health conditions and so forth. Families with young children who may not have income thresholds where they they need to get assistance from the government. Our job as communicators is to make sure that they know where to get assistance and how to help make their lives better. And [snorts] to that point, your network is is so incredibly important. So like for those listening out there when as they're as they're growing up in college like Cedric standing over here. He's off camera. You guys don't see him, but he's an amazing amazing individual. We've known each other since college. Yes. >> And you know, salt of the earth. There he is right there. Hey hey

my friend. >> [laughter] >> And I beat you. I've known him since high school. >> you know you've known him since Dadeland Mall working together. >> holiday helpers, yes. Holiday helpers, [laughter] information desk, all that stuff. Well, and it's important because those relationships you carry them on with you and down the road they're they're incredibly valuable. And that's a a really important part of anyone's career. And we're seeing that a lot now with, you know, with the COVID kids coming up that they're having trouble connecting, you know, communicating and so forth, but obviously the the network is is tremendously important. So you started off in in Baptist and then from there where where did you

go into? So it's funny. I actually my my role my path in government didn't really start at Baptist. It started with a gentleman, may he rest in peace, Bob Levy, who was my mentor and one of my best best friends. He really taught me the ropes of how to do advocacy in Tallahassee. We we had a lot of pro bono clients that we helped them with legislation. One of them was Patches which is a P-PAC down in Homestead down actually it's in Florida City. They help medically fragile children. I I learned a lot about just helping people a step further, right? From my from my other roles that I've had. And so Bob really helped

set kind of set set the match and and throw the flame like he's like, "Okay, here boom, set me on fire." You know, in a good way, right? And then from there I went to work with Phyllis Ordes at Baptist who was also very involved here at FIU and and helped in many ways. And so that that was a great opportunity for me. I was the director of government and community relations at Baptist. So again, got to experience helping a lot of different organizations through their philanthropic arm. And then from there, yeah, I ran for office which was also an unexpected turn in my my story. I had the good fortune of my good friend

JC Bermudez, another political and and professional mentor besides Phyllis, Bob and then I'm I'm also going to mention Roimy Mambiela cuz she was a mentor too. But anyways, just so many people that helped shape the path that I'm on that again, very unexpected that I would ever run for office. And so JC Bermudez asked me one day, he said, "Anna, do you want to run for an open council seat in Doral?" And I'm like, "No." I said no like 10 times before I actually like filled out the paperwork and and did it. So yeah, sometimes we try to avoid things that are meant for us and then once we embrace them and we do them,

we're like, "How come I didn't do this before?" You know, and Right. >> so anyway, here we are. And sometimes it just it takes a mentor, somebody to see something in you that perhaps you don't see in yourself. >> That's right. >> But it's you got to put yourself out there especially in the political arena, you know, you're in the public purview all of a sudden, right? Your life is completely kind of open and and exposed. So it's a lot of people feel it's, you know, it's it's scary. Mhm. Right? So how did you over what was what was it that made it click to say, "Okay, I'm going to go for this. Yeah, um

well, I mean, I think the fact that, you know, JC Bermudez was so insistent, right? I think that that helped. Um the fact that I was already serving and helping people as a non-elected official, right? Which is what I want to kind of drive home to people today is uh don't feel like you have to have that title of the honorable, you know, so and so. You can do a lot of good just by quietly helping people. Sure. >> you don't have to be in the spotlight all the time. I mean, um you know, I think some people inadvertently end up in the spotlight in you know, in a good way uh to help others,

but that's not really the purpose behind it. Um I will tell you that um you know, being a public official, being a person uh that as you said, it's a big responsibility and you're held to the highest standard. Uh you know, people and everything you do is in the in the limelight and uh you just got to try to do good as you know, all the time and and help others, you know, that's really what it's about. So. So, what what motivates you every day to get up and do the you you get up excited because you must love what you do. Yes. And it it it appears like it's a full-time job, but actually

it's supposed to be just a part-time job, but it's really not. >> Yes. So So, in my professional capacity, uh I work as the chief of strategic initiatives for the Miami Association of Realtors. We are the largest local Realtor Association in the United States. We have over 60,000 primary Realtor members here in Miami-Dade, Broward, and you know, Palm Beach. Yeah. So, it's it's quite a large association. So, they're very supportive of my career and that they help me, you know, be able to serve in Tallahassee as I jokingly say, you know, in my free time, right? I Yeah, when you have nothing else to do. >> Whatever, exactly. But my my primary motivation honestly is

my family, you know, my kids are just such incredible human beings and I'm I'm trying to be as good of a mom as I can to to make sure I raise great citizens and people who will also give back to our community and when they, you know, as they get older and I take them on to food distributions now and they're like, "Mommy, you know, that I'm like, "You see you're But they're learning. They're they're learning. >> learning. Right, that this is part of uh our lives. We need to do this. Um so, of course my husband, my my kids, my my parents, um who are getting older and I see them becoming more frail

and and just uh it's it's heartbreaking, but at the same time it's it's motivating to help them and say, "Look, you know what? Here I am giving back to you because this, you know, you guys helped raise me the way I am." And it makes them proud to see that I'm out there and that I'm doing a good job. So. How old are your kids? Uh Eros just turned 13, so I have a a freshly minted teenager. Uh yes. And my little one, Hermes, is going to be 12 uh later this month. So. Oh, okay. Yeah, so I had them back-to-back. They're 15 months apart. It was a crazy uh crazy couple years at my

house with a lot of diapers, a lot of uh There's no right way to do it, but yeah, those are that's one way to do it for sure. >> very close and they're, you know, two boys, so um it it makes for good, you know, time for them to, you know, collect they they I think they uh collaborate a lot on on antics and uh shenanigans and things like that. Right, right, right. So, what is a typical day like for you or do you not have a typical day? I don't have a typical day. Um I wish I did sometimes. I wish I had a little more of a routine, uh but it just depends.

Like when I'm in Tallahassee during committee weeks or during session, it is a little more routinary, I guess, uh but my committees are different every day. My uh the number of people that come see me every week is different because, you know, it depends on who's in town that week. Um so, I just uh accommodate meetings as people come see me. Um I I enjoy being in Tallahassee because once I get to the capital, I get there very early like at 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning. Once I get to work, it's like I'm in the same building all day. So, I get people come see me and I don't have to drive. When I'm

in Miami, I live in Homestead, uh which is I live in exit two, Campbell Drive. Just [laughter] for It's very far. Um and I love Homestead, by the way, but um it is a little challenging sometimes because my office is right by Miami International Airport um and a lot of activities are either in downtown or Coral Gables and and other parts of of our community. You have to go sometimes to Miami Gardens. Sometimes I have to go to Broward. So, I spend a lot of time driving and that is uh it's a little stressful, A little. a little a little, but I I try to make it productive by uh we schedule Zoom calls, we

schedule meetings that, you know, virtual meetings. I I go off camera, but I'm I'm able to To be productive on the road. >> while I'm in the car. Um and and that's the thing, you know, now it's Art Basel week, so you know, there's just so many activities. I know it's going to take me at least an hour and a half to two hours just to get into Miami Beach, but I'm looking forward to to doing that. Um you know, so but you just have to be organized and structured Right. um to to try to make the most of your time. So, yeah, to your back to your original question, no two days are the

same and they're all And then I also have to drop my kids off at school and pick them up. There's there's that. Yeah, you need a you need like a stunt double. Yes, yes, yes, yes. A doppelganger or something to do because with with school and and traffic in Miami and everything, it's it's incredibly difficult. Mhm. So, what's your if you had a motto, like what's your personal motto? Maybe it it it's from, you know, your values growing up or what what's something that that really kind of drives your thinking and your success and leadership. So, I think it's important. Um it's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice. I like

that. >> people who become important forget that they, you know, you need to be kind to everyone. Mhm. Um they think, "Oh, you know, like it just goes to their head sometimes." Um Sure. and I think you have to just be continue being nice because one day you're not going to have that title and one day you're not going to be, you know, so and so and then, you know, just be be kind all the time, you know, and uh it it pays off in, you know, in in a in a big way. And that's a great point because what I see is that a lot of people will attach their self-worth to their title.

Mhm. And then the day that they don't have that title anymore, they're like, "Okay, who am I? What's my purpose?" Right. You know, and that I think that happens quite a bit. >> Yeah, and our purpose in evolves, right? Like you start off at, you know, a certain role with a certain title, then another opportunity opens, you you kind of go into that, but none of that should be who defines you, like you said, um except in that moment. That's that's your role. That's where you're meant to be. Um and then, you know, eventually you move on to something else or you stay there for a longer period of time, but that should not be

what what defines a person. Your personality, your kindness, your humanity, that's really what you need to focus on and just try to do good and help others. Yeah. So. So, now in you know, you you served in the house, now you're in the Senate and you lead a number of committee, you know, a committee is you're part of committees. >> Yes. Tell me about what you're excited about. Now the upcoming session is is coming up. What are you excited about to see there? So, I'm very excited to chair the Environment and Natural Resources Committee. Um this is actually uh my second time around doing that. Uh Which is fitting, right? Because your your entire territory

is surrounded by water and mangroves and everything else. >> so to give our our viewers a a little background, um my district includes all of Monroe County, all of the Keys, and then all of Southwest Miami-Dade County, which is a lot of agriculture, um you know, all the Redlands. Um I have uh it goes all the way up to the Broward line and the Collier line. So, the Everglades uh Wow. and also like actually FIU. This is in my Senate district, so I'm very excited that that that that turned out that way. Um so, it's a very diverse uh group of interests, but primarily environmental. Um the Keys is 120 mi long and as you

said, it's completely surrounded by water, so we have a lot of environmental um opportunities Between growth, right? And kind of spurring growth, but limiting it so it doesn't have the impact. And there are people who would like to see more development in the Keys and, you know, that is uh it's needed. We need we do need some more workforce housing for the people who work in our tourism industry. Um those people, you know, a lot of them we call them, you know, couch surfers cuz they can't afford to rent an apartment, so they're just like kind of renting couches and it's it's it's not a good thing. I think people need to have dignified housing

no matter where they live. Um and it it needs to be affordable, right? Uh but but the Keys does have a lot of challenges, you know. Um but but here we are, you know, one of the things that I really care about is the uh the coral restoration. You know, down if I have to kind of get into the micro uh details, um people don't know that uh corals, coral reefs actually help with storm surge when there's a a storm coming uh to to the shoreline. Um it helps to mitigate the waves and the the height of the waves and so forth. So, we invest the state invest heavily in uh coral reef restoration um

along with a lot of nature-based solutions. As a matter of fact, our one of my colleagues, uh Senator Ileana Garcia from the Dade delegation, filed a bill that has to do with um nature-based solutions, right? So, investing in mangroves, as you said, um and and other things. So, I've learned a lot about this uh this topic through my chairmanship. But I think when you're a a legislator or any elected official, even if you're at the city council or county commission level, you kind of have to be a jack of all trades and you have to know a little bit about everything. I need to know about health care. I need to know about education. I'm

not uh I actually am on an an education committee, but it's not really like my silo. Senator Alexis Calatayud, who's another you know, you know, Golden Panther. She and she was an SGA president as well. She her main passion and focus is is education, right? So, whenever people come see me about that topic, I kind of say, "Okay, go see Senator Calatayud. That's her wheelhouse." And a lot of us in the delegation have things that we're really passionate about, and so it's good to see all the diverse interests and and you know, knowledge bases that we have within the Miami-Dade legislative delegation. Right. And so, it's one of the biggest delegation, I'd be biggest delegation.

>> by far. Yes. Right? And so, you need to stick together whether it and and as as >> And we haven't in the past, by the way. Historically, our delegation has been fractured during some instances historically. And and I you know, I'm old enough and I think you're old enough to remember those days and and see when that occurred and one of my goals as the chair of this delegation is to make sure that even though we have diverse opinions and diverse people, you know, we as a delegation, like you said, we are the largest. So, it is in our interest to be as united as possible despite our diversity and and the fact that

we have so many different ideas. But on things that are you know, the bread and butter of our community and the appropriations, like things that are coming money money that comes to FIU, which to me is like one of my top priorities. I want to make sure that we get our fair share compared to other universities around the state, like UF, FSU, you know, the list goes on. We need to fight and be you know, the Golden Panthers that you know, come on and we get our our lion's share. So, you know. Yeah, FIU has done unbelievably. I mean, I'm so proud to be an alum and >> excited that Jeanette Nuñez is our new

president. >> here. >> Um who's also a dear friend, an old colleague from many years ago. And she she has that mindset. She knows how to work the legislative process. And as a former lieutenant governor, I think she's very well positioned to take this university to the next level. Absolutely. And we're very excited to have her here. She was on the show. We were one of the first ones to interview her. We're proud of that and and very you know, excited about the vision to be a top 30 university public university in the country. >> We're going to go go straight to the top. Yep. And FIU's going to a bowl game, which we're very

proud about now and in football. She's a big supporter of athletics, too. So, Yes. we're excited about that. So, when when you are like we talked about, eventually you're not going to have the title and so forth. It's all about legacy. What legacy do you want to leave for your family, for your community? What do you want to be known for? I think it just goes back to the beginning of our conversation, which is leaving it better than when we started. I don't I don't have anything specific that comes to mind except that it all kind of comes together, right? The environment, to make sure that we have a cleaner Miami River, a cleaner Biscayne

Bay, cleaner you know, water quality. Our education, our Miami-Dade County public schools are evolving in great ways. They're offering more diverse education models, right? The classical education model. I don't know I don't know if you read about that, but that's something we just got money for in the last session. These are things that people are clamoring for and they're going to other like charter schools, which I'm a supporter of as well. But we want our schools to be able to offer that to to our to our students. Just again, looking you know, Jackson Memorial, you can remember when Jackson was in a financial hole for many years. Look at it now. It's thriving. It's a

competitor against all the other institutions. And that's good. That's healthy that our public institution is just as financially strong as the private ones. And I think you know, it's again I can't pinpoint one thing that I would say would be my legacy except that all of our public institutions and all of our residents are in a better place today or tomorrow than they were 10 years ago, 5 years ago, whatever. All right. So, a little now a little rapid fire on on on personal questions. Kind of getting to know you, right? So, dogs or cats? I don't have any. >> You don't have any. Not a big fan of either one. I'm allergic to dogs,

so I I love dogs, but I can't even have any. >> them both. >> me and I'll die. >> I like them both. I just I don't have a lot of time to take care of them. That's the thing. But if I did, I like them both. They have different personalities, you know? Like the dogs are very rambunctious and the cats are just like they like to chill. Yeah, yeah, yeah. >> relate to both of them. I like sometimes I'm feeling rambunctious, sometimes I'm feeling like I just want to chill out. Okay, cool. So, hobbies. Do you have any hobbies? Do you have any time for hobbies? >> I do. I'm trying to pick up

pickleball cuz it's like a thing now. Everyone's playing pickleball. So, I have pickleball paddles. I actually took them to Tallahassee last week cuz one of my roommates, Krista Schmidt, who's another former SGA, I think. Oh, really? Yeah, yeah. She she likes pickleball, so I told her I would take my my paddles up. So, I'm trying to get into that. I actually like to sew. I know that's very like old school and like not that many people know how to sew, but I actually enjoy sewing. It's very relaxing. So, if you ever have a hem that needs fixed, you know, send it to the top. >> fix [laughter] it for you. I'll double that in Spanish.

What else do I like to do? I like to read. I do enjoy reading. Um >> [sighs] >> There's so many things that I wish I could do more of. >> What's your favorite book? My favorite book actually there's one that I'm reading now cuz we're in Advent and it's about waiting how to wait patiently in Advent for the the coming of Christ, right? Cuz it's Christmas is the coming of Jesus Christ. So, it's about how to wait properly each day. So, it's like a daily devotional and that's kind of that's what I'm doing right now. >> good. That's good. That's important to get some kind of daily inspiration, set your day off right. >>

Yeah. Yes, that's the tone. Yeah. Yeah. Favorite movie? Oh my goodness. My favorite movie, it's old The Sound of Music. Oh, wow. Yeah, a classic. [laughter] Real classic. Very classic, but I'm also a big you know, I'm born in '77, so a lot of my go-tos are like National Lampoon's. >> Right. Yeah. Fill in the blank. Like it could be European Vacation, the regular vacation. I like a lot of like slapstick humor and I know that in recent, you know, a lot of that has very little humor. >> I know. We have to. And I think people need to kind of learn how to laugh at themselves. And it's like not everything is like super

serious. Like it's okay to make fun of each other as long as we're all equally making fun of each other. Like it's not a oh a black person or a Hispanic person or a Chinese person. It's like, "Okay, like it's okay. Like we're you know what I mean?" It's not personal. It's just meant to be like relaxed and funny and whatever. I don't know. I don't know if that's like Yeah, absolutely. I completely I completely agree. There was a time where we would like just say funny things and it's like it wasn't offensive. It wasn't like you were just trying it was just funny. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, anyway. >> So, favorite favorite restaurant and

food? Oh my gosh. I like so many things. I should weigh like 300 lbs, but I don't. Um >> [laughter] >> I like sushi. I like pizza. I like a good steak. Oh, yeah. I like I like everything. Yeah, my husband's Colombian, so I like Colombian food. My parents are Cuban, so I like Cuban food. But there's there's there's definitely restaurants that make it better than others. Oh, I love Chick-fil-A. Chick-fil-A is the best. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So good. So good. >> love that. Yes, yes, yes. So, last question was always asked this to all my guests is was there a moment in your life that was a game changer for you? Like a game

changing moment or year or someone something that happened that really just set your like everything just kind of clicked, right? And you started moving in a certain direction. Um Yeah, I want to say it was when I met Bob Levy. Like that was probably my game changer moment because I up until that time while I was at FIU, I was uh I was working at Delta Airlines. Like that was my thing. I was I was working at Delta. I was going to school and I was like, "Oh, maybe I'll have a career in the airline industry." You know, and I thought of moving to Atlanta after I graduated from FIU. And then having met Bob

kind of set a different trajectory, right? We I ended up you know, going into politics and and working in advocacy and then working at Baptist. So, that was probably the the person and the the moment that changed my life the most was that uh was that meeting with Bob. And here we are. >> Yeah. Great. Well, Ana, thank you so much for coming on. You're you're an inspiration not only to Panthers, but the entire South Florida community. We love what you're doing up there in Tallahassee. Keep it up. Thank you. You're you're doing some amazing things and you're going to definitely leave a legacy that's a game changer. Thank you. I really appreciate it. All

right. So, guys, if you enjoyed this episode, please like, share, and subscribe. And make sure to share it with somebody that you know and love because you could be the game changer in their lives. See you next time.