Rodel Rodis Feted At Green Room Testimonial
by
Lorna Dietz
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Two former San Francisco mayors, along with more than a dozen current and former Trustees and the current and former Chancellors of the San Francisco Community College, joined more than 400 guests to honor former City College Trustee Rodel Rodis for his 18 years of service to City College of San Francisco in a testimonial dinner held at the Green Room of the Veterans War Memorial Building on January 27.
Former San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos spoke about his desire to empower the Filipino community when he appointed Rodis to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) in 1987, making Rodis the first Filipino American to be appointed to a major commission in San Francisco. After a year on the commission, his fellow commissioners elected Rodis president of the commission in 1988 and re-elected him again in 1989.
While president of the SFPUC in 1989, Rodis sponsored a resolution transferring 15 acres of SFPUC land (the South Balboa Reservoir), right across the main campus of the City College of San Francisco, the most congested campus in California, over to City College. While in the process of transferring the land to City College, a vacancy occurred on the College Board in January of 1991 and Mayor Agnos appointed Rodis to the vacant post.
In his remarks, Rodis said that it was similar to a Superbowl game where he was the quarterback who threw the ball and while the ball was in flight, he was appointed a wide receiver and he ended up catching the ball. “Touchdown!” he said.
Agnos’ appointment of Rodis in 1991 set the stage for Rodis to run in the general elections in November of 1992 where he won, becoming the first Filipino American to win elective office in San Francisco. Rodis went on to win re-election in 1996, 2000 and 2004.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, through an aide, presented Rodis with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition and a message expressing her “gratitude for your lifetime of service to education, to our City and to the Filipino community… It has been a testament to your work ethic and diligence that while serving on the Board of Trustees, you maintained an illustrious career as an attorney, author and educator. Throughout your career you have proven a powerful advocate for education, fairness and equity across our community.”
West Bay Executive Director Rudy Asercion read a special letter from California Governor Arnold Schwazenneger for his “outstanding commitment” to education. “Because of your hard work, San Francisco City College is a leader among community colleges and many students have been able to strive for success and realize their dreams.”
City College Board President Lawrence Wong read a letter from former Chancellor Hillary Hsu who commended Rodis for ably representing the Asian-Pacific Islanders community where “he has been a bright and shining role model for that community, never losing sight of the overall community that is San Francisco. He realizes that rising water lifts all boats. His voting record attests to that.”
Former Mayor Willie Brown said that when he was mayor, he never had to worry about City College because he knew that with Rodis at the helm of the Board, it was in good hands.
Although current mayor Gavin Newsom was unable to attend the celebration as he was in Davos, Switzerland, he asked School Board Member Hydra Mendoza, the only remaining Filipino American elected official in San Francisco, to read his Proclamation declaring January 27, 2009 as Rodel Rodis Day in San Francisco.
Current Chancellor Dr. Don Griffin, who has worked at City College since 1969, said that Rodis is the best City College Board member he has known in all his years at City College, one who was always thinking of what was the best for City College, which is the largest single- administration community college in California (with 110,000 students in 10 campuses). Dr. Griffin credited Rodis with initiating the two city bond measures in 2001 and 2005 which together gave the school $450-M in bond funds and another $300-M in state matching grants to fund the largest infrastructure construction program in City College history.
George Rush, coach of the City College football team, winner of six national and six state football championship titles, thanked Rodel for his support of the athletic programs at City College.
The emcees for the evening, who worked seamlessly to ensure an efficient program, were Mabel Teng, former City Supervisor and City Assessor and Dennis Normandy, San Francisco Civil Service Commissioner, former President of the SF Public Utilities Commission (FPUC) and Chair of the SF-Manila Sister City Committee.
Rep. Jackie Speier, through her aide, noted that “throughout Rodel’s career, he has been far more than just an elected representative. His passion for education and his commitment to fairness, equality, and expansion of opportunities for all San Franciscans has made Rodel something of a community touchstone - a person whose wisdom, good humor, and professionalism remind us all of what it means to be a citizen.”
Greg Macabenta, the Chair of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), presented a proclamation to Rodel commending him for inspiring Filipino Americans to run for public office. His 18 years of service also enhanced the image of Filipino Americans in the academe and in the American mainstream. Some of Rodis’ legal work was mentioned. “Rodel E. Rodis, in his 28 years of private law practice, many times rendered legal services pro bono to low income clients and to the community at large, epitomized by the injunction he filed against the US government over the unjust and discriminatory firing of non-citizen Airport Screeners.”
Marivic Bamba, who was Rodel’s co-chair in 2002 at the first Global Filipino Networking Convention which drew 4,000 delegates to the Moscone Center in San Francisco, talked about how Rodel initiated the biennial international gathering of Global Filipinos and furthered the dream of Filipino solidarity.
Representatives from various City College departments commended Rodis for his consistent and unwavering support for the retention and staff development programs intended to diminish achievement gaps such as Latina/o Services Network, African American Scholastic Program, Asian Pacific American Student Success, Women’s Resource Center, Multicultural Infusion Project, and Grow Your Own.
Labor leaders led by San Francisco Labor Council Secretary-Treasurer Walter Johnson, American Federation of Teachers Local 2121 president Gus Goldstein and Department Chairs Council Darlene Alioto attended the event to honor Rodel for his support of the working men and women of San Francisco.
Certificates of commendation presented to Rodel that evening came from members of California’s State Assembly including Majority Whip Fiona Ma, Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, and Assemblyman Paul Fong who, as a community college trustee, worked with Rodel to organize the Asian Pacific Islander Native American Trustees Association (APINATA) where Rodel served as the first national president. There were also Certificates of Recognition sent by State Senators Elaine Alquist and Mark Leno.
Providing first class entertainment at the event were New York-based Classical Guitarist Michael Dadap, Argentine Tango dancers Chelsea Eng (a dance instructor at City College) and Count Glover, the Standard Time Band with Willie Santa Maria and the Tradicion Rondalla Band.
Thanking all the speakers, performers, and volunteers at the event was Dr. Natalie Berg, college board vice president and chair of the organizing committee, who said in her closing remarks that Rodel was her mentor and the “role model for what Trusteeship means.”
