Miguel Rodriguez

Director, North America Government Relations at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Miguel Rodriguez serves as the director for Government Relations in North America. Located in Washington, D.C and Seattle, Washington, his teams are tasked with formulating and executing strategies to promote the foundation’s programmatic goals and priorities with federal and state & local lawmakers and decision makers.

Prior to joining the foundation, Miguel was the senior vice president for Government Affairs at the Center for American Progress (CAP). Miguel joined CAP after practicing law as a partner at Bryan Cave LLP where his practice consisted of providing his clients with legal and political counsel.

During the Obama administration, Miguel served as an assistant to president and director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. In this role, he served as President Obama’s primary liaison to the United States Congress, working to advance the administration’s legislative agenda. Prior to his appointment as director, Miguel served as a special assistant to the President in the same office.

Miguel also previously served as the deputy assistant secretary for Senate Affairs at the U.S. Department of State from 2009 until 2011. From 2005 to 2009, Miguel was chief counsel for then Senator Hillary Clinton, also serving as the Senator’s legislative director from 2008 through 2009.

Miguel is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He is a frequent lecturer at the university and has served as an adjunct professor there since 2014.