I am pleased to announce that we’ve hired our Director of Human Resources for DCYF. Marcos Rodriguez comes to us from the Department of Corrections and will be starting his new position next Friday, Feb. 16. Having a strong leader in this position is critical as we move forward with the transition process, and I am very excited to have Marcos on board.
Department of Corrections employs more than 8,600 individuals, so Marcos is experienced with the scale of the undertaking of the new DCYF. Before working for the State of Washington, Marcos proudly served his country for five years in the United States Army. For the past 20 years, he has worked for the state in human resources. Prior to DOC, he served as the HR director with the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission from 2011 to 2014. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration/Management and is scheduled to complete his MBA this April.
Originally from the Bronx in New York City, Marcos is, for better or worse, a huge New York Yankees fan. He has asked that you not fault him for being a Yankees fan, but he is okay with you giving him a hard time about it. He lives in Olympia, has been happily married for 22 years to his wife, Helene, and has two kids in college, Justin and Vanesa. In his spare time, he loves to play competitive softball and to travel. He also loves cats and fosters newborn kittens. Marcos is very excited to join us and is “grateful for the opportunity to help establish a new agency and improve the lives of kids and families.”
I’m a little concerned about his judgment on the Yankees thing, but otherwise he seems like a pretty good guy. We will have more follow-up for you on hiring and the organizations structure coming soon. For now, help me in welcoming our 10th employee to DCYF.
Ross Hunter
Secretary, Department of Children, Youth, and Families