Marietta Rodriguez knows what it’s like to be a new homebuyer because she was one. "I was 25 and living in a high-cost area," she says. “There was absolutely no way I could buy a home without someone holding my hand and walking me through it.” The folks holding her hand were from a NeighborWorks network organization that provided counseling and financial assistance to first-time homebuyers. Soon, Rodriguez went to work for the organization that assisted her so that she could help more people in her hometown. She led the national homeownership effort for the NeighborWorks network, which included a suite of pre-purchase, mortgage lending, and post-purchase programs and services.
Today, as president and chief executive officer, Rodriguez works with senior executives and nationally renowned experts to leverage the power of public-private partnerships. She has a proven record of leadership and accomplishment, creating and executing strategic initiatives that address some of the toughest challenges facing low-income families: homeownership, foreclosure prevention, community building and engagement.
Rodriguez is responsible for leading NeighborWorks America’s programmatic support to its nearly 250 member organizations and nonprofit partners. Whether capacity building, technical assistance, grant management, or relationship management, she has met or exceeded metrics for success while developing and mentoring her staff at all levels. Her notable accomplishments include:
- The NonProfit Times recognized Rodriguez as one of the top working executives in the nonprofit sector on its 2023 NPT Power & Influence Top 50 list. The awards recognize 50 of the sector’s leaders for innovation, influence on the broader sector, and for developing organizational models that can be replicated.
- Managing a national down payment assistance program totaling more than $300 million to support 17,800 new homebuyers since 2012.
- Creating an innovative business practice as a NeighborWorks Achieving Excellence graduate that enables member organizations to operate their homeownership programs sustainably, with a supporting, shared infrastructure for marketing, technology, and financial management. Participating member organizations increased homeowners by 64 percent while decreasing service delivery costs 43 percent and increasing revenue by 101 percent over their own baseline.
- Positioned NeighborWorks America as a leader in executing timely housing solutions by anticipating and identifying the biggest foreclosure crisis in American history. Launched the NeighborWorks Center for Foreclosure Solutions, forming new industry partnerships focused on building capacity for housing counselors, working with servicers and government agencies on systemic changes in loan modification execution and building consumer awareness.