William Rodriguez-Kennedy
SDCDP Chairman in San Diego County, CA
William Rodriguez-Kennedy
SDCDP Chairman in San Diego County, CA
Will Rodriguez-Kennedy is a public servant and community leader who serves as the Defense/Veteran Affairs Field Representative in the Office of Congressman Scott Peters. He also serves as a Commissioner and Vice President of the County of San Diego Civil Service Commission, as a Director and Treasurer of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation, and as an elected member of the Democratic National Committee.
An award winning former reporter, organizer, and veteran of the United States Marine Corps Commissioner Rodriguez-Kennedy has over a decade of demonstrated service to community, county, and country. Now, he takes on government agencies in order to get veterans, servicemembers, federal employees, and their families the benefits they deserve.
In 2008, Commissioner Rodriguez-Kennedy was forcibly, though honorably, discharged from the military under the unconstitutional “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy. After fighting out of homelessness, he made international headlines in his fight against the policy specifically being among the first to attempt to reenlist when it was ruled unconstitutional in 2010.
As a leader in the Democratic Party, Commissioner Rodriguez-Kennedy led the effort to flip San Diego County blue as the leader of the Democratic Party. He served as Chairman of the San Diego County Democratic Party from 2019 - 2022, President of the California Young Democrats from 2018 - 2021, and President of the San Diego Democrats for Equality from 2016 - 2019.
Among his awards he was named Veteran of the Year for the 77th Assembly District in 2009, he was voted Outstanding Community Activist at the Nicky Awards in 2011, received a San Diego Press Club award for his coverage of government and politics in a non-daily newspaper, San Diego LGBT Weekly and was inducted into the San Diego LGBT Community Center's Benjamin Dillingham and Bridget Wilson Veteran's Wall of Honor in 2013. In 2021 he was honored with the Trailblazer Award by the California Young Democrats LGBTQ Caucus and the Vanguard Award by the California Young Democrats.
Commissioner Rodriguez-Kennedy is a graduate of the inaugural class of the Young Professional’s Council leadership academy, a program of the San Diego LGBT Community Center and has served in prominent roles in the LGBTQ+ Community including serving on the board of directors of San Diego LGBT Pride from 2010 to 2013 and as an officer of the board from 2011-2013.