UOAA recognizes Dan Rodriguez with Jeanne Johnson Service Awards
The UO Alumni Association (UOAA) was proud to present Dan Rodriguez, former UOAA executive director, with the Jeanne Johnson Service Award this spring.
Rodriguez served as executive director for the UOAA and associate vice president for alumni affairs for the University of Oregon for 23 years. After arriving in Eugene in 1988 from the University of California at San Diego, he led the effort to establish a membership-based alumni association for Oregon. Among his many accomplishments, he was a champion for the construction of the Ford Alumni Center on campus, which opened in 2011—the year Rodriguez retired.
Even after retirement, he has been seen regularly around the UO campus and throughout the Eugene community, serving as an ambassador for the university and supporting Ducks in any way he can. Rodriguez told us receiving this award was a great honor.
“It’s unbelievable—I’m getting an award for something I really enjoyed doing,” he said. “Being in alumni work—I never thought that was going to be my career—and it turned out, I got to do things I really enjoyed. I’m happy that I’m still living in Eugene and still able to come by and see Raphe and staff.”
Named for former UOAA staff member Jeanne Johnson, who dedicated years of her life to the association in a number of roles, the Jeanne Johnson Award recognizes individuals like Rodriguez who have gone above and beyond, dedicating extraordinary service to the UOAA.
Current UO Alumni Association Executive Director Raphe Beck (left) and former UOAA Executive Director Dan Rodriguez (right) throw their Os.
“All of our efforts to engage UO alumni stand on the shoulders of Dan Rodriguez and his many years on staff," said current UOAA Executive Director Raphe Beck. "It is with great pleasure that we recognize Dan for his long service to the university and our alumni."
When asked to describe Rodriguez, current and former UOAA staff and board members commonly used words like enthusiastic, energetic, positive, and “a fireball.”
“When you think about Dan, the top thing that comes to mind is infectious personality,” Fred Poust, BA ’82 (economics) and former UOAA board president, said. “There are people who are glass half-full; there are people who are glass half-empty. Dan is kind of a cup runneth over guy—he needs a bigger cup it’s so full.”
“Working with [Dan], my memories were that [he] was always up, always raring to go, always positive regardless of the situation,” Jeff Nudelman, BS ’83 (political science) and former UOAA board president, said.
“What comes to mind for me when I think about Dan is the love that he has for his family—his two kids and his wife, the pride that he has for the work that he has done in his service, and his enduring affection for the University of Oregon,” Karmen Fore, BA ’93 (political science), MA ’98 (public affairs), and former UOAA board member, said.
To hear more from UO alumni and staff about Rodriguez’s many achievements, watch the 2023 Jeanne Johnson Award video. A full list of past Jeanne Johnson Service Award winners can be viewed here.
Related link: Dan Rodriguez hangs it up, 2011, Oregon Quarterly
—Story by April Miller, UOAA Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications; Video by Jadon Vaz, Class of 2025 (advertising)