Rita Rodriguez

Major Rita-Maria Rodriguez is assigned to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Bureau. She has been serving her community for over 25 years.

She has held many assignments to include road patrol, the training academy, the field training program, internal affairs, narcotics, and community affairs in various supervisory assignments. Throughout her career she has managed responses for multiple hurricane deployments, organized the credentialing for all operations during Super Bowl LIV, operational planning for opioid response, coordinated operations for the COVID-19 Pandemic, managed the Family Reunification Center directly assisting the families of the Surfside Collapse, and held the role of Planning Chief for Surfside Police Operations. Major Rodriguz also developed the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Occupant with Autism Program for Miami-Dade County.

Due to her dedication and love for her profession, in 2020 she obtained her Master’s Degree from the Florida International University Academy for International Disaster Preparedness to help her provide the residents of Miami-Dade County with the best response and services possible in their time of need. She teaches various disaster management courses throughout the state and as a professor for Florida International University. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Alper Jewish Community Center. Major Rodriguez strives to provide direct daily personalized assistance to all her personnel, so they reflect that same service and love to our community.