William Paterson Appoints 2 Graduates To Board Of Trustees

WAYNE, NJ — William Paterson has appointed two graduates of the Wayne university to the Board of Trustees, college officials announced this week.

Idida Rodriguez, class of 1986, and Audrey McDowell, class of 1991, are the duo who will join the board. Rodriguez is a top political strategist in the state, while McDowell is an executive in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

"William Paterson is fortunate to have a wonderful board composed of wise and dedicated trustees, under the leadership of Chair Michael Seeve," said President Richard J. Helldobler.

"I know that the deep experience and unique perspectives that both Idida Rodriguez and Audrey McDowell will bring to the board will make it even more effective in helping the University grow stronger and continuously improve our service to our students. I am also proud to say that both of our new trustees are William Paterson alumnae. I, along with our cabinet of senior administrators, look forward to working with them."

Rodriguez, of Woodland Park, earned a bachelor of arts in sociology from William Paterson and is now one of New Jersey’s most renowned and respected political strategists, working as a partner at the firm 1868 Public Affairs.

She has played a prominent role in a number of New Jersey gubernatorial campaigns and served as chief of staff for then-Assemblywoman Nellie Pou from 1997 to 2003. Throughout her career, Rodriguez has helped to strengthen local communities and serve at-risk students through her work, including previous positions as director of Paterson’s School-Based Youth Services and as an instructor for the Pre-College Consortium Program at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

McDowell, a resident of Paterson, earned a bachelor of science in community health education with a minor in biology from William Paterson.

She has held executive sales and marketing positions with several leading organizations, primarily in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, where her success in increasing sales and launching new products has regularly been recognized with organizational awards, the college said.

She is currently senior territory sales manager with Biogen, and has previously held positions with CSL Behring biopharmaceuticals, Syneos Health, and Johnson & Johnson, as well as American Express Global Merchant Services.

McDowell has also served as the volunteer chair and commissioner of the Paterson Environmental Commission Board’s Recycling Initiative.