Q&A with HALO Co-Chair Elvia Rodriguez

The SEC's success in achieving its mission is due in large part to the agency’s ability to attract, hire, develop, and retain a high-quality, technically proficient, and diverse workforce. Any SEC employee can voluntarily participate in workplace affinity groups that plan educational and cultural programs and help facilitate inclusiveness throughout the agency.

The SEC periodically features a Q&A with an employee involved in one of its affinity groups to understand how they strengthen the agency's diversity and inclusion efforts. To commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month, Elvia Rodriguez, a management and program analyst in the Office of the Secretary and co-chair of the agency’s Hispanic and Latino Opportunity, Leadership, and Advocacy (HALO) Committee, shares her background and insights into the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Q. Can you tell us a little about yourself and what led you to the SEC?

A: From a young age, I have held a deep appreciation for our democratic government system and the unique opportunities it offers. My maternal grandfather played an important role in shaping my understanding of the significance of diverse representation in all levels of government and influencing my career aspirations from a very young age. After receiving my master's degree in public administration from George Mason University, I actively sought opportunities where I could apply my professional skills and experiences to make a meaningful contribution to improving the economic conditions of individuals, particularly those from disadvantaged communities across the United States. Working at the SEC has allowed me to align my education, career, and community impact objectives.

Q. Why did you decide to join HALO and what has been most rewarding in your role as co-chair?

A: As a lifelong advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, one of the first things I did when I started working at the SEC was to join HALO. Being involved in HALO allows me to share my cultural experiences and find commonalities to create a positive, open dialogue that helps to advance our community in society. As a result, I have formed alliances across the Commission with a variety of groups. My most rewarding role as co-chair has been providing mentoring opportunities to interns, especially those within the Hispanic community. I take pride in offering guidance and experiences that empower interns to enhance their leadership abilities through various projects and set them up for success. I see my participation in our intern program as an investment in the future success of a high-performing, diverse federal workforce.

Q. What unique perspectives do you bring to your role as HALO co-chair that you may draw upon to help enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility internally at the agency and externally in the community we serve?

A: I draw from my background, which has provided me with a unique perspective on resilience and hard work shaped by the challenges my immigrant parents faced. Another unique perspective comes from growing up in a rural town where I witnessed limited access to education and career opportunities, regardless of one's gender, ethnicity, or race. These experiences have fueled my commitment to promoting inclusivity. The values instilled in me by my grandparents and parents have motivated me to challenge stereotypes and advocate for the Hispanic/Latina/Latino/Latinx community. My perseverance and strong work ethic have enabled me to overcome significant obstacles in the workplace, which I share with colleagues, incoming staff I train, or interns. Within the agency, I strive to provide diverse perspectives and inclusivity of thoughts and ideas in projects and programs, and seek to create a positive unified environment to successfully achieve common goals. Externally, I use my Spanish to engage and support Spanish-speaking communities through investor outreach.

Q. What barriers have you encountered on your career path, and what advice might you give to help others overcome similar barriers?

A: From an early age, I learned the harsh reality that barriers would always exist for a first-generation Latina who grew up in a rural town. Apart from my AP government and economics teacher, I did not receive much career guidance. While in college, I also faced limited opportunities for paid internships in the federal government. Consequently, I decided to establish a network of professors, community leaders, mentors, and local politicians who offered invaluable guidance regarding my career aspirations. Instead of pursuing an internship in Washington, D.C., I volunteered locally and gained experience through this network, which led to my eduational and career success.

As I have advanced in my career, I encountered additional barriers that attempted to impede my professional growth such as institutional sexism, prejudice, exclusions, and injustices as well as biased assumptions and actions. However, I have chosen to embrace the mindset that these barriers are opportunities for growth in my professional journey. I remain focused on gratitude, knowing that as uncomfortable as the situation may be, it only serves to make me a stronger advocate for myself and others.

My advice for those facing similar challenges is to define your passion and career goals, utilize available resources, seek support from your network, actively pursue opportunities to gain the necessary leadership experience for your future career roles, and most importantly, never allow anyone or anything to impact your self-worth and life’s purpose. At times, you may feel as though you are working four times harder than the person next to you to break stereotypes and maintain a positive mindset in some of life’s most difficult moments. It is in these moments that you should lean into your uniqueness for resilience and motivation.

Q. What has been your proudest moment at the SEC?

A: In the years before the global COVID-19 pandemic, my colleagues and I worked on transforming our business processes and developing IT systems to support more efficient workflows for the Commission’s operations. I am extremely proud to see how our contributions allowed the SEC to continue upholding its mission of protecting investors and maintaining the integrity of the securities markets in challenging situations. I never realized how much of an impact my diverse skills, experience, recommendations, and contributions to those programs and projects would have until we saw the world forced to function in a remote environment. To this day, I am thankful for the leadership within our office embracing diversity of thought and staff in those projects. It is through those diverse thoughts and actions that we were able to continue to uphold SEC's mission and purpose.

Q: What is a fun fact about you?

A: After putting away marathon running shoes, I discovered a passion for yoga, which led me to become a certified instuctor in both yoga and yoga sculpt. I now integrate mindfulness-based solutions into my personal and professional life. Through this hobby, I stay dedicated to enhancing diversity initiatives to better support Black, indigenous, and people of color communities, yoga students, and instructors in the yoga industry. Additionally, I aim to make yoga economically accessible to those communities and Spanish-speaking individuals in the U.S.