Amy proudly serves with the Virginia Department of Veteran Services as the Eastern V3 Transition Resource Coordinator. She is a Military to Civilian Transition Subject Matter Expert who specializes in Workforce Development, providing supportive services to thousands of Transitioning Service Members, Military Spouses, Veterans and Eligible Dependents across the Eastern Region. She is a Virginia Certified Workforce Development Professional specializing in employment, resume review, interview preparation, and holisitic needs-based case management. A passionate advocate, mentor and accountability partner, Amy effectively collaborates with local, state, and federal partner agencies and employers to ensure she continually meets the needs of both her clients and partners.
Born in Texas, and raised in the cradle of the United States, her family relocated approxinmately every 3 years on military orders, resulting in her attending schools in Illinois, Hawaii, California and finally, Virginia. Her family settled in Virginia in September of 1993, where sadly, her father passed away after reporting to his final duty station. Amy graduated from High School in 1998, joined the Army in 1999, planning her 20+ year career, attending Basic Training in Ft. Jackson, SC. A career ending injurty resulted in discharge shortly thereafter. She returned home and married her Active Duty Navy Spouse in May of 2000. His career would take them back and forth between Virginia and Florida. He retired in January, 2022. She and her husband have 3 children, and during his multiple PCS’s she attended school at St. Leo University, completing both a B.A. and M.S. in Criminal Justice.
Her employment journey is similar to many military spouses, stints in seasonal retail, and a “never say can’t” attitude resulted in Amy taking her first post-grad position through a Staffing Agency. She was over and underqualified at the same time, having too much education and not enough experience. She took a $9.00/hr. filing clerk position and within 15 weeks would be in charge of the Accounts Payable department. She spent the remaining 8 months at H.T. Hackney building her skills and gaining workforce experience. She would turn to another Staffing Agency upon relocation to Virginia. That resulted in her finding employment in Workforce Development, which resulted in pursuing her career of passion. The staffing agency placement at Opportunity Inc. allowed her to learn about Workforce Development and how reducing recidivism through increased employment with the returning citizen population would allow her to use her degrees in a useful capacity.
The spark was lit. She would turn that temporary position into the Office Manager position, learning as much as she could about the industry, and within 2 years applied for and promoted to a Career Developer position. Two years after becoming a Career Developer, she was presented with the opportunity to become demographic specific, working only with the active duty and veteran population. This allowed her to make use of all of her experiences, education, and to give back to her community in a positive, impactful way. She would go on to earn the JVSG WIOA Partner Case Manager award for 2020.
amy.rodriguez@dvs.virginia.gov
804-297-6147