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VICTOR RODRIGUEZ
Victor Rodriguez
Chair, Ozone Park Kiwanis
Howard Beach
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Victor Rodriguez, 45, and has been a member of the Ozone Park Kiwanis for three years and currently chairman of the organization. He has organized a few fun fundraisers like a Texas Hold’em competition and golf outings. He’s also personally delivered food baskets to approximately 30 needy families last Thanksgiving and Christmas.
In addition, he also sponsors and coaches for the W.O.R.K.S. Little League team (formerly Rich-Haven Little League.) “I try to participate and help out as best as I can with the community there,” he said
Although Rodriguez already seems to have a lot on his plate, he still wants to get more involved with the community. Currently, he is trying to join the board of the Boys and Girls Club.
PERSONAL: Rodriguez was born in Queens on May 30, 1964 and attended Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Brooklyn, graduating in 1982. He attended Hunter College in Manhattan for a year before deciding to become a plumber.
He said, “[I’ve been] happily married for 23 years to my high school sweetheart [Carmen, who he met in senior year].” They are both 45-years-old and raising a daughter, Sarah, 16 and a son, Mathew, 13.
JOB: Rodriguez worked as a business manager before becoming a licensed master plumber. He started his own business: Victory Plumbing and Heating Inc. which is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary in Richmond Hill.
“If you really want to make life enjoyable, you’ve got to love what you do.”
He tries to personally return all phone calls, allowing his clients to get to know him on a personal level.
PROUDEST MOMENT: Seeing both his children being born, he said was the proudest moment of his life. “That was very special for me – holding my offspring right there, a few minutes after being born.”
FAVORITE MEMORY: His was also very special moment for him. “At that point, I didn’t think anything else mattered. We were in love and I was marrying a beautiful woman.”
Rodriguez and Carmen met on a high school skiing trip and for him it was “Love a first sight.” They married four years later.
BIGGEST CHALLENGE: Twenty years ago, when he decided to make a career change. He was a business manager, training to be district director for a Long Island company. He decided to change gears and become a plumber’s apprentice.
He was recently married and without a job for two months.
“It was very, very scary,” he said. “But twenty years later, that was the best move of my life.”
INSPIRATION: Rodriguez came from a poor family and said he is thankful to “the Good Lord” for how things turn out for him. Now he has a chance to provide for the community and is doing just that.
He feels especially touched when he helps give food to needy families and says it “chokes me up” when he sees how much they are thankful for the help.
“It’s very heartwarming to see how they show their appreciation.”
– Cesar R. Bustamante, Jr.
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