Welcome Rodrigo Ortiz!

by Kimberlee Mitchell (Newark 2021) DVULI Staff

The staff of DVULI is honored to introduce Rodrigo Ortiz, who joined our curriculum team in August 2021 as the Training and Curriculum Lead. In this role, Rodrigo will be serving alongside Ron Carter and Carlo Daniels. He will give oversight to the DVULI Hispanic Advisory Committee and will also coordinate the orientation training for DVULI city coordinators, coaches, liaisons, and mentors. Once Rodrigo’s onboarding is complete, he will join our team of DVULI liaisons.
 
“It’s amazing to hear the stories of the DVULI graduates I’ve met so far. I am looking forward to my liaison role and working with alumni in Miami and Orlando,” Rodrigo said.
  
Prior to DVULI, Rodrigo was a housing counselor and financial educator for Home Repair Services, a nonprofit based in Grand Rapids. His primary role was to help homeowners going through the foreclosure process save their homes and teach financial education to low-income residents. 
 
Youth ministry had a huge impact on Rodrigo growing up. Two specific youth leaders took on the role of mentor and friend in his life. “Seeing how they followed Christ was something I wanted and knew I didn’t have,” explains Rodrigo. “Looking back, I realize that if it weren’t for the way they took care of me, I wouldn’t be here. They set the example of what it meant to be a good young man, son, and later, husband. I wanted to be like them because of the impact they had on my life, and I wanted to have that same impact on others.” 
 
After graduating high school, Rodrigo served as a youth leader for 10 years at several churches in Wyoming, Michigan. In May of 2021, he graduated from Calvin Seminary, where he received a Master of Arts in Ministry Leadership. 
 
Rodrigo was born in El Salvador. He has been living in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for almost 21 years. He is married to his wife, Tami, and has two kids: Isaak (8) and Isabel (5). In his free time, he loves to barbecue, play basketball with his kids and their friends, host boxing and football watch parties, and go sneaker shopping. 
 
Join our team in welcoming Rodrigo to the DVULI family. Feel free to drop him a note at rodrigoo@dvuli.org.