Meet the Team

Director

Hector M. Rodriguez

Hector M. Rodriguez is a U.S. Army Veteran who served on active duty from 1977 to 1980 and in the reserves through 1984. A lifelong educator and community leader, he leads the team at the Veteran Education Foundation with a shared vision of serving those who served — providing veterans and their families with the educational and financial empowerment they deserve.

His career in education spans roles as Principal of Aspira Haugan Middle School, Assistant Principal at Truman Middle College High School, and Deputy City Treasurer of Economic Development for the City of Chicago. He currently serves as Owner and Director of the Academy of Creative Thinking Preschool in Chicago's Portage Park neighborhood. Hector holds a B.A. from Indiana University and an M.Ed. from DePaul University.

Workforce Training Specialist

Shelly Ng

Shelly Ng is a workforce and business development specialist with a track record of building the partnerships, programs, and funding coalitions that connect people with real career opportunities. At Triton College's School of Continuing Education, she has trained 500+ participants in three years across municipal, transit, trades, and grant-funded programs — including co-designing a CDL training pipeline and launching the Oak Park Workforce Academy in partnership with the Village of Oak Park.

She leads the organization's workforce initiatives for veterans and military families, including a coalition effort pursuing the U.S. Department of Labor's HVRP grant — a federal grant focused on competitive employment for homeless veterans. She holds an M.A. in Speech Communication from Eastern Illinois University, an Executive Education Certificate from Northwestern University, and is a SHRM-CP and licensed Certified Pharmacy Technician.