La Mesa Resident Shari Winet Rodriguez Promoted to Vice President of PR for Bridgepoint Education

Shari Winet Rodriguez, a local professional with more than 20 years of experience in the communications industry, has been promoted to vice president of public relations for Bridgepoint Education, Inc. (NYSE: BPI), a provider of innovative solutions that advance learning.

Winet Rodriguez joined the San Diego-based higher education company in 2008 as a director, and was promoted to associate vice president in 2010. Starting out as a one-person public relations department responsible for media relations and corporate communications on behalf of Bridgepoint Education, Winet Rodriguez has since developed the company’s public relations department into a team of 18 communications professionals in five states.

An expert in the field of media and public relations, Winet Rodriguez oversees Bridgepoint Education’s corporate communications, media relations, and academic communications departments. She is responsible for developing, executing and managing internal and external communications strategies to support consistent business growth; for building relationships within the community and the media; and for enhancing the awareness of the company.

In the five years that Winet Rodriguez has been with Bridgepoint Education, she has guided the company’s reputation management goals, championed multiple internal and external communications initiatives, and has been responsible for tens of thousands of local, regional and national earned media placements.

Prior to joining Bridgepoint Education, Winet Rodriguez owned and operated Lemon Drop Productions, a San Diego-based communications and event planning firm. She also served as director of public relations for the law offices of Mazzarella Caldarelli, as interim director of community and public relations for the San Diego State University Research Foundation, and as the assistant director of public relations for the San Diego Opera.

Before embarking on her public relations career, she was a television journalist for three ABC-TV affiliates, serving as both news reporter and news anchor among other roles.

Winet Rodriguez is a member of the Public Relations Society of America, the International Association of Business Communicators, the International Special Events Society, the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities, and the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to being recognized as one of San Diego's Women Who Mean Business in 2010, she has earned three PRSA Mark of Excellence awards, two Georgia Hospital Association Broadcast Media Recognition awards, and an Associated Press award for Excellence in Television Reporting.

A second generation San Diego native, Winet Rodriguez earned her bachelor of arts degree in journalism from San Diego State University where she also holds professional certification in meeting and event planning. She is a graduate of Grossmont High School in La Mesa, and is a former Miss El Cajon.