NM WIC Staff Spotlight

Lena Rodriguez started her career with New Mexico WIC Program in March 1999. Her first position as a Nutritionist in Albuquerque was with SE & NE Heights; she made some long-lasting friendships there that she truly treasures!

She then transferred to SE Region WIC where she worked in Roswell as a Nutritionist, in Carlsbad as a WIC Supervisor, in Artesia as Eddy County Supervisor and now retiring, with 25 years in, as SE Region Nutrition Manager 1 (formerly known as Region Coordinator).  During her WIC career she has accomplished many skills, besides her work as a Nutritionist:

• Was a certified car seat technician and helped WIC clients install their car seats correctly.  Collaborated car seat clinics with World Breastfeeding Week events in all her worked clinics.
• Peer Counselor Team Lead: planned many WBW celebrations – her favorite being held in Carlsbad @ the Living Desert State Park and was featured in the NM WIC Annual Report.
• She has planned and contributed to many SE Region WIC All Staff meetings and trainings by delivering on our key outcomes, help build amazing TEAMS within our Region and quickly adapts to change and new learnings.
• Lena strives to educate herself, refines the learning and drives herself to be a better person in making high-quality decisions.

 “I love WIC and love what this program has done and will continue to do for our women, infants, and children!  I am very proud to be a part of WIC and have thoroughly enjoyed my career in meeting and helping moms and their children with nutrition and breastfeeding education.  Several of my past clients have become very close friends!  My longest client friendship goes back to my first year while working at SE Heights WIC and now my former little 1 yr old client has a child of his own!  Seems that 25 years has gone by in the blink of an eye.”  

Her plans after retirement (2024) include winning the lottery 😃, visiting family, attending some NMSU Aggie games- where her son is now attending and watching him participate in ROTC activities; and traveling with her hubby.  They were blessed to travel to Italy in the Summer of ‘23 and hopefully will be able to travel to Ireland, Spain, the Holy Land, England and ultimately to the remaining states in the US that she has never visited.  

“I will miss my friends @ WIC but will certainly stay connected.  I wish you all great success and many blessings. See y’all around!”