University to Award Honorary Doctorate to ADP’s Carlos Rodriguez at Graduate School Commencement

The Montclair State University Board of Trustees has named Carlos Rodriguez, the president and CEO of ADP, as the honorary degree recipient for its May 2017 Graduate School Commencement ceremony.

The Cuban-American business leader will deliver the keynote address and receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree at the event on May 22 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, N.J.

“Carlos Rodriguez has achieved remarkable success as a first-generation college graduate,” says Montclair State University President Susan A. Cole. “His story is a testament to what students can achieve by pursuing a higher education, and, more than that, it is emblematic of the quality of contributions made by generations of immigrants to this country. ADP has been an excellent corporate citizen and a very strong partner to Montclair State, and we are very pleased to be able to bestow this honor on Mr. Rodriguez.”

“I am grateful to be recognized by the Montclair State community with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree,” says Rodriguez. “As fellow citizens of New Jersey, our organization has benefitted immensely from many talented graduates of this great university who’ve worked with ADP over our 68-year history in the state. I am thrilled to accept this honor from an institution so deeply committed to equipping the next generation of leaders with the skills, knowledge and experiences they need to help organizations like ours succeed for decades to come.”

Born in Camaguey, Cuba, Rodriguez immigrated with his parents to the United States when he was a child. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in government from Harvard University. He joined ADP in 1999 and has held several roles for the organization, including president of ADP’s Small Business Services and president of ADP TotalSource. He assumed the role of corporate President and CEO in November 2011 and was has been named to NJBIZ’s Power 100 every year since 2014.

Rodriguez is a trustee and president of the ADP Foundation, which provides monetary and volunteer support to causes and nonprofit organizations. The company’s associates also provide volunteer support to more than 1,400 charitable initiatives worldwide.

The ADP Foundation has partnered with Montclair State University to create the ADP Center for Learning Technologies, which provides services, training and support, as well as access to state-of-the-art equipment in the College of Education and Human Services. The Center also offers workshops, seminars and one-to-one technology help to Montclair State’s current education students as well as partner school districts.

The Graduate School Commencement ceremony will begin at 7 p.m.