FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dr. Jorge Juan Rodríguez V Named Executive Director, Succeeding Rev. Dr. Daisy L. Machado After Thirteen Years of Visionary Service
New York, NY — June 26, 2026 — The Hispanic Scholars Program (HSP) and its Governing Board are honored to share important leadership news that ensures HSP’s mission continues to grow.
As part of a deliberate, months-long national search grounded in HSP’s mission and values, the Governing Board has elected Jorge Juan Rodríguez V, Ph.D., as the organization’s next Executive Director, effective August 1, 2026. He succeeds the Rev. Dr. Daisy L. Machado, Ph.D., who will retire on July 31, 2026, following thirteen years of distinguished leadership that carried HSP through a season of remarkable transformation and growth.
Dr. Rodríguez currently serves as HSP’s Deputy Executive Director, where he has spent over a decade helping shape the organization’s strategic vision, public voice, and operational strength. His election marks not a break with HSP’s legacy, but a continuation of it — built on years of shared leadership, trust, and shared labor.
“With my elders and ancestors who were propelled by the gospel call in Matthew 25 and elsewhere to care for the ‘least of these,’ I dream of a world where everyone has access to housing, education, food, water, and healthcare,” said Dr. Rodríguez. “For that world to be possible, we need faith leaders committed to the Latine community who have the tools to think theologically with the wisdom of abuelas, tias, and siblings; learn from the histories of Latine religious activists who used pulpit and prayer to bring social change; read the signs of the times through the ethical traditions of the global south; and engage the critical skills of accompanying faith communities in the quotidian realities of life and lucha. I’m excited to build on the legacy of the HSP’s former directors—Justo González, Ismael García, José Irizarry, Otto Maduro, and Daisy L. Machado—who also believed the Hispanic Scholars Program was fertile ground for this kind of theological education.”
Reflecting on the appointment, Francisco Lozada, Jr., Ph.D., Chair of the Hispanic Scholars Program Governing Board, shared: “Dr. Jorge Juan Rodríguez V is uniquely equipped to lead the Hispanic Scholars Program at this important moment in our history. His commitment to academic theological excellence, leadership development, and the flourishing of Hispanic/Latine communities reflects the values upon which HSP was founded. He understands and honors the rich tradition of HSP while possessing the creativity and vision needed to lead us into the future and advance theological education writ large. The Governing Board is excited to work alongside him as we imagine and build the future of HSP together.”
The Rev. Dr. Daisy L. Machado, Ph.D., outgoing Executive Director, offered her own reflection on the transition: “This is a pivotal moment for HSP to move boldly into the future as it continues to faithfully serve as an organization of theological education to a broad spectrum of Latine and non-Latine seminary students. I believe that Dr. Rodríguez has the capacity to continue to move HSP forward into its next level of service, expanding its organizational impact and reach. Blessings to Dr. Rodríguez as he takes on this leadership role. ¡Adelante!”
Over the next month, Machado, Rodríguez, and the Executive Committee of the Governing Board will work collaboratively to ensure a smooth transition of leadership.
—
For thirteen years, Dr. Machado’s steady, visionary leadership carried HSP from strength to strength. Now, as Dr. Rodríguez steps into this role, HSP carries forward not just a new leader, but a deepened legacy — one rooted in faith, scholarship, and an enduring commitment to the communities it serves. The Governing Board invites the broader HSP community — alumni, partners, and friends — to join in celebrating this moment and in supporting the work ahead.
Consider a donation today to help ensure HSP’s mission continues to thrive for generations to come.
Meet the Incoming Executive Director: Dr. Jorge Juan Rodríguez V
The son of Puerto Rican migrants, Dr. Rodríguez was raised in an affordable housing community in Manchester, Connecticut. There his mother, a Head Start Family Advocate, taught him the importance of faith and advocacy as she met the material needs of countless families; his father, a Supervising Chef, gave him his first lessons in values-based administration, teaching him how budgets were moral documents; his abuela, who often picked him up from school, taught him the complexities of lived Latine faith that combines scripture, sobos (healing massages), and dreams; and his tío, who every friday gave him a dollar of allowance, taught him what it means to show up consistently for community.
Dr. Rodríguez joined HSP in 2014 as a Social Media Intern and advanced to Deputy Executive Director in 2026. During his tenure, he has:
- Helped more than quadruple HSP’s annual operating budget and grow its reach from 60 to over 1,800 individuals served annually
- Served as principal grant writer, helping secure nearly $7 million in funding, including from the Lilly Endowment, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the Forum for Theological Exploration
- Helped grow HSP’s staff from two part-time members to a team of ten, building new organizational and talent-management structures
- Helped design and launch thirteen new initiatives and programs
- Secured a four-book contract with Fortress Press, “Theological Education ¡Latinamente!,” for which he serves as Series Editor
- Led the strategic rebrand of the organization from the “Hispanic Summer” to the “Hispanic Scholars Program”
- Co-Led a substantial redesign of HSP’s governance structure
- Built partnerships across theological education and the nonprofit sector that have established HSP as a trusted national leader
Dr. Rodríguez holds a B.A. in Biblical Studies and Christian Social Thought from Gordon College, an M.A. in Theological Studies, as well as a Ph.D. in History of Religion, with minors in Latin American and Caribbean History, from Union Theological Seminary, and recently completed an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management at Harvard University. He also serves as Assistant Teaching Professor of Historical Studies at Union, where he teaches courses on Church History, Religion and Social Movements, Latine Religious Activism, and the Religious History of Fatness. In 2017, he founded JJRodriguezV Consulting, advising organizations including the Henry Luce Foundation, CUNY Initiative on Immigration and Education, the Center for Religion and Cities, and the Valley Baptist Missions Education Center on strategic planning, grant writing, and mission-grounded facilitation. He currently serves on the Governing Board of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.
About the Hispanic Scholars Program
Founded in 1989, the Hispanic Scholars Program shapes the next generation of leaders committed to Latine/Hispanic communities through theological education grounded in the wisdom of Latine/Hispanic faith communities and the academic traditions of Latine/Hispanic scholars. HSP works to expand curriculum in seminaries and divinity schools with courses in Latine/Hispanic theology, history, theory, and practice; build Latine-centered professional development spaces; and strengthen theological education across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico—all while healing divisions within and beyond Latine/Hispanic communities and elevating the leadership of women and other minoritized peoples.
Over the past three decades, HSP has taught thousands of seminarians and graduate students, trained over 250 non-Latine/Hispanic faculty and administrators, and helped shape generations of Latine/Hispanic clergy, organizers, and scholars. Our goal is nothing less than to cultivate leaders grounded in Latine/Hispanic traditions who can accompany communities seeking their own freedom.
For more information, visit www.hispanicscholarsprogram.org
