2019 40 Under 40: Melisa Rodriguez, PE, SET; 37

Rodriguez is the director of fire protection engineering at Leo A. Daly, an architecture/engineering firm. She began her career in fire protection doing design and project management for a fire protection contractor in Minnesota and continued to work in contracting for six years before moving into working for a manufacturer for another six and one-half years. She has been in her current position for two years and leads a team of engineers and designers in the development of the fire and life safety design of a wide variety of buildings and projects. Rodriguez is a member of the National Fire Sprinkler Association, the National Fire Protection Association, the American Fire Sprinkler Association and the Society of Fire Protection Engineers. She is president of the Minnesota Chapter of SFPE, chairs the communications subcommittee for the NFSA Future Leadership Committee, is a principal member of the NFPA 14 Technical Committee and is the vice-chair of the Minnesota Governor’s Council for Fire Prevention and Control. Each year, Rodriguez volunteers for the Fire Sprinkler Demonstration Trailer at the Minnesota State Fair, Governor’s Fire Prevention Day. She also volunteers for the NFSA Fire Protection information booth at the Minnesota Home and Garden show each year. She is a mom to two fun, smart and sassy children, ages seven and nine. They like to watch movies and do puzzles together. In addition, she enjoys reading and knitting or crocheting to relax. She also enjoys outdoor activities like running and skiing and really likes water parks and roller coasters. 

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