Meghan Rodgers ’13 CLAS Selected as Recipient of the Villanova University Alumni Association Young Alumni Medal

VILLANOVA, Pa.—The Villanova University Alumni Association (VUAA) has named Meghan Rodgers ’13 CLAS as the recipient of its 2023 Young Alumni Medal. The award honors alumni who have made outstanding contributions professionally, academically and in service to the University.

Rodgers currently serves as Senior Vice President of Communications for the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, an organization that represents the entire Thoroughbred industry in the United States, including Churchill Downs, Keeneland and the Jockey Club. She opened the organization’s Washington, D.C., office and is the lead communications officer and chief strategist for lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill.

A native of southern New Jersey, Rodgers is a third-generation Villanovan who graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. During her time as an undergraduate, Rodgers interned in the Houses of Parliament while studying abroad in London and participated in the Washington Minimester program. Students accepted into the Minimester program travel to Washington for three weeks where they are exposed to policymakers, lobbyists, pollsters and staffers involved in the political process.

Following graduation, Rodgers worked on Capitol Hill for Congressman Patrick Meehan (PA-07) as a staff assistant, working her way up to the position of press assistant. In August 2015, Rodgers became Communications Director for Congressman Tom Rooney (FL-17) before joining U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue’s office as Press Secretary.

In that role, she spent three and a half years traveling around the country and the world, serving as spokesperson for Secretary Perdue and as one of the senior communications staffers for the entire department. Rodgers also served as Deputy Communications Director for the United States Department of Agriculture from 2017 to 2021.

“Meghan’s achievements in her short time since graduation are remarkable,” said Sheila Doherty, Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations. “I’m delighted to present her with the Young Alumni Medal in recognition of her dedicated public service and commitment to giving back to Villanova and the global community. I’m also grateful that Meghan has remained so engaged with Villanova by lending us her expertise as chair of the Public Policy Advisory Council.”

Rodgers resides in Washington, D.C. with her husband Marc Robertson ’12 CLAS, whom she met at Villanova in 2010 as part of the Washington Minimester. She stays involved with the University through her local regional club and has recently been appointed chair of the Villanova Public Policy Council, which helps students build pathways to careers in government and public service though mentorship, experiential programs, internships and events.

“For as long as I can remember, Villanova has been a part of my life,” says Rodgers. “As an undergrad, Villanova shaped the course of my future in ways I could never have imagined. I will be forever thankful for the opportunities that Villanova afforded me, and the friendships, relationships and network I formed during my time there and in the years since graduation.”

The Young Alumni Medal is presented to an alumnus/a who has reached a significant level of achievement in his/her profession and who is a model of the quality and caliber of today’s Villanova student.

About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova University’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation’s top universities, Villanova supports its students’ intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit www.villanova.edu.