Sabiel Rodriguez
Sabiel is passionate about Policy, Law, and Social Justice and has spent his professional and educational career within the intersection of each. Before his selection, He was employed by the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, where he supported the Commission’s regulatory review and promulgation process, provided legal support, including conducting research and organizing materials, as needed by the General Counsel, as well as the Executive Director and Commissioners, and was an inaugural member of the DEI Access and Equity Working Group, where he worked to develop and recommend policies and procedures that encourage participation in the regulated cannabis industry by communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition and the War on Drugs.
Before joining the Cannabis Control Commission, Sabiel was a Paralegal/Case Manager at a Law Firm in Natick, MA, where he managed legal caseloads for over 170 Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) / Social Security Insurance (SSI) cases. Many clients he worked with faced severe health challenges or disabilities that made working and providing for themselves and their families difficult. The individuals applying for SSDI and SSI benefits often struggled to make ends meet and were some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Before then, and right out of undergrad, he worked as Paralegal at a Law Firm in Boston; where he drafted legal complaints, researched substantive, and procedural issues, and evaluated and drafted hundreds of asbestos bankruptcies claim forms. The plaintiffs he helped represent were facing severe health challenges and had been diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses due to harmful chemical exposure in the workplace. He took pride in helping these individuals access the necessary benefits to support themselves and their families.
Sabiel earned a Certificate in Regulatory Affairs for Cannabis Control from Clark University, where he graduated with a 4.0 GPA, and a Bachelor of Art (BA) in Political Science from Providence College, where he was a member of the Pi Sigma Alpha and Sigma Delta Pi Honor Societies and was listed on the Dean’s List for five semesters. He also completed an internship at the Worcester District Attorney’s Office: Domestic Violence unit and served as a Judicial Intern/Clerk for Hon. William E. Carnes at Rhode Island Superior Court and interned with the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office.
In addition to his professional experiences, Sabiel has volunteered in multiple national and state elections, where he assisted in various activities, such as canvassing neighborhoods to distribute literature or speak with voters, making phone calls to potential supporters, organizing events and rallies, data entry and analysis, social media promotion, and fundraising. He was also a part of the Night in Friartown Committee, where he helped plan multi-day visits for accepted students of diverse backgrounds and mentored kids from a local charter school in Providence while an undergraduate.
Sabiel expects to gain valuable skills and experiences from the NUF Fellowship, including the opportunity to learn from and network with other professionals in the public policy sector and work on meaningful projects that will contribute to advancing social justice and equity in his community and beyond. He hopes to expand his knowledge of policy analysis and management and improve his leadership skills.