Ronnie Rodriguez has been named the new chief financial advisor at Nicholls State University and will begin working on Oct. 13. Mike Naquin, current chief financial officer, said that the university is lucky to find someone with that much experience.

Naquin said, “Rodriguez is the most ideal person that we would hope to get, and we are lucky to have gotten him.”
Rodriguez is very excited to come back to Thibodaux, and start working at Nicholls.

Rodriguez was a student at Nicholls in 1990-1991. While he was living in Thibodaux, he was called to serve in Desert Storm.
“Nicholls was such a caring place from the get-go. They sent care packages and kept in touch,” Rodriguez said.

“We enjoyed living in Thibodaux. We were residents for about four years,” Rodriguez said.

Because he couldn’t graduate immediately, Rodriguez returned to Thibodaux to attend Nicholls two more semesters. Rodriguez had transferred to the University of Louisiana-Monroe, known as Northeast Louisiana University at the time, when he graduated.
Currently, Rodriguez is working at Delgado Community College as chief financial advisor. Because Nicholls and Delgado use the same accounting operating systems, Rodriguez and Naquin agreed it would definitely be an easy move.

Naquin has been working at Nicholls for about 36 years. He has already officially retired but is still working part-time at Nicholls in his position as chief financial advisor.

Naquin believes that there is no better man to replace him.

“I’ve known Ronnie for a number of years, and the fact that he is working at an institution of higher education that uses the same programs and systems that Nicholls uses is a plus,” Naquin said.

When Nicholls contacted Rodriguez, he said that he was happy to take this very great opportunity. Because Nicholls is changing so much, it is an exciting time to work here.

Naquin is glad that he decided to work at Nicholls when he did almost 36 years ago.

Naquin has been working at Nicholls since Jan. 8, 1979. When he began working at Nicholls, Naquin was a staff accountant or auditor. Not long after, he was promoted to assistant controller. During that time, Naquin worked under a man from Northwestern State University, Carl Jones. Naquin was then promoted to controller once Jones went back to Northwestern. Naquin remained controller when he got promoted to assistant vice president. Once his boss retired, he was promoted again to associate vice president and chief financial officer.

“I’m fortunate that I was able to start working at Nicholls when I was so young,” Naquin said. With annual and sick leave and his time of 35 and half years in the system, he is able to retire early, with 40 years of service.