Rica Rodman Executive Director

Rica serves as the Executive Director of the Wasserman Foundation, a private family foundation headed by philanthropist and global business leader and Chair of LA 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games Casey Wasserman.

For 13 years, Rica has guided the foundation’s commitments in the areas of education, arts & culture, health, service and global initiatives.  In this role, she has combined her expertise in media, public affairs, philanthropy, fundraising and strategic partnerships.  She also spearheads the annual global Wasserman service spanning 27 cities and 7 countries.

Earlier, Rica served in the Clinton Administration’s White House Office of Media Affair where she worked for four years on behalf of the President managing his press along with that of the First Lady, Vice President and the U.S. Cabinet Secretaries.  Rica has continued in senior communications roles in Washington, D.C.  at an agency and later at her own firm.  Clients included: the United Nations World Food Programme, the United Nations Foundation, CNN, the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial, the National World War II Memorial, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Washington, D.C. Convention and Tourism Corporation. 

Rica has worked across the political spectrum from the federal Executive Branch and  Capitol Hill to city and California state government.  She served as a national television booker for the Kerry- Edwards presidential campaign, fundraised for Hillary Rodham Clinton’s U.S. Senate and presidential campaigns, organized and managed media for five national Democratic conventions, and fundraised and managed press for one of Antonio Villaraigosa’s LA mayoral campaigns.

Rica’s work in the private sector included her role as Manager of Government Relations for the Walt Disney Company where served as a liaison to city, state and federal elected officials.  She also managed the private family foundation of Norman Lear.

Rica is a UCLA Foundation Board Member, a Center for the Digital Future Board Member, Human Rights Watch LA Committee Member, and a Member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Foundation Campaign Working Group. She also serves on the Budget Committee of the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands.  She is a former Board Member of the Music Center of Los Angeles and the former Board President of the Getty House Foundation, which guides all  activities for the official residence of the Los Angeles Mayor.

Recently, Rica had the honor of being a member of the team which worked to secure the freedom of American two-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time WNBA All-Star Britney Griner.

Rica graduated Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude, and with Honors from UCLA in Communications Studies.  She lives in Los Angeles and enjoys off-the beaten path  travel, hiking, kayaking, yoga, and biking.

Marcus Ruiz Coordinator

Marcus Ruiz joined Wasserman Foundation in February 2025 and serves as the Foundation’s Coordinator. In this role, he draws on his experience in community relations, DEI, and data analytics to support the Foundation’s charitable giving initiatives. Marcus manages a variety of special projects and events, oversees the Foundation’s social media strategy, and maintains its communications and relationships with community partners. He also serves as the point person for the annual Wasserman Serve Day, which supports more than 27 projects across eight countries.

Before joining Wasserman Foundation, Marcus worked in the Student-Athlete Development Department at USC Athletics, under the Associate Athletic Director for DEI. There, he supported the holistic development of student-athletes beyond their athletic performance—planning events to celebrate identity, facilitating learning sessions on race, religion, socioeconomic status, and gender, and organizing the three-day [Event 2] on USC’s campus. He also traveled to Washington, D.C., and Kraków, Poland, as part of USC Athletic’s partnership with USC Shoah Foundation’s Stronger Than Hate Student Leadership Program, exploring the connections between segregation during Jim Crow and antisemitism during the Holocaust.

Earlier in his career, Marcus interned with LA28 Olympics and Paralympics in the Impact and Community Relations Department, where he helped activate the “Gift of Sport” initiative to provide athletic resources to communities across Los Angeles. He also tracked the organization’s total giveback to ensure equitable distribution throughout the region.

Marcus earned his degree in Cognitive Science from University of Southern California, with minors in Applied Analytics and Business. Outside of work, he enjoys trying new restaurants, watching movies and television, learning languages, and exploring Los Angeles.