Rod E. Vargas, P.E.

M.S. Engineering – 1990
B.S. Civil Engineering – 1983
President & CEO, Apex Environmental Engineering & Compliance

Rod, a native of Venezuela, has worked as a civil and environmental engineer for both private companies and the federal government. As president & CEO of Apex Environmental Engineering & Compliance, the company made Inc. 500 list of fastest growing firms in the United States in 2006 and Inc. 5000 in 2007 and 2008. The firm also made the list of Hispanic Business 100 Fastest-Growing Companies in the United States. In 2007, the Small Business Association chose Rod as Florida’s Small Business Person of the Year.

Rod has also served in various academic and entrepreneur organizations in positions such as chair of the National Entrepreneur Center Advisory Board, a board member of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the University of Central Florida (UCF) Advisory Board, UCF board member of the College of Engineering Curriculum Committee, and board member of the Hispanic Business Initiative Fund Technical Assistance Committee.

As a certified business consultant for the SBDC, he has mentored numerous small business owners. Rod is a registered professional engineer in the states of Florida, Colorado, and Oklahoma and serves as the lead general engineer for the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, a Federal Aviation Administration regional office and one of the Department of Transportation's largest facilities outside of Washington, DC.