The chair of the University Student Union Board of Directors, Bobby Rodgers, resigned from his position March 27 due to personal reasons, he said.

“Over the years, I’ve made a lot of sacrifices, including personal and economical,” Rodgers said, who has been at CSUN for nine years as an undergraduate and graduate student with a degree in educational leadership and policy studies. “In the past year, I’ve had several issues, health issues, I had it all.”

Rodgers was on the board for four years, starting out as the personnel committee chair his first year and elected chair in his second year. He said he believed his time as chair was up.

“Everything has a season and every season has an end,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers spoke to each member of the board during the open forum session at the USU meeting in the Grand Salon March 27.

Minutes later, the board elected Audris Barnes as new chair of the board, who Rodgers recruited to join the board.

“Bobby was instrumental to my success,” Barnes said.

She said she learned plenty from Rodgers, adding that he has done many things for the USU.

“He is key player in what the union is right now,” Barnes said.

While the future is not so clear, Rodgers is already planning it, he said.

“I am definitely going to continue a life of service,” Rodgers said. “Law school is on the horizon and community development is in my future.”

Some of the changes Rodgers made in the USU, such as increasing student assistant wages, are part of a “long laundry list” of accomplishments, Rodgers said.

Some people may have not been partial to the decisions the board made, Rodgers said, adding each decision, however, was made for the students.

“I was doing what I felt was right,” Rodgers said. “I really cared about the students at CSUN and the USU as a whole. Students pay a lot of money for this and I’m here for the interests of students.”

The Board of Directors will remember some of Rodgers’ contributions.

“He was very passionate and put a lot of time and effort,” said Debra Hammond, USU executive director. “The contributions he made here at CSUN will be long after.”

Oscar Areliz can be reached at oscar.areliz@csun.edu