Rodney John Diridon was born in Dunsmuir, California in 1939 to Claude and Rhoda Diridon. Diridon Sr. graduated from Dunsmuir Joint Union High School in 1957. From 1956 through 1963, he worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad while completing a BS in Accounting and Finance and his MS in Business Administration from San Jose State University. From 1963 to 1967 he served in the U.S. Navy as a Fleet Officer and Combat Duty Officer in Vietnam. He married Mary Ann Fudge on July 4, 1964 and raised two children, Rodney Jr. born September 10 1969, and Mary Margaret, born September 14, 1971. On June 10, 2001 he married Dr. Gloria Duffy.

In 1969, Diridon founded the Diridon Research Corporation, later renamed Decision Research Institute (DRI) in 1972. DRI conducted market research, needs assessment surveys and legislative consulting throughout the United States. This company was sold in 1976.

Diridon became the youngest person ever elected to the Saratoga City Council in 1972. He held this position until 1975. He went on to served six terms in office as chairperson of both the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and the Santa Clara Transit District Board from 1979, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1991 and 1994.

From 1973 to 1995, Diridon led the development of Santa Clara County Transportation Agency and the CalTrain Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board. He also chaired the Peninsular Transportation Alternatives Project, Guadalupe, Tasman, Fremont/South Bay and Vasona Rail Corridor Boards, the San Jose Station Reconstruction Board and the successful 1976 and 1992 Measure “A” Sales Tax Campaigns as well as the 1980, 1984, 1988, and 1992 transportation master plan elections. He was also the only person to chair all three of the Bay Area’s Regional Agencies:Association of Bay Area Governments, Bay Area Air Quality Management District and Metropolitan Transportation Commission. From 1978 to 1979, he presided over the development of the Nation’s first Integrated Environmental Management Plan and Regional Transportation Master Plan.

At present he holds the position of Chair of the National Research Council’s Transit Cooperative Research Project Policy Committee. Diridon has received published recognition and numerous awards for his contributions and has served on numerous organizations committed to community service at the national, state, regional and local levels. He has been most involved with transportation, the environment, arts and human rights fund-raising and advocacy.