Focus on TUSD - August 2007

EEF's New Executive Director has Background in Sales, Grant Writing
When the Educational Enrichment Foundation hired Robert Padilla as the new executive director this summer, it's almost like they got two people for the price of one.

That's because Padilla brings two very different, some would say opposing, backgrounds to his job. He holds degrees in creative writing and English literature, but has spent most of his working life in the business sector.

Expertise in both areas will help as he replaces Sally Trattner, who was the EEF director for 10 years. Padilla will explore creative solutions to keeping EEF financially solvent and ready to meet the needs of TUSD school children.

As EEF starts its 25th year, Padilla called the organization a "very well-kept secret in Tucson." The hands-on activities the foundation sponsors, such as giving children eyeglasses and shoes appealed to him. "It's exciting to me that this is a grassroots organization," he said. "You're right there and you see it happening. When I moved to Tucson, I wanted to contribute and help out. I had offers to go into business and be a consultant but I thought EEF would be a perfect way to give something back to the community."

He met separately with each of the 25 EEF board members, asking them how to take EEF to the next level. "Every business has a life cycle - the beginning, and then the growth and then decline unless they're reinvigorated and take a new direction," he explained.

For starters, Padilla has initiated a poetry contest, where each poem will be written in two languages, the writer's native language and English. That project is an outgrowth of EEF's funding of "Finding My Voice," a collection of essays and artwork by Catalina Magnet High School students, who speak English as a second language.

Padilla draws on experiences with nonprofit groups as he plans EEF projects. After earning a master's degree in Michigan and traveling abroad, he came back to Tucson, and at the age of 28, became the executive director of the Tucson Commission of the Arts and Culture, which is now the Tucson Pima Arts Council. He applied for government grant funds to put people to work during the recession, bringing 18 art organizations together for a project that sent unemployed artists into schools and other community facilities. The budget grew from nothing to almost $300,000 the first year with funds renewed for the following year.

Two years later, Padilla turned to writing grants for the city of South Tucson, which had a 26 percent unemployment rate. Grants the city won under his direction helped reduce unemployment.
After four years, Padilla moved to Los Angeles, where he worked in sales and sales management for Digital Equipment Corporation for a decade. That company was the second largest manufacturer of computer equipment, behind only IBM. Padilla went to IBM after DEC was sold, working in sales for another six years.

After that, he opened an information technology consulting company with a partner, serving as president for four years. That company was called (NG)2 Consulting, which translates to No Guts, No Glory.

Three years ago, he came back to Arizona to help his parents, Andres and Ignacia, who are both 90 and live in Clifton, Padilla's hometown. He also helped out at Chicanos Por La Causa, setting up a foundation and urging the group to plan for the future and save for a rainy day. The foundation now has $300,000 in its coffers, including a $100,000 donation from Jim Click and $45,000 from the Tohono O'odham Nation.

When the EEF position opened, he remembers saying, "How can you say no to TUSD and EEF?" In the coming months, Padilla will concentrate on the number of students that he says, "We haven't even thought of helping. That's an opportunity for us. And it's time for us to think outside of the box, as well as inside the box. We don't want to drop the ball. We have to find new games to play. If you want an organization that touches people, it's EEF. It's a very humbling experience to be part of this."

Robert Padillo Bio

-- By Sharon Dunham
Communications & Media Relations