COUNCILOR LOURDES BARROSO DE PADILLA
City Council in Columbus, Ohio
Service: AmeriCorps City Year
Lourdes is a mother, a wife and daughter of working-class, Cuban immigrants who came to America because they believed deeply in democracy and opportunity. She was born and raised on the eastside of Columbus where her family still lives today. Her love for her community inspired her to raise her daughters in the same neighborhood where she grew up.
She had to quickly learn to navigate systems that were not built for her or her family's needs. She has dedicated her life's work to looking for new ways to provide access and opportunity to all, understand how to change systems so they work for everyone and bring all voices to the table to work collaboratively to address the needs of those who too often can get left behind. She has an extensive background in youth development and leadership. She has served with City Year, an education focused organization dedicated to helping students and schools succeed for more than 20 years. Barroso de Padilla has helped to found five of City Year’s twenty nine sites across the country, and has worked at all levels of the organization. She is a certified Youth Development Trainer and was awarded the Hewlett Packard Alumni Leadership Award for her impact and service to the organization.
As the Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement for City Year Inc. Barroso de Padilla oversees the organization's major gifts, corporate and grant programs. Since its inception more than a decade ago Barroso de Padilla has been engaged and currently serves as the Director for the Latina Mentoring Academy a unique professional development and mentoring program for Latinas in Central Ohio. She has been recognized for her service to community and inclusion many times over.
She is running for Columbus City Council to continue to strengthen her city and to keep the needs and opportunities of our families and people at the center of our growth as a city.