Michael Padilla

Personal History

Padilla grew up in Los Padillas, a rural farming community that his family helped settle over 150 years ago, and is located inside of the district he represents. Padilla has always been involved in the democratic party of New Mexico, serving as a precinct chairman, ward chairman, county central member and state central committee member. He has also served on numerous boards and commissions prior to becoming a senator, including Youth Development Incorporated, Special Olympics New Mexico, Junior Achievement of New Mexico, Association of Commerce and Industry of New Mexico, New Mexico Workforce Development, and several others.

Padilla founded Altivus CRM Solutions, a contact center and consulting firm, in 2000, and grew the company organically. The company specializes in building call centers and providing a number of operational consulting services affecting people, process, and technology. The company has created over 3,000 jobs in the past sixteen years. Padilla still serves as Chairman and CEO of the company.

Padilla is the youngest of five children. His parents, David and Gina Padilla, were unable to raise him and his siblings, so they grew up in foster homes, the All Faiths Receiving Home for Homeless Children, and with various family members. Padilla started working when he was eleven years old, and is proud of the way he was raised.

Padilla's primary focuses as a legislator are early childhood education, jobs and economic growth, water management and conservation, science and technology deployment, and child safety and protective services. Padilla was the first freshman senator in his class to move a bill through the legislature in both his first and second years as a senator. Padilla serves on nine legislative committees, as the chairman of the science, technology, and telecommunications committee, and as the Senate Majority Whip.

Career

Padilla founded Altivus CRM Solutions, a contact center and consulting firm, in 2000, and grew the company organically. The company specializes in building call centers and providing a number of operational consulting services affecting people, process, and technology. The company has created over 3,000 jobs in the past sixteen years. Padilla still serves as Chairman and CEO of the company. Padilla pioneered the 311 Citizen Contact Center concept at the City of Albuquerque, bringing the City and Padilla national notoriety for helping a municipal government provide easy access to city hall, efficiency in financial and other resources, and superior customer service for Albuquerque residents.

Legislative Priorities

Padilla's primary focuses as a legislator are early childhood education and intervention, jobs and economic growth, water management and conservation, science and technology deployment, and child safety and protective services. Padilla was the first freshman senator in his class to move a bill through the legislature in both his first and second years as a senator. Padilla serves on nine legislative committees, and as the chairman of the science, technology, and telecommunications committee.

In early May 2017, Padilla uttered his support for the recent anti-"lunch-shaming" legislation in New Mexico which prohibits any kind of humilation, discrimination or punishment of children whose parents did not pay the alimentation fee in school. Padilla explained that when he was child, he had to scrub the floor and work in the school kitchen to compensate the school for his parents' debts. He claimed he was shocked that even thirty years later, children are still being humilated in school canteens. According to him, the new laws shift all responsibility to the parents who did not pay and will protect children from "lunch-shaming" in New Mexico schools in future.

Annual Job Fairs

Padilla has held a massive job fair his district since he took office in 2013. The job fair draws over 4,000 job seekers annually, and he has been able to recruit over 80 employers annually, resulting in over 2,400 new jobs through his efforts.

Sexual Harassment Settlements

In 2010, a group of 911 center employees sued the city of Albuquerque in federal court alleging that Padilla, who at the time was tasked with improving the center's operations, sexually harassed employees and created a hostile work environment.

Padilla allegedly told women in his office that "it may be 2007 out there, but in my house it is the 1950s and women stay home, make tortillas and have babies." After they complained, the women said they were retaliated against and demoted. The plaintiffs also argued the city was negligent by not uncovering other sexual harassment allegations against Padilla at former workplaces.

According to The Albuquerque Journal, two women settled for $149,000. A third won a federal civil rights lawsuit that cost the city $102,200 for legal fees and counseling for the woman. Padilla maintained that he was innocent and said he had been "railroaded" by the employees.

Sexual harassment claims against Padilla became an issue in the 2012 Democratic Primary when one of his opponents sent a mailer to voters that reminded voters of Padilla's "sordid history."

Education

Padilla attended the University of New Mexico and the University of Phoenix.

Elections