Kathleen Padilla, Deputy Director of Aviation for Diversity and Inclusion
Philadelphia International Airport | Northeast Philadelphia Airport

Kathleen (Kathy) Padilla is the Deputy Director of Aviation for Diversity and Inclusion at PHL/PNE. Kathy oversees the Federal Business Diversity Programs citywide, PHL’s Accessibility and Access Programs, the Federal Business Certification Program, PHL's Federal Small Business Program and Language Access Program within the Division of Aviation. Additionally, Kathy is the Chair of the Pennsylvania Unified Certification Program and volunteers on the DBE Committee of the National Transportation Research Board.

Prior to her current role, Kathy was the Director of the City’s Federal Office of Business Diversity located at PHL, the Coordinator for Diverse Business Certifications for the City’s Minority Business Enterprise Council and then the Office of Economic Opportunity. Kathy has also worked at the Free Library of Philadelphia drafting their training manuals, as a Consulting Investigator for the US DOJ, as the Interim Director of the Statewide PA Rights Coalition, as a Social Worker for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and has been a small business owner.

Kathy has a long history of community service and leadership. She has been appointed to the positions of Commissioner on the Philadelphia Police Advisory Commission, the Vice Chair of the Philadelphia Commission for Women and the Mayor’s LGBT Advisory Committee. Kathy has served on numerous Community Boards including the Mazzoni Health Center, as President of OutFront!, on the founding Board of the National Transgender Rights Coalition, on the Governor Rendell’s Transition Team, as a delegate representing Pennsylvania to a Presidential Convention and was a member of the first White House Transgender Policy Meeting under President Obama. Kathy has been a key leader in passing regional nondiscrimination legislation. Kathy has completed the State and Local Government Program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.