Remembering Melissa Padilla

By Anthony F. Di Stefano, OD ‘73, MEd, MPH, FAAO, FCOptom (Hon),
Emeritus Vice President of Academic Affairs,
Professor Emeritus of Public Health

The Salus University community is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Melissa Padilla, MPH ’13, (June 29, 1966 – May 29, 2022). A colleague and friend, Melissa made a distinctive contribution to the growth of the University in so many ways. Her dedication and loyalty permeated everything she did – she was born to be a leader, a passionate learner, and an exquisite communicator.

In her professional capacity, she held several leadership positions at the University’s Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO). Throughout her 24 years at PCO/Salus (1993 – 2017) she played a crucial role in advancing the University’s international and post-graduate programs. She served as the director of Professional Studies and International programs which she later led to the establishment of the Center for International Studies (CIS).

Melissa established the foundation for PCO’s international postgraduate programs, both at degree and non-degree levels. When PCO launched its first such venture it was with the Colegio Nacional de Ópticos-Optometristas (CNOO). This initial on- campus initiative greatly benefitted by Melissa’s bilingual skills, making our Spanish colleagues comfortable with the University’s capabilities. She was able to establish an immediate rapport with what eventually became hundreds of Spanish optometrists who wished to advance their optometric skills at a degree level.  

The rest is history, with Melissa advancing such programs around the world. Thomas L. Lewis, OD ‘70, PhD, FAAO, president emeritus of Salus University and PCO professor remarked that, “Melissa was an invaluable contributor to the growth and development of the international programs in eye care for the University. Her leadership, intelligence, and management skills were principal factors in the evolution of our reputation around the world.”

In 1997, when PCO became the international headquarters of the World Council of Optometry (WCO), Melissa stepped up and assumed the role of director of Communications and Professional Service (in addition to her other responsibilities). Her leadership skills and passion for global public health causes, were rewarded by her appointment as the WCO executive director in 2005. Her responsibilities in these roles spanned across numerous accomplishments including the implementation of global initiatives such as the World Conferences on Optometric Education (WCOE) and the historical World Conference on Optometric Globalization (WCOG). In addition to these special conferences, she was responsible for the biennial General Delegates Meetings which took her literally all around the world.

Melissa savored international travel, sometimes very grueling, which exposed her to several countries, cultures, and languages. Her bilingual skills were remarkable and demanded immediate respect in the various global forums. She traveled to numerous countries, including, India, Israel, Germany, South Africa, Ghana, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Finland, Belgium, Switzerland, Norway, Canada, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and South Korea. In every country, she was able to establish immediate rapport with its people and their cultures, critical skills when leading such challenging global optometric education and public health initiatives.

As past director of the Center for International Studies, Abraham Gonen, OD ‘73 remarked: She was “a dedicated worker paying attention to the smallest details. The reputation and welfare of the University were her beacon….”

Melissa had a passion for learning, seemingly always at least one step ahead of her teachers. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Communications at Drexel University (1984-1989) with a minor in Spanish. Not surprisingly she put these skills to work immediately in her international appointments. Underlying this undergraduate education, she was a constant learner and evolved a deep appreciation for the field of public health which directly and indirectly underpinned all of her career. This ultimately led to her receiving a diploma in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine which is renowned for its research, postgraduate studies, and continuing education in public and global health. This led to her promoting the establishment of a public health graduate program at Salus University and ultimately led to her being one of the first graduates of its new Master of Public Health Program (MPH) which she received in 2013.

True to her passion for learning, she did not stop with just receiving the MPH degree, but kept going and was appointed to the graduate MPH faculty at Salus and taught its first course on Health Literacy. The curriculum she developed built on her MPH capstone project on health literacy and brought all her interests together. It integrated her communications background and her public health passion. But it was more than an academic pursuit – the course gave her a unique opportunity to bring her personal life experiences to the course, underscoring the importance of promoting active informed healthcare consumers who see themselves as part of a holistic healthcare team – not just passive participants in the medical care system.

Deep down Melissa always saw herself as a teacher and she received outstanding student reviews for her course. All her organizational, intellectual, communication, public health and leadership skills finally came together – and she was so proud, as were her colleagues at Salus.

On a personal level, I have been blessed with the opportunity to see her blossom in so many ways. She always brought dedication, vitality, insight and magical multi-tasking skills to every initiative. Not surprisingly, her office often had a large vase full of colorful flowers. She laughed heartedly – and we all always enjoyed finding humor in just about everything we did. I believe one of her mottos could be stated as – “Why work hard if you can’t laugh about it?”

Throughout these years, she always respected sharing her love of leaning by being a tireless mentor to all her staff and she really enjoyed this part of her responsibilities. As Jennifer Buono, close colleague and friend of Melissa and program manager for WCO at Salus from 2001-2008, said: “She was not only my boss and mentor while working together at WCO, but grew to become a loving, dear, close friend of nearly 22 years. I will always remember her endless energy and strong work ethic, but also her strength and courage to conquer whatever challenges she faced.”
 
A special part of her that colored everything we did at “work” was her deep and endless love of her family. We were fortunate to see her daughter Ariana grow over the years, as she would frequently visit us at work. The love between the two was always visible and tangible – it was full of life and sparkling eyes when I saw them together. I also was blessed to have met her mom on a few occasions. I immediately saw the same sparkle in her eyes – I recall those special memories frequently, and especially at this moment.

God bless you Melissa and your family. Thanks for all the enduring memories which will continue to bring life, love, and laughter to so many of us.