It was sometime around 1998 when John Padget spoke at a Key West Chamber of Commerce lunch in the Casa Marina’s grand ballroom.
At the time, Padget was a relatively new arrival to Key West, not well known, but clearly passionate about his topic — a little-known scholarship program in Florida called Take Stock in Children. It offered income-eligible students a path to a fully funded college degree via Florida’s Pre-Paid College Plans that allows families to start saving for college when their children are toddlers, locking in the state’s tuition rate for whichever year the family begins saving for college.
Once he learned of the program, Padget dove in and worked tirelessly to ensure that funding was in place for every Monroe County seventh grader to be guaranteed a scholarship when they completed high school.
Padget attended most of the contract signings that take place each year, when students sign a pledge to remain in school and out of trouble while maintaining a C average or better. In exchange, upon graduation, they’ll receive two years paid tuition at a Florida community college followed by two years at a Florida university.
Padget had no children of his own, but was a fierce supporter of and advocate for education, along with late partner Jacob Dekker.
Padget died from a massive heart attack at Lower Keys Medical Center the night of Sept. 22, said his longtime friend and fellow education advocate and philanthropist Bryan Green. Padget was 89 and was also a dedicated supporter of the arts, having funded several sculptural installations that would become the Florida Keys Sculpture Trail.
His dedication to Take Stock in Children earned him statewide attention, and then-Gov. Rick Scott appointed him to the Florida Department of Education board in 2009. Padget was elected vice chair in 2013.
“John Padget was part of Take Stock in Children and the Monroe County Education Foundation from the very beginning in 1998,” executive director Chuck Licis told the Keys Weekly on Sept. 23. “And he was one of the most passionate advocates our students have ever had. He cared deeply about helping every student reach their fullest potential, and he was determined that our most deserving students would have the chance to pursue their dream of going to college. He worked tirelessly to create unique opportunities that helped them become self-advocates and lifelong learners, ready not just to get to college but to thrive there. Our students’ successes are his legacy, and we will miss him deeply.”
In a 2013 statement about Padget’s leadership role with the Florida Department of Education, then-Commissioner of Education Tony Bennett said, “I am pleased the board has recognized John’s passion for student success and has asked him to serve in this new role. It is critical that we cultivate partnerships between Florida’s schools and local businesses and John has a long history of nurturing those relationships.”
The press release from the Department of Education further stated, “The Key West resident has served in a number of education- and business-related roles, including the founding of private equity firm Padget Associates and serving as the interim superintendent of Monroe County schools. Padget graduated from Cornell University in New York with bachelor’s and master’s degrees and earned his M.B.A. from Harvard University.
“His history of public service also includes successfully starting Monroe County’s Take Stock in Children program, which provides mentoring and scholarships to children. He is a trustee of the LeRoy Collins Institute at Florida State University and a board member of the Askew Institute at the University of Florida. Padget is also a commissioner at the Lower Florida Keys Hospital District.”
Padget’s involvement with the hospital district grew over the past decade, and he was instrumental in persuading the current hospital district board members to solicit proposals from hospital companies interested in running Lower Keys Medical Center once the current agreement ends in 2029. A request for proposals was issued a month or so ago, and the hospital district board soon will review those proposals and start negotiations with the next hospital operator.
Stay tuned to the Keys Weekly and keysweekly.com for an official obituary and information about any celebrations of his life and legacy.
