Constantine Papadakis

In an era when many figures in higher education are smaller than life there came a Greek named Taki Papadakis. I first met Taki a couple of years ago when the institution that he led (Drexel University in Philadelphia) was trying to decide whether to come to the Sacramento area. The first time I met him he told me "I tend to over promise and over deliver." I never found that statement to be untrue.

Taki did some wonderful things for Drexel but what impressed me more than that list of accomplishments (adding a couple of schools, raising a fair amount of money, increasing the reputation of the university) were two other things that I encountered in working with him on the Sacramento project. First, he built a team for his core management that is smart and independent. As I encountered his key staff they spent little time in thinking about how to conform but they spent a lot of time in trying to figure out how to advance the university they worked for. Second, in the discussion of the possibility that Drexel would come to the Sacramento region, Taki and his staff helped his board through a complex decision. They engaged their board to think about this potential option not as a done deal but as an opportunity. At the same time they dug deep into the Sacramento community to understand the possibility for the University but also for the community. He looked at life as a set of chances and he imbued that into his staff and board. Many leaders in higher education want to hold on to the status quo but Taki thought life had to be lived with a strong view of the future.

I had the chance to work with Taki for a short time. I was impressed with his energy; but I was more impressed with his ability to motivate people to do their best. I feel gifted that I got that chance. But I am also convinced that his real legacy was not his ability to push the envelope for its own sake but the ability to encourage many around him to strive for something a bit better than now.