Earlier this year at the annual members meeting of the Adams Avenue Business Association (AABA), Ed Badrak ended his tenure as the nonprofit\u2019s president, stepping down after seeing the organization through a lengthy period of transition.<\/p>\n
Hailed for overseeing the AABA\u2019s board as the business district grew more adept to reaching younger audiences through online outreach and creative fundraising efforts, Badrak received a standing ovation from the audience in attendance, as well as commemorations of service from local elected officials.<\/p>\n
The 63-year-old bachelor, a lifelong actor and singer, never fails to entertain. He now rents out his University Heights home and resides on his 35-foot boat, Heron, docked at Shelter Island. There, on a sunny Friday afternoon, he reminisced about his time at \u201cthe best [Business Improvement District] in the city.\u201d<\/p>\n A Navy veteran from Philadelphia, Badrak first moved west to be a part of the San Diego Opera. Through acting, he found himself on the leading end of several unions \u2014 his first foray into civic engagement. He also served as president of the United Veterans Council, and during his time there he helped see the Veterans Day parade begin again in San Diego after a 20-year hiatus.<\/p>\n Closer to his Adams Avenue home \u2014where he operates his mortgage lending business \u2014 Badrak got involved with the North Park Planning Group as redevelopment money was coming into the neighborhood during the early 2000s before joining the AABA board seven years ago. As Badrak tells it, after just two years on the board, the organization began to destabilize. Amid losing longtime board members and staff, he was voted in as its president.<\/p>\n \u201cMy whole thing was to be the transition guy \u2014 to help the avenue find its new voice for the next 20 years,\u201d Badrak said.<\/p>\n During the next five years, the AABA would develop an online presence that\u2019s now the envy of many larger business improvement districts. Its annual Adams Avenue Street Fair is often now referred to as the largest, free two-day music festival in Southern California.<\/p>\n \u201cWe may not be the richest BID, but everyone likes to talk about us,\u201d he boasted.<\/p>\n As he spoke about the AABA, Badrak literally listed every board member by name, commenting on the quality he liked best in each one. He said he\u2019s happy to be stepping down and handing the reins over to a new generation of business owners.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you look at the board today \u2014 I\u2019m am so proud of these young business folk coming in and saying \u2018I wanna be a part of shaping this neighborhood\u2019s future,\u2019\u201d Badrak said. \u201cThey\u2019re opening their own business at times when no one is opening businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n The AABA is unique in that it extends through several different neighborhoods: Kensington, Normal Heights, Greater North Park and University Heights. Badrak said one of the AABA\u2019s challenges \u2014 and one of the reasons he was chosen to lead the organization \u2014 was bringing people together.<\/p>\n \u201cHell, I\u2019m not creative, but I created an environment where we could all work together,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Finally, to residents, or really anyone finding problems with their current surroundings, Badrak has two simple rules.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t complain without showing up and making your voice heard, and you can\u2019t live here without owning what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Badrakwebtop\"](\"https:\/\/sduptownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Badrakwebtop.jpg\")
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