The Faces of 1994 : From the Twentysomething Mayor Who Stayed Home to the Eightysomething Photographer Who Returned There, We Catch Up With some of These Pages’ Most Interesting Personalities : EVE MADIGAN : ‘Here We Go Into <i> Another</i> Cycle’
Last May, the woman who specialized in helping others make dramatic life transitions was contemplating one of her own.
Eve Madigan, founding director of the Los Angeles Trade Technical College’s Equity Center, had created a unique program to show men and women how to weave their own career safety nets (“Mother of Reinvention,” May 15, Life & Style).
Madigan, 65, said that as the program grew, her days had evolved into a steady stream of administrative tasks, cutting into her familiar hands-on classroom duties. With a successor in the wings, Madigan looked to a quieter future. “I’m trying to make a determination now about what I want to do. And I don’t know yet . . . that’s my next challenge,” she said.
That challenge suddenly announced itself. Following The Times’ article, Madigan’s staff logged more than 500 calls from people seeking help--a sure sign her work was far from complete.
“The article opened up all kinds of visibility for me. They came in saying: ‘Where is Eve? I want to see Eve.’ ”
Madigan and her staff analyzed the needs of every person who inquired about the center, then made next-step recommendations--everything from basic-skill referrals to career assessments.
Dozens of those who inquired were placed into Madigan’s free Vocational Improvement Program, which as well as raising self-esteem, “develops a protocol of strengths and juxtaposes those strengths to the 22,000 careers that are out there,” she said.
At the same time, though, a feared financial crunch became reality. She lost $200,000 in funding, which forced some staff cuts and changes in her duties. With her staff reduced from 37 to 15, Madigan found herself back in the classroom--re-energized by the feedback and acute need.
To accommodate the overflow, she has since rented space in South Pasadena at Classes Unlimited to teach a 15-week evening program that costs attendees $40 per class session. She augments that with an advanced VIP class, with plans to provide intensive four- to five-day retreat-style seminars.
In June, after she “retires,” Madigan plans to open an outplacement service. “To go out to companies that are terminating--and counsel not only individuals but also the people who are doing the terminating. It is a very difficult, sensitive thing. I think it’s going to be exciting . . .” Madigan said, laughing. “I’m really enjoying where I am right now . . . but here we go into another cycle.”