Director of Account Management of Harlingen’s Shepard Walton King insurance office, Norma Padilla, decided to permanently move to the island after staying at her RV longer and longer through the years. “We absolutely love just being here every day and interacting with the other locals. We love island life. We love the water. We love the beach,” said Padilla.
While still maintaining a home in Harlingen, Padilla realized that the smartest move was to buy property on the island after staying in their RV for seven years. “We (her and her family) realized we should just buy property here because we just loved it so much. Five years ago, we bought a condo, and we were coming on the weekends but about a year into it, we just figured we were going to live here permanently, and I commute because I have a full-time job.
With 30 years of experience under her belt as an insurance broker, she handles insurance for many restaurants and hotels. “I help companies comply with the IRS and the Department of Labor.” Padilla enjoys serving her community by being able to connect locals to insurance. “I have people asking, ‘Hey, do you do insurance?’ because they were looking for some health insurance, and so I connected them to a person in my Harlingen office and they were able to get health insurance. It’s rewarding,” says Padilla.
In her free time, she and her family try to go to the beach or get on their boat. “There’s not much room for anything else, because we play in a local band twice a week every week.”
After directing a choir for 25 years in Harlingen, she, her son who plays the drums, and her husband who plays the guitar, started a band. “Music started with the church. The band came later, and that was our hobby. Our son played drums since he was 12 years old. He’s just a natural.”
Padilla and her family play every Thursdays and Saturdays at Lobo del Mar. “We play Thursdays and Saturdays at Lobo Del Mar, and occasionally Laguna Bob books us. The KOA has booked us a couple of times, especially winter Texan Season,” said Padilla.
