EnterpriseDB, an open source database provider, has recruited MySQL veteran Karen Tegan Padir to head up their products and marketing division. In her new position, Padir will report directly to EnterpriseDB President and CEO (and fellow Red Hat alum) Ed Boyajian. Here’s a look at Padir’s career move — and the implications for both EnterpriseDB and MySQL.

Padir was at Sun Microsystems for more than 15 years, where she served as the VP responsible for open source projects like SOA and GlassFish. She left for a year to serve as vice president of engineering at Red Hat, but returned to Sun in 2005. She wound up leading technology and engineering integration of MySQL in 2008, following its acquisition by Sun.

Among the feathers in Padir’s cap is a founding membership in the J2EE organization, where she managed initiatives to help standardize Java as a platform. Moreover, under Padir’s watchful eye, the Glassfish Java EE application server skyrocketed in popularity.

EnterpriseDB provides enterprise-grade support and services for the open source PostgreSQL database, so it’s not much of a stretch to see why Padir was picked to fill the position. She’s not the only ex-MySQL executive to go to another open source company, with former MySQL CEO Marten Mickos moving to head up Eucalyptus Systems.

EnterpriseDB has high hopes for 2010, and has been building a channel partner network to help drive sales. (Stay tuned for more details when the second annual Open Source 50 survey results arrive in May 2010; the Open Source 50 tracks the most promising open source partner programs.)

Meanwhile, questions remain about Oracle’s strategy for MySQL. We’ve openly wondered if Oracle would add a MySQL specialization to the Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) Specialized partner program. We’ll be sure to ask Oracle Channel Chief Judson Althoff that question later this week when our blog team sits down with him for an update.

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