After struggling to release the padlock holding down the metal gate in front of the Community Board 7 offices in Bedford Park, Board Chair Greg Faulkner called down the block for the Board’s new district manager, Fernando Tirado, to help him .

This was last Tuesday after Tirado’s first monthly Board meeting, and sure enough, the 37-year-old former Health Department employee quickly strolled over and unlocked the gate, allowing CB7’s Executive Board to take care of some late night business. Faulkner looked on, smiling like a proud father.

Faulkner is hoping Tirado, who started Jan. 7, replacing veteran district manager Rita Kessler, will be the key to unlocking not just the Board offices, but also the Board’s potential to be an effective and productive community voice.

“This is something we haven’t had on the Board in years,” Faulkner said.

New York City is made up of 59 community districts. In each district, there is a community board made up of local residents who volunteer their time to advise the city on everything from sanitation services to new housing developments. It is the most local form of government. Although the Board can’t dictate policy, it is a place where residents can air grievances and gather community support. It’s like a megaphone for the smallest of community voices.

Each community board elects its own leadership and is staffed by a district manager who runs the board office, interacts with city agencies and makes sure their community’s voice is heard downtown.

Following a lengthy search over the summer and fall, Faulkner and the Board’s search committee decided to choose one of their own: Tirado, who had joined CB7 in June after moving to Bedford Park from Queens two years ago with his wife, Karen, and their three children, Israel, 13, Joshua, 11, and daughter Jailani, 9.

“We chose him because of his energy and enthusiasm,” Faulkner said. “He has a vision and a heart for the community.”

During the interview process, Faulkner said Tirado was the one candidate (out of about a dozen, many of whom were much more politically connected than Tirado) who brought his own ideas to the table as to how the Board could attack problems.

“Though we didn’t necessarily agree with all those ideas,” Faulkner said, “we were impressed and saw that as a good process.”

Tirado, who introduced himself to city agency representatives at his first district service cabinet meeting earlier this month, said he applied because he wanted “the chance to really help out on a community level” and be a “change agent” for local residents.

Born and raised in Washington Heights, Tirado graduated from Mt. St. Michael Academy in the Bronx. He eventually graduated from SUNY-Stonybrook and took his first real job as an inspector for the New York City Health Department, where he’s worked in various capacities for the past 12 years.

Growing up, he said, “I always had a mind for civil service.”

While Tirado is getting his feet wet in his new job, the Board members seem to like what they see so far.

“Oh my God,” said member Sandra Erickson. “He seems great. I believe we need to get up to date (with technology advances) like other boards and I think he’s a good person to help us do that.”

Longtime member Lowell Greene also said Tirado could help in the technology department and “swing this Board into the 21st century.”

In his first meeting, Tirado started his tenure off by setting some ambitious goals. He introduced the idea of creating an overall development plan (known as 197A) for the district and also said he would figure out exactly what the Board needed for its new Web site by the next general board meeting in February.

When asked about Tirado’s goal setting. Faulkner offered some tough love. “Hold him to it,” he said.