After a long and distinguished career in the aerospace/defense industry, Dave Patterson joins the University of Tennessee Center for Executive Education as executive director of its newly formed National Defense Business Institute (NDBI).
Patterson brings extensive executive-level experience with McDonnell Douglas, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and the Department of Defense in leading successful federal programs and profitable corporate growth within challenging and volatile global environments.
Before joining UT, Patterson was principal deputy undersecretary of defense, comptroller for the Department of Defense. He advised and assisted with development, execution and oversight of Department of Defense annual budgets exceeding $515 billion and annual supplemental requests exceeding $160 billion. He also developed legislative strategies, and developed and implemented Department of Defense financial policy, financial management systems and business modernization programs.
Patterson has led the Defense Acquisition Performance Assessment Project, which conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the Defense Department’s acquisition system and decision-making processes, and served as special assistant to the deputy secretary of defense, a position in which he provided support to the development of and advice on national security operations and policies.
Patterson was a founding and managing partner at Bucher, Hutchins, Kohler and Patterson Inc., where he led the firm’s new business development efforts. He was vice president and site manager for Steven Myers and Associates, lending support to Lockheed Martin Corp.’s winning Joint Strike Fighter bid, and leader of the Boeing business development team responsible for launching a commercial version of the C-17, the BC-17.
"The creation of NDBI reflects the Center for Executive Education’s continued expansion of federally and private sector-funded research on the business issues of national defense," Patterson said. NDBI will provide practical, sound assistance in creating economically efficient and effective defense business and acquisition programs.
The Center for Executive Education has seven research projects under way with budgets exceeding $8.5 million and has teamed with other prestigious universities such as MIT, Wharton and Yale.
Patterson retired from the Air Force in 1993 as a colonel. He served in Vietnam flying O2As as forward air controller.
Patterson is a graduate of the NATO Defense College and received his master’s and undergraduate degrees from Chapman University and Bethel College, respectively. He has served on the board of advisers of the Airlift/Tanker Association.