Thomas B. Patton '76

BA, political science
Chairman and CEO, The Center for Advanced Healthcare Learning and Simulation
Washington, D.C.

Tom Patton graduated from Stetson with a degree in Political Science and credits his mentor, T. Wayne Bailey, PhD, for the life and career that followed in Washington, D.C.

After Tom's fascinating experience with the Stetson Washington Semester Program, Bailey strongly recommended a master's degree in public administration at American University. This landed Tom a two-year position as a policy analyst in the Office of the Secretary of Health Education and Welfare under Joseph Califano; a senior legislative affairs position for seven years at the Electronic Industries Association; and 30 years with Philips Electronics, representing its interest before governments in North America and building a global network of business, government foreign service professionals to pursue a common global agenda in the public policy and government relations arena.

Building upon these years of senior-level experience and wanting to "try something new," Tom retired from Philips and recently founded, and serves as Chairman and CEO of, The Center for Advanced Healthcare Learning and Simulation, a Public Benefit Corporation at the early stages of building a state-of-the-art educational enterprise to improve healthcare delivery and performance in the US and diversify Washington's regional economy.

As Chair of the College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board, Tom joined the Board of Trustees in 2019. He and his wife, Elizabeth Parsons Patton '77, headed to Washington together. They married in 1980 and have two children, Elliot and Julia.