Andy Patterson '99, '10 (M.B.A.)

Calling:

President and CEO, Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation

Graduated:

2010, M.B.A.; 1999 B.S.

Majors:

Biology

His Life Today:

Andy Patterson is President and CEO of the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation. After graduation, he spent two years working as an insurance adjuster before being asked to join the USF Development Office. He stayed at USF for five years, and then, in 2006, he joined the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation as Vice President. In 2015, he accepted his current role. Patterson and his wife, Sara, a 2000USF grad, have four children.

Not Just Learning—Growing

Patterson says Biology professor Bill Soeffing not only taught him science, he gave him confidence. "I got to know Bill better than any other professor and enjoyed his breadth of knowledge, concern for people and even his sense of humor," he says. "The process of working with him on research projects was one of the things that helped me build confidence in myself and helped me think bigger about what I could accomplish."

Never Stop Learning

Patterson said USF helped him realize that learning is a lifelong process. "Your career and your life will always be changing, and you need to continually learn new things," he says. "At USF I realized that learning how to learn was more important than any specifics facts or figures I might have picked up."

Mentorship That Goes Beyond

He says the USF faculty don't just teach, they care. "Not only are they talented academics, but they find ways to invest in the lives of their students," he says. "That faculty mentorship that occurs beyond the classroom is one of the most important things that happens at USF."