Jeffery Patterson is a lecturer of business, government, and society at The University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business. He has taught courses in strategic communications, corporate political strategy, public affairs management, legislative process and lobbying, writing for the mass media, political leadership, policy program evaluation, and issues in American government.

Patterson is owner and principal of Public Arena Strategies, a public affairs and marketing firm. Public Arena Strategies provides an insight-driven approach to strategic communications and public affairs advocacy, including news media relations, policy advocacy, promotional communications, and digital/design services for nonprofit organizations, political campaigns, and corporate clients.

Patterson was previously the executive director of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, assistant dean for administration at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, a program officer/communications director for the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, marketing assistant to the associate chancellor at Texas A&M University, and director of communications at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston/John Sealy Hospital.

His legislative work includes director of communications, press secretary, and legislative aide for U.S. Rep. Michael Andrews and deputy press secretary for U.S. Sen. Lloyd Bentsen.

During his early career he served as managing editor of the Pasadena Daily News Citizen and the Southeast Weekly Newspaper and received several awards for news reporting, feature writing, and publication design.

Patterson earned a doctorate in political communication at UT, an M.A. from American University, and a B.A. from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. He also studied nautical archaeology at Texas A&M University.