Nancy Patterson is a U.S. Army veteran and seasoned systems leader whose work spans public education, workforce development, and cross-sector collaboration, with a strong focus on College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR). With more than two decades of experience leading large, complex organizations, she now applies her expertise through mission-aligned advisory and leadership work focused on long-term impact.
Across her career, Nancy served in executive leadership roles within a large, diverse public school system serving 40,000+ students across multiple school models, where she led systemwide improvement efforts that resulted in sustained gains in accountability outcomes and long-term student readiness. She is particularly known for supervising and coaching school leaders, strengthening leadership pipelines, and aligning people, processes, and performance to improve organizational effectiveness during periods of significant transition.
Her work consistently bridged education, workforce, military, and higher education systems to strengthen college, career, and military readiness outcomes. She partnered across sectors to align pathways to labor market needs, expand postsecondary opportunities, and improve long-term economic mobility for students and communities.
Nancy’s service extends beyond district leadership. She has contributed at the state and regional level through legislative testimony before the Texas House Committee on Public Education, service on advisory and leadership councils for the Texas Education Agency, and board and council roles supporting workforce development, military-connected students, and postsecondary readiness.
For two years, she served on the Texas State Advisory Council for Educational Opportunities for Military-Connected Children, informing statewide policy and practice in support of military-connected students and families. In 2023, she was selected to engage in the National Security Seminar at the United States Army War College. In 2024, she was selected to serve as an advisor for the Women’s Leadership Program at Texas A&M University–Texarkana. In 2025, she was named one of the Top 10 School Executive Directors by Education Insider and has presented at state and national conferences on leadership, education, and readiness.
She holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, completed post-master’s coursework in educational administration, and holds Texas principal certification.
Anchored in purpose, service, and relationships, Nancy brings a steady, systems-oriented approach to her work and continues to partner with organizations and leaders committed to building strong people, resilient systems, and lasting impact.