Dave Patterson
Secretary of the Board of Directors
Executive Board of Director
Mr. Dave Patterson is an executive advisor to SMA, Inc. specializing in government strategic accounts with
responsibilities for identifying, evaluating, and capturing business opportunities in the federal government
market sector. His duties have included Study Team Lead for an organizational assessment of the Under
Secretary of Defense for Policy Office and the Defense Department Chief Management Office.
As a non-paid Special Government Employee (SGE), Mr. Patterson participates as a member of the Defense Science Board Taskforce on the Defense Industrial Base. In his SGE capacity, he has advised the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Policy (DASD/IP) on initiatives to strengthen and sustain the U.S. defense industrial base and create and maintain internal DASD/IP staff organizational, budgetary, and operating efficiencies to achieve the administration’s goals for national security.
Mr. Patterson's U.S. government experience includes serving as Principal Deputy, Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) in the Bush
43 Administration. He was directly responsible for advising and assisting with growth, development, execution, and oversight of the DoD
budget exceeding $515 billion with annual supplemental requests of more than $160 billion. He managed the development of legislative
strategies and DoD financial policy, financial management systems, and business modernization programs.
While at the Defense Department, Patterson was appointed to lead the Defense Acquisition Performance Assessment Project, a
comprehensive evaluation of every aspect of the Defense Department acquisition system and decision-making processes.
Additionally, Mr. Patterson held duties as The Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense. He was responsible for managing
the Deputy Secretary of Defense's personal staff and providing counsel to the Office of the Secretary of Defense Staff on a wide range
of national security operations and policy subjects.
His service at the Defense Department's highest levels provided him with a comprehensive understanding of how the Defense
Department works and how to get things done.
Underpinning Mr. Patterson's public service, he served in the Air Force from 1970 to 1993, retiring in the rank of colonel. He held
responsible leadership and management positions at the air wing level as a C-5A aircraft commander and Deputy Operations Group
Commander, at major command headquarters, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Office of the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the
Office of the Secretary of Defense, Inspector General.
In 1986, Mr. Patterson was the Air Force Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
He served in Vietnam, 1971 to 1972, flying O2As as a forward air controller with over 200++combat missions.
Mr. Patterson holds a Top Secret/SCI security clearance.
He has a Master of Arts Degree in Counseling Psychology from Chapman University and is a graduate of the NATO Defense College.