A native of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Danny Patterson recently retired from the IBM Corporation after 30 years of service and is currently the director of Community Economic Development at the Community Foundation of South Alabama, located in Mobile, Alabama. His focus at the Foundation is to help advance the economic and social development to address community-based needs that lead to an improved quality of life. Patterson is also active on several community organizations in South Alabama and statewide, including the Lighthouse Community Development Corporation; Mobile Rotary Club; Mobile United; South Alabama Workforce Development Council Region 9; and the Alabama State Service Commission, the  Alabama Association of CDCs and the Alabama Asset Building Coalition. He has also chaired the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.

* Patterson is a Humanities Happening presenter.