James D. Patterson retired to Santa Fe in 2000 after spending thirty-five years in the advertising industry for various Chicago advertising agencies. He was at Leo Burnett for eighteen years, a stint that included becoming a vice president, running McDonald’s international campaigns for seven years, and managing Burnett’s eighty-person Singapore office. He closed out his advertising career as a VP of Client Service and CFO of the advertising division of HA•LO Industries. During this time, he spent eight years (five as President) on the Board of City Lit theater company, and created the smARTbook, a guidebook to the arts in Chicago.
Shortly after arriving in Santa Fe, Jim co-founded The Idea Group, a unique strategic solutions company. His love of live theatre spurred him to start Theatre Santa Fe, a nonprofit that unifies and markets Santa Fe theatre companies. Because of his passion for the creative arts and commitment to foster collaborations, Jim became a member of Creative Santa Fe Board of Directors in 2005. A few years later he helped found Creative New Mexico, a nonprofit dedicated to advocating for Arts & Culture statewide and funding to support the creative industries.
He is a graduate of Brown University, class of 1966. He and his wife Jan are avid performing arts goers. When Jim is occupied with the arts and culture activities, he is keeping active playing tennis, squash, golf, and skiing.