Dr. Cameron V. Patterson has served as a leader in education for more than two decades. He has worked for an array of social impact organizations ranging from The Children’s Defense Fund to The Duke Ellington School of the Arts—Washington, D.C.’s premier public college prep and arts magnet high school. “To educate is to cultivate one’s capacity for critical thinking, creativity, courage, and compassion,” writes Patterson. “These are the pillars of intellectual independence that must serve as the foundation for the future of education. Ultimately, educators are alchemist—our medium is the mind.”

At CSL, Dr. Patterson supports the CEO and executive leadership team by developing and implementing comprehensive strategies to expand and diversify the Center’s revenue base and net social impact. He spearheads CSL’s grant management, fundraising, and overall development efforts to advance mission-driven priorities necessary to ensure institutional growth, durability, and long-term sustainability. In addition, building on his professional background contributing to historical documentary films, publications, and digital media, Dr. Patterson is leading the Center’s effort to capture and catalyze systemic change in K-12 education across the country.

Recently, Dr. Patterson served as the Director of Programs for The Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. Center for Education, Justice & Ethics at the University of Maryland, College Park. In this role, he designed, developed, implemented, and managed signature programs and strategic initiatives aimed at improving educational outcomes, reforming the criminal legal system, and creating more robust structures of opportunity for people from historically disadvantaged and/or underserved communities that disproportionately experience marginalization. He has demonstrated his dedication to advancing social justice engineering through education in faculty roles at various higher education institutions throughout the country, and has written about the politics of race in art, culture, history, social policy, and higher education throughout his career.

Dr. Patterson has consulted with myriad clients in support of equitable social impact initiatives and the promotion of culturally responsive educational programs, including John Hopkins University, Humanity in Action, Urban Equity, Our Family Coalition, and the Dr. Bikoi Foundation. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors for Justice AID—a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting social justice through the arts.