Alumni Profile: Dr Daniel J. Patterson
In his career spanning over forty-six years of public service, Dr Daniel J. Patterson (Senior Managers Development Programme, 1980; Visiting Fellow, 2012) has been an exemplary leader, making lasting contributions to Niagara College, the Ontario college system, and post-secondary education across Canada. From his earliest roles in senior positions with federal and provincial governments, he also has been a leader in establishing effective partnerships with industry as a powerful means of fostering innovation and economic development.
During his twenty-five-year tenure as president of Niagara College, Dan oversaw a dramatic transformation. Enrolment grew almost threefold, while college programs and operations were consolidated into two specialized campuses that are among the most beautiful and innovative learning environments in Canada. Niagara College introduced ground-breaking programs that respond to emerging local, provincial, and national needs; and it expanded into an institution with a reach and reputation that extends around the world. The Niagara College Board of Governors has honoured Dan with President Emeritus designation and with re-naming its Niagara-on-the-Lake campus to the Daniel J. Patterson Campus, in recognition of his outstanding service to the College and local communities.
Dan has been as dedicated to smart economic development for the Niagara region as he has been to the college. He has been instrumental in linking academic programs to the new and emerging needs of local industries from agile manufacturing to photonics and advanced visualization. Recent examples include programs in winemaking, viticulture, brewing, distilling and commercial cannabis production. These pioneering programs are supported by unique on-campus learning enterprises including a winery and vineyards, a brewery and distillery, and hop yards. Under his leadership, Niagara College also became a forerunner in applied research, consistently ranking in the top ten of college research funding in Canada.
In 2021, Dan was honoured by Collegeβs Ontario with the Ministerβs Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2020, he received the Distinguished Service Award from Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan). An active member of the Niagara community, he has been recognized for his service through awards including Canadian Red Cross Power of Humanity, Niagara-on-the-Lake Citizen of the Year, RBC Business Citizen of the Year, St. Catharines, Paul Harris Rotary Fellowship Recognition from the St. Catharines and Niagara on the Lake Rotary Clubs, Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce Community Leadership Award, and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Dan continues to share his knowledge and expertise through involvement in boards at national, provincial, and local levels. He received his corporate governance certification (ICD.D) from the Rotman School of Business and is the past-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Ontario Centre of Innovation and is currently on the Board of Trustees at Niagara University (Lewiston, New York).
A graduate of the University of Windsor (BA), The London School of Economics (MSc), and University of Toronto (MEd/PhD), Dan also attended Oxford University in 1980 and returned in 2012 as a Visiting Fellow at Green Templeton College. In recognition of his achievements within post-secondary education, he has been conferred an Honorary Doctorate from Niagara University (New York) and an Honorary Doctorate from Brock University.
