Full Name
Valerie E. Patton
Company
Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer and President, Greater St. Louis Foundation, Greater St. Louis, Inc.
Speaker Bio
As Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer and President, Greater St. Louis Foundation, Greater St. Louis, Inc., Patton is responsible for the strategic direction and management of diversity, equity, and inclusion and workforce/talent for the business community in the Saint Louis region through training, convening and consulting and regional economic inclusion initiatives. She is the first Executive Director of the Initiative. She is founder of the Initiative Fellows Program (a yearlong leadership development experience) and Gateway Connections (a welcoming orientation for professionals of color.) Currently, creating new economic opportunities through business diversity/inclusion/equity and workforce development. She is responsible for overseeing the strategy development and execution in these 5 strategic functional areas: multicultural leadership development programming and relationships, workforce strategies, inclusive business solutions, talent attraction and diversity, equity and inclusion with individualized targets in each functional area.
Patton has held numerous management positions with St. Louis Regional Chamber, Bank of America and AT&T (formerly SBC and Southwestern Bell). She served as Senior Vice President-Inclusion and Talent Attraction, Vice President – Supplier Diversity and Development, Midwest Region; Vice President – Network and Desktop Technology, Midwest Region; Director – Product Management (Advance Intelligent Network Products) and Process Specialist – Information Systems. Patton is a proven professional is the areas of cost accounting, project management, process management, strategy development, supplier diversity and data center operations and technical support.
Patton is a native of Saint Louis, Missouri and holds degrees from Washington University in St. Louis George Warren Brown School of Social Work (MSW) with an emphasis in Social and Economic Development, Webster University (MA) and Howard University (BBA) and has done post graduate studies in Business Management. Patton holds an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) (Honoris Causa) from Harris Stowe State University.
Patton has held numerous management positions with St. Louis Regional Chamber, Bank of America and AT&T (formerly SBC and Southwestern Bell). She served as Senior Vice President-Inclusion and Talent Attraction, Vice President – Supplier Diversity and Development, Midwest Region; Vice President – Network and Desktop Technology, Midwest Region; Director – Product Management (Advance Intelligent Network Products) and Process Specialist – Information Systems. Patton is a proven professional is the areas of cost accounting, project management, process management, strategy development, supplier diversity and data center operations and technical support.
Patton is a native of Saint Louis, Missouri and holds degrees from Washington University in St. Louis George Warren Brown School of Social Work (MSW) with an emphasis in Social and Economic Development, Webster University (MA) and Howard University (BBA) and has done post graduate studies in Business Management. Patton holds an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) (Honoris Causa) from Harris Stowe State University.
