Patrice R. Green (she/her) serves as Vice President of Programs, working closely with Surdna’s president and staff on program priorities, funding strategies, and facilitating collaboration. She was promoted to her current role in January 2023. 

Patrice oversees the Inclusive Economies and Sustainable Environments program teams, recognizing that environmental, economic, and racial justice are essential to building an economy that works for everyone and more just, sustainable communities. In this role, she also collaborates closely with the Thriving Cultures program team and guides the work of the Program Manager to develop cross-collaboration and operational efficiencies. Additionally, Patrice leads Surdna’s democratic participation work to ensure communities of color and low-wealth communities have decision-making and political power, and she is a member of the Foundation’s leadership and program leadership teams. 

Grounded in the knowledge that decades of systemic racism have led to today’s major racial wealth gap in communities, Patrice has over 15 years of building innovative cross-sector partnerships that work hand-in-hand with neighborhoods, leveraging their strengths, knowledge, and solutions. 

Patrice joined Surdna as a Program Officer in 2018 and was promoted to Director of Inclusive Economies in 2022. Previously, Patrice was the former U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Liaison to the West Philadelphia Promise Zone. There, she supported efforts that added nearly $50 million in federal support to improve the lives of West Philadelphians. Patrice began her federal career as a Human Resources Consultant at the United States Office of Personnel Management.  

Patrice serves as a board co-chair for Bread & Roses Community Fund and a board member for eBay Foundation, Entrepreneurship Funders Network, and The We Are All Educators Organization. A recent graduate of the Council on Foundations Career Pathways program, Patrice holds a bachelor’s in political science from the University of Pennsylvania, where she also earned a master’s in public administration from the Fels Institute for Government and certificates in Spanish and public finance. She continues to be an active member of the University of Pennsylvania Alumni network and a member of the Quaker City Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.  

Patrice knows first-hand that neighborhoods are best strengthened alongside the neighbors who call these places home and know their community’s needs. In her free time, Patrice can be found carrying out her passions for people, dance, and last—but certainly not least—food. 

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