Patricia is an equity-driven researcher and project manager with expertise in community development, local economic development, small business, and workforce development. Her experience includes conducting evaluation studies of community development projects and investments throughout the country, providing technical assistance to intermediaries and community organizations on their evaluation and data needs, conducting strategic planning and market analyses for downtowns and neighborhood commercial corridors, and developing innovative research in the areas of organizational capacity building, industrial and commercial neighborhood revitalization, and small business and workforce development.
Her publications include the Equitable Pathways for Small Business Recovery: An All Hands Approach: a playbook that offers a framework for pursuing equitable pathways to small business success and lays out contextualized strategies related to capital access, small business capacity, and commercial real estate; Connecting Local People to the Prosperity of Place: a white paper examining emerging strategies that connect industrial district revitalization to local workforce efforts and how investments in industrial districts can fuel programs designed to train low-income residents and ensure they access local jobs. The paper takes a close look at how this plays out in the field with two case studies from Brooklyn, NY, and one from Jackson, MI; and Industrial District Revitalization in Three Cities: Early Outcomes: a white paper examining industrial district revitalization efforts in Duluth, Jacksonville, and Indianapolis and proposing policies and practices that can promote inclusive and equitable economic development.
Prior to joining Mt. Auburn Associates, Patricia was a Senior Research Associate with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation. She holds a Ph.D. in Planning and Public Policy from Rutgers University and is a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Graduate Center for Planning and Environment at the Pratt Institute.