Christopher Patton Email & Phone Number

Madison, WI, US

• Serve as the Chief Financial & Operating Officer overseeing human resources, financial management, facilities, compliance & institutional ethics, and university police including the development of a $140 million annual.
• Oversee student affairs including the Dean of Students, residence life, student center, student health services, and student mental health services on a campus of 6,700 students
• Eliminated a $9.7 million structural deficit and implemented financial measures that resulted in a positive operating budget across all fund categories for the first time in almost 10 years
• Develop capital budget requests and related outreach strategies aimed at securing both the Universities of Wisconsin and the state of Wisconsin's approval
• Advise on and lead the development of local government and state legislative initiatives and collaborate with community and regional partners to advance university interests
• Foster strong relationships with the UW-Platteville Foundation & Alumni Board, Real Estate Foundation, and key business leaders to support the university’s mission

Madison, Wisconsin Area

• Serve as the Chief Operating Officer providing executive leadership to an organization with an annual operating budget exceeding $1 billion and over 1,400 employees and contractors
• Oversee human resources for 30,000 employees including recruitment, compensation, payroll, employee engagement, professional development, labor relations, and post-pandemic workforce modernization efforts to position.
• Oversee facilities and real estate management, including new construction, leasing, remodeling, and maintenance comprising approx. 2,000 projects at 6,700 facilities at 17 state agencies and the UW System
• Oversee statewide information technology services including the provision of eGovernment solutions, statewide telecommunications and network services, mainframe and server systems, cloud services, desktop and.
• Provide strategic leadership for enterprise procurement, risk management, air and fleet services, law enforcement, finance, budget, and information technology
• Drive strategic initiatives to advance the agency and state’s mission and objectives

• Provide public policy, government relations, project management, and business and political consulting services to candidates for elected office, businesses, and non-profits
• Lead the WI Opportunity Project focused on advancing a public policy agenda aimed at improving the lives of Wisconsinites, strengthening communities and expanding economic opportunities for all
• Supervise a team of policy research and attorney consultants conducting public policy analysis for non-profit partners

• Served as the Chief Administrative Officer working closely with the Chief Clerk, legislative service agencies, and majority party leadership
• Led the caucus-wide policy and communication teams to advance a legislative agenda in the Wisconsin State Assembly
• Managed and supervised policy, communications, scheduling, and constituent relations staff
• Ensured a unified legislative and messaging strategy in consultation with the State Senate and external partners

• Provided guidance to and worked closely with the Founder/Chief Executive Officer and Chief Administrative Officer
• Led administration business units comprising 55+ staff members with an annual operating budget of $100 million
• Served on a team responsible for planning Epic’s User Group Meeting with responsibility for hotel, airline, and car rental services for an annual event bringing over 10,000 attendees to the Madison area
• Negotiated global vendor contracts and maintained relationships to ensure key performance metrics were met
• Identified, evaluated, planned, and implemented organizational workflow improvements to increase employee productivity, quality, and satisfaction
• Developed and implemented policies and procedures to advance organizational objectives

• Managed the receipt and use of federal funds, including the establishment of statewide policies and procedures to ensure all federal requirements were met
• Developed, implemented and evaluated electronic systems to ensure Wisconsin met all federal reporting requirements on a timely basis
• Led efforts to apply for and secure major federal grants
• Maintained close working relationships federal counterparts
• Provided briefings on Wisconsin’s use of federal funds to the Governor, senior White House officials, members of Congress and members of the Wisconsin State Legislature
• Managed and supervised office and agency staff

• Led the development of the Governor’s major initiatives, coordinated resources across state government, and managed a diverse range of projects
• Served as the main point of contact for cabinet agencies providing direction on major agency activities
• Managed and supervised the policy team within the Governor’s office
• Provided staff support directly to the Governor during meetings, events and foreign trade missions
• Provided advice and guidance to the Governor’s communications, legislative and outreach teams to advance the Governor’s agenda
• Represented the Governor in stakeholder meetings at the local, state, national and international levels

• Led the Division’s audit team in conducting complex financial and programmatic audits of tribal gaming operations
• Managed division projects including administrative code revisions, e-payment and licensing systems development and tribal gaming audit plans
• Prepared policy recommendations for the Division Administrator and senior staff and implemented policy initiatives
• Provided assistance and worked cooperatively with the United States Department of Agriculture, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture and Trade, Wisconsin Department of Justice, local law enforcement and other external.
• Utilized various computer software to develop databases, analyze data and track Division workload
• Oversaw the daily internal audit of wagering activities, determination of tax obligations and calculation of wagering revenues