Spotlight: SPARC Excellence in Auxiliary Award Winner Jim Patterson

Recent winner of the SPARC Excellence in Auxiliary Award, Jim Patterson, is the kind of person you want to know. He is a 30-year veteran and thought leader in the auxiliary world, and since 2007, the Director of the successful and highly respected Summer Programs at the Harvard-Westlake School in southern California.

His industry longevity and success, however, are only part of what earned him the SPARC Award. “He’s the kind of person who would give you the shirt off his back,” says SPARC Senior Advisor Karen McCann McClelland. “Literally. He went on a hike with a friend, and after she had a run-in with a cactus, he took off his shirt to help her remove the spurs. That’s just the kind of guy he is.”

To describe Patterson, people use words like “thoughtful,” “inspiring,” “respected,” and “a leader.” It’s clear how much auxiliary professionals admire his long-standing experience, success, and genuinely kind and accessible nature.

His experience and initiative are why Patterson now serves on SPARC’s Visionary Council. “He took it upon himself to create an auxiliary community in southern California well before the existence of SPARC,” says SPARC Executive Director Nat Saltonstall. “He is one of the first people I sought out when I decided to create SPARC.” Recently, SPARC held a summit at the Harvard-Westlake School. “It was so meaningful to lead this event with Jim,” he says, always glad to have the chance to connect with him face to face.

Patterson’s involvement in the auxiliary world began with 10 summers working at Camp Emerald Bay on Catalina Island. He’s been at Harvard-Westlake since 1994. Given how much he has seen in his career, I asked him what changes he has witnessed during his tenure.

“I think first and foremost is our dedication to athletics,” Patterson says. “Several years ago, the athletic department was reorganized into a third division at the school to allow for all sports to achieve the same level of support.”

Student support has also evolved over the years, though it has taken some time. “Our Upper School Deans/College Counselors work with students beginning in grade 10 so that they can provide academic advice a bit earlier than a traditional college counseling office,” Patterson says. “We have recently expanded the counseling office as well to provide more mental health resources for students.”

Community outreach has become a much stronger mission at Harvard-Westlake than when Patterson first joined the school. Initially, it was “focused primarily on a small number of enrichment classes for our own students. A sports camp had just begun a year or two earlier to begin focusing on our wider community, and I applied that model across the entire program to create what you see today.”

When I asked Patterson what goals he had for the future of the summer programs, community outreach was paramount. He believes in the importance of the school’s members being good citizens of Los Angeles. “Our community is hungry for opportunities to be on campus and experience our programs, and I want to continue to grow to meet that need.” He views the summer programs as a way to achieve the school’s mission and institutional goals by including as many people as possible.

In an industry with a strong focus on community, Patterson stands out in his commitment to serve not only his school’s programs and region, but the auxiliary world as a whole. And he does this with character, integrity, and affability. The folks at the website Los Angeles Summer Camps call him “one of the friendliest, most approachable, and knowledgeable guys we know.” Jim Patterson won SPARC’s award as an auxiliary role model—the whole package of personal and professional excellence.

Jim Patterson is the Director of the Kutler Center and Summer Programs at the Harvard-Westlake School.

Each year, SPARC recognizes individuals and organizations for their exemplary work and outstanding contributions to the field of independent school auxiliary programs.