Best Buddies California Announces its New State Director, Patricia Sterne Evans

Patty brings a rich, diverse career in service to her new position as State Director of California, which began as a VISTA volunteer in Virginia in the early days of community action.  She had thought it would be just a “year of giving back” between completing a degree in Advertising/Marketing at the University of Florida and embarking on a conventional career, but found, like many non-profit experiences, it transformed her life. 

Electoral politics, environmental lobbying, a move to Los Angeles from Washington, DC, public affairs consulting and two terms at the Community Redevelopment Agency/City of Los Angeles made up her early career.  In 1991, having lost many friends to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, Patty joined the AIDS movement and spent five years in the Los Angeles office of AmFAR.  She transitioned back into local government with 3 years as Operations Manager at a local Business Improvement District and in 2000 joined Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation as Sr. Events Manger, producing its two LA-based signature events, the A Time for Heroes Celebrity Carnival and the Celebrity Golf Tournament.  In 2006 Patty got the opportunity to broaden her development experience by joining the national headquarters of Starlight Children’s Foundation as Vice President of Development.  There she was tasked with creating an individual giving program, consisting of multiple revenue streams, including the production of one of the first casual online games created by a non-profit for fundraising purposes.

Patty, her husband John and their kitty cat Pumpkin live in Los Angeles within an easy drive to the State Headquarters.  In her spare time, she creates art quality embroidery, loves to read and is a huge fan of Jeopardy and The Simpsons.  She’s proud and excited about taking on the mission of leading Best Buddies in California. “It’s a truly remarkable mission,” she says, “that has touched me personally.  I’m looking forward to working with all the wonderful families, buddies, students, volunteers, staff and the California Advisory Board to expand our reach, increase our resources and continue to transform the lives of thousands of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”