Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper announced today he is appointing a Connecticut woman as manager of the city’s human services department and a member of the Denver School Board as manager of the city’s parks and recreation department.
The mayor appointed the two to the vacant positions after a national search.
The mayor announced Patricia Wilson-Coker, the former commissioner of the Connecticut department of social services, will head the city’s human services department. School board member Kevin Patterson, the manager of the city and county of Denver department of general services, will become the manager of the city’s parks and recreation department. Patterson also had worked as a citizens’ advocate in the administration of former Gov. Roy Romer.
In Connecticut, Wilson-Coker worked as the commissioner from 1999 to 2007 where she provided administrative direction for a broad range of health and social services for families and individuals.
After leaving the department, she worked in the private sector as principal manager and owner of PWC Consulting, LLC, in Hartford.
She is a lawyer who also has received a master’s degree in social work. Wilson-Coker received her bachelor’s degree in English literature/Black American literature and a master’s of social work and a law degree from the University of Connecticut.
In his current management position with the city, Patterson established a five-year strategic plan for core business operations and management.
A city employee since 1993, Patterson has also worked as deputy manager of human services, finance director for community planning and development and as a budget supervisor and budget analyst for the city’s budget and management office.
Patterson received his bachelor’s degree in teaching from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, and a master’s of public administration and a master’s of urban and regional planning from the University of Colorado at Denver.
Christopher N. Osher: 303-954-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com
