Biography

Patria is a UFT Faculty Member in the Communication Department at Inver Hills Community College in Inver Grove Heights, MN, where she teaches several communication courses including Public Speaking. In 2014, she was awarded a Phi Theta Kappa Golden Apple for her teaching and was also selected as the student - voted Faculty Member of the Year. She is also the Business Director for the Defense Alliance, which is an SBA Advanced Technologies Cluster (the APC branch of the Defense Alliance). In 2007, she was co-awarded of the U.S. Small Business Association’s (SBA) Veterans Small Business Champion Award. In 2014, the Defense Alliance was also awarded the Finance & Commerce Progress Minnesota Award. The Alliance, together with its SBA-funded Advanced Power & Energy Cluster (APC) has helped Member companies garner over $75 Million in government and commercial contracts since 2011, and contributed to the creation of over 1,000 jobs. 

Education

Master of Business Administration
Augsburg College

Master of Arts in Communication
Bethel University

Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies
Gustavus Adolphus College