Healthcare executive Jason M. Patchen ’90 poses with SUNY Potsdam President Dr. Kristin G. Esterberg, after being presented with the 2018 Minerva Award from the College’s Alumni Association.
The SUNY Potsdam Alumni Association recently presented the 2018 Minerva Award to Jason M. Patchen ’90, during the College’s Reunion Weekend.
The Minerva Award is presented annually to an alumnus or alumna who has demonstrated outstanding professional achievement in his or her field. It is the highest honor that a SUNY Potsdam graduate can receive from the association. Patchen was recognized for his outstanding professional achievements, and stewardship of his alma mater.
About the recipient:
Jason Patchen ’90 is a former senior officer of the Centene Corporation, a Fortune 75 healthcare company with more than $58 billion in revenue each year. Centene, which specializes in government healthcare programs, directly impacts the lives of more than 10 million people worldwide.
During his tenure with Centene, Patchen created Envolve Inc., a $7 billion division with approximately 11,000 employees. His leadership and vision saw Envolve through strategic mergers and acquisitions, while also allowing for organic growth. At the end of its fifth year, Envolve represented nearly 20 percent of Centene’s revenue, making it the fastest-growing and most profitable division of the company.
Seeking a new challenge, Patchen left Centene at the end of 2017 to assume a partnership role in Gilde Healthcare, a billion-dollar private equity firm from Europe that was seeking U.S. healthcare leadership.
Patchen always credits his SUNY Potsdam education to his career success, which is why he has chosen to give back very generously to his alma mater over the years. As he put it: “The Potsdam experience taught me independence, responsibility and accountability. The educational foundation I received, coupled with my major in economics, was core to my professional growth and the core understanding necessary to succeed in continuing with my MBA.”
“Additionally, membership in Delta Kappa Theta (DK) was extremely important, as it instilled in me the values of teamwork and great friendship. A fraternity is a business, and we ran it that way,” Patchen said. He is proud that he and his DK brothers were able to increase profits and membership to the highest levels ever. “The path we took to those achievements made us better leaders,” he said.
Patchen is a proud donor and has served as a trustee on the Potsdam College Foundation Board. In 2016, he helped establish the SUNY-Centene Internship Program, a one-of-a-kind program that hosts up to five SUNY interns, including undergraduates from Potsdam, as well as from a SUNY institution in Western New York and the New York City region. The internship comes with a scholarship of up to $10,000 per student, as well as the invaluable experience of interning with a Fortune 75 company.
To find out more about how SUNY Potsdam connects with its devoted alumni, visit www.potsdam.edu/alumni.
Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America’s first 50 colleges—and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 3,600 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.
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