The Board of Trustees of First Presbyterian Day School is very pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. John Patterson as FPD’s new Head of School. Dr. Patterson was the first choice of the Head of School Search Committee, among approximately 200 candidates, and was unanimously elected by the Board of Trustees at its most recent meeting. Dr. Patterson will be introduced to the FPD school family on January 22, 2020. He will officially assume the Head of School role following the completion of the 2019-2020 school year.

Dr. Patterson is currently in his tenth year as Head of School at Liberty Christian Academy (LCA) in Lynchburg, Virginia. With an enrollment of nearly 2,000 students, LCA is the largest private school in Virginia and a flagship school of Christian private education in the Southeast. A native of Springfield, Illinois, he is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he was a Dean’s List student and leader on the basketball team. He served our country on active duty in Kuwait/Iraq during Operation Desert Fox and holds a Master’s in Administration and Leadership and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership.

FPD Board Chair Danny Smith commented, “Dr. Patterson’s strong faith and Christian leadership have led LCA to unprecedented growth, success, and achievement. He brings a unique blend of strong leadership experience from West Point, service to our country as an Army Officer, and a full range of corporate and educational experience to FPD. In addition to a decade of experience in his role as a Head of School, his educational experience includes teaching, coaching, development, admissions and marketing. He and his wife, Cindy, a first grade teacher at LCA, share a strong commitment to Christian education. We believe John Patterson is the right person to lead FPD to its very best days. He is a strong and passionate advocate for Christian education on a national level. We are blessed and excited to welcome Dr. Patterson and his family to the Viking Nation and the Macon community.”

Smith continued, “The Board of Trustees desired to find the very best candidate as FPD’s next Head of School. That began with the engagement of CarterBaldwin to lead the nationwide search which spanned the last seven months. Mr. Chris Hornsby of CarterBaldwin professionally and prayerfully led the search process, and the Board very much appreciates his instrumental role in bringing Dr. Patterson to FPD.  Additionally, I would like to express sincere appreciation to the Search Committee, led by Dwight Jones, for its time, prayerful deliberations, and hard work. Chairman Jones provided extraordinary leadership for which our school will be forever grateful.”

Search Committee Chair Dwight Jones added, “As FPD celebrates its 50th anniversary, the institutional responsibility to educate and equip our children for God’s glory is more paramount than ever in our history. Our new Head of School shoulders a critical responsibility to not only maintain the best of our traditions, but also to ensure our sustainability in an ever changing and increasingly secular culture. For the sake of the Kingdom and our children’s future, the Search Committee worked tirelessly to find the best possible candidate. We remain confident that Dr. Patterson possesses the necessary skills and experience to guide FPD for a successful future.”

 

Dr. John Patterson’s Experience

Education

Ed.D., Educational Leadership, Liberty University
M.A., Administration and Supervision, Liberty University
B.S., Systems Engineering, United States Military Academy at West Point

Professional Experience

2010-Present:  Head of School, Liberty Christian Academy (LCA), Lynchburg, VA
2007-2010:      Executive Director of Academy Relations, LCA
2005-2007:      Math Teacher/Men’s Head Varsity Basketball Coach, LCA
2002-2005:      Math/Computer Science Teacher/Men’s Head Varsity Basketball Coach, Liberty Bedford Public High School, Bedford, VA.
2001-2002:      Healthcare-related sales with Stryker Leibinger and Ethicon
1996-2001:      Commissioned Officer, United States Army (Captain)

Church Affiliation
Deacon, Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, VA

Family: Wife of 23 years, Cindy Patterson, a first grade teacher at LCA, and daughter, Gracie, a senior at LCA
Interests:  Exercising, fishing, golf, and reading about Abe Lincoln