Patrick Quinton - Principal

 

Patrick Quinton served for over five years as the Executive Director of the Portland Development Commission (PDC), the economic development and urban renewal agency for the city of Portland, Oregon. During his tenure, Portland emerged from the Great Recession to create one of the best performing metro economies in the U.S., by employing a range of best practice strategies to promote both growth and inclusion. At the same time, Portland enhanced its reputation as the "greenest" city in the U.S. with a continued emphasis on sustainable development.

Under Patrick's leadership, PDC achieved the following:

  • Developed PDC's 2015-2020 Strategic Plan, which establishes social equity and inclusive prosperity as the primary objectives of the agency's work over the next five years.

  •  Developed Portland’s 2009 Economic Development Strategy, which guided the City of Portland out of the Great Recession and jump-started the creation of nearly 50,000 net new jobs. As a result of this strategy, PDC invested in over 800 businesses over five years, attracting $1.5B in private investment and achieving 10:1 private – public leverage.

  • Established We Build Green Cities, a best in class export strategy to convert Portland's unique expertise in green development and clean energy into new markets for Portland businesses.

  • Established Portland Seed Fund, a catalytic public-private investment fund for early stage businesses, which has raised $11 million and invested in nearly 75 start-ups since inception.

  • Established the Inclusive Startup Fund in partnership with Elevate Capital, a targeted investment fund to address the glaring disparity in venture capital for women founders and entrepreneurs of color.

  • Advanced the development of catalytic sites across Portland, including South Waterfront, the Burnside Bridgehead, and Lents Town Center, and completed the historic acquisition of Portland's downtown U.S. Post Office property.

Prior to his tenure at PDC, Patrick served in leadership roles in both the commercial finance and community banking industries, including at Shorebank Corporation, the internationally recognized leader in community revitalization.

Patrick earned a Master of Arts in Public Policy from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Dartmouth College.