Kay Brown Patrick

I've been fortunate to have amazing mentors throughout my career - directors of economic development who have been intentional about positioning me for success. People like Doug Barnes, who was the Director of Economic Development in Waxahachie and later became mayor, and Bill Siblings, who was my director in Bedford - they all poured into me and were very intentional about equipping me with the credentials, information, and access to people, places, and things that they knew I would need to succeed in this space. What's interesting is that they've all been men, except for Jessica Rogers, and they've done an awesome job of advocating for me. If I'm sitting at a table of all men and the men are talking directly to them, they have consistently said, 'well, actually, Kay's the person for that.' I've really enjoyed occupying that space. My current director is the primary reason I was able to get my Certified Economic Developer certification - he allowed me to study for the exam, pushed me, and made sure we had funding for it, because he's a man in the field and knows that I'm going to need all of that, because a man can have half the credentials I have and be my boss.

I'll never forget what Tracy, who's currently the president over TIP Strategies, said to me at my first economic development conference for women. She told the women in the room: 'You're going to stand out anyway because you're a woman in the field. So stand out.' That really stuck with me. It means have an opinion. Don't shrink at the table because there's men at the table. Don't default to your pantsuit because you're thinking that your dress is going to look a certain kind of way. Just don't hold back. And I've carried that advice forward in mentoring other young women - I tell them to make sure that as they advance in their career, it's because of what they're doing, and don't let anyone think it's because she's a woman, because people will think that. I advanced fairly quickly, but I did it because I sit at the tables, I had my piece, I had my voice, I dug in deep for knowledge. I read, I contacted, I called, I attended things - all of that, because I knew that I was going to need that as a woman.

I actually mentor several young women, and I tell them that you're going to stand out anyway because you're a woman in the field, so stand out. That means have an opinion. If you need to, don't shrink at the table because there's men at the table. Don't default to your pantsuit because you're thinking that your dress is going to look a certain kind of way. Make sure that your knowledge is solid - make sure that as you advance in your career, it's because of what you're doing, and don't let anyone think that it's because she's a woman, because people will think that. I've told them that I advanced fairly quickly, but I did it because I sit at the tables, I had my piece, I had my voice, I dug in deep for knowledge. I read, I contacted, I called, I attended things - all of that, because I knew that I was going to need that as a woman. You need to build your credentials and your expertise so that no one can question why you're in the room.

The biggest challenge in economic development right now is the lack of representation and visibility for women in the field. Every time I go to an event, I'm a unicorn in the room - not only am I a woman, but I'm also a black woman, and I make up 5% of the field. Just the other day, there was a post about an economic development entity with four panelists - all men. I commented and said, 'hey, by the way, I know some women in economic development that could also provide some intel on this,' because they always default to the male voice. That's exactly why last year in March, for Women's History Month, I created Women in Economic Development Dallas-Fort Worth. We all separately are sitting in the office with all men, and I wanted to create a space where we can come and talk, and if there's opportunities for us to speak, we let each other know, we recommend one another for nominations and awards - everything, so that we can start getting women who sit in this occupation and have the same knowledge base and bandwidth and capacity as the men do in this field to occupy these tables and these panels.

I've worked really hard to let my work speak for itself, and I don't do a lot of things for accolades or attention, but I know that sometimes it takes that. What drives me is a genuine passion for public service and wanting to make a difference in the community - that's what got me started in this field in the first place. I'm committed to creating opportunities for others, whether that's helping small businesses access capital, building programs that support growth, or creating spaces for women and emerging leaders to develop and succeed. I believe in being intentional about positioning others for success, just as my mentors were intentional about positioning me. That's why I founded Women in Economic Development DFW and Emerging Leaders - to prepare both youth and community members to be more civically engaged, to connect young people with their elected officials, help them understand how government works, and see themselves as part of the process.