Patricia S. “Patty” Collins, Virginia
Patty Collins is 24 year Army Veteran who now serves as a leadership consultant, motivational speaker and coach. She has extensive leadership and management experience gained from building diverse coalition, military, and governmental agency teams to meet demanding requirements both in the US and deployed. Patty retired from the US Army after 24 years of active duty, having spent over seven years assigned to Special Mission Units within the Joint Special Operations Command. She has deployed to the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan. During her service, she led from the tactical company level through the directorate level of the Joint Staff. She has experience in a multitude of areas from information technology, knowledge management, strategic leadership and organizational change. A pioneer in her field, she was one of a small number of women to serve in Special Operations and was the first woman in the DOD to complete the Military Free Fall Jumpmaster Course.
In 2007, Patty elected to amputate her left leg below the knee in an effort to regain more mobility after suffering significant injuries from a 2006 accident while bicycling. She rehabilitated while continuing to serve in her unit of assignment, returning to running and parachuting within 6 months of her surgery. She remained an active duty service member for another 9 years, deploying to Afghanistan and commanding a tactical communications Battalion as an amputee with no physical limitations.
Upon her retirement from service, Patty was a member of the 2016 US Paralympic Team representing the US in the sport of Triathlon in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
She is currently the Deputy Director of the Government Publishing Office in Washington, DC. She holds a MS from the National War College and a BA from Rutgers University and has a 14 year old son.