Oregon State Senator Deb Patterson represents District 10, which includes South and West Salem, Monmouth, Independence, and parts of Four Corners and unincorporated East Salem. She has served for over 20 years in healthcare administration, including serving as Executive Director of the International Parish Nurse Resource Center, which equipped RNs to provide health care advocacy and education around the world. Deb also served as Executive Director of Northwest Parish Nurse Ministries, based in Portland, and was vice president of a children's health philanthropy. She has also been employed on the senior management team of a multi-hospital health system in the Midwest.
Deb has served on a wide variety of governing boards for health and human service organizations, including hospitals, transitional housing, residential care, outdoor programs, and community-based services. She was Chair of the Marion Council Health Advisory Board, served on the Oregon Disabilities Commission and Oregon Nursing Home Administrators Board.
Current legislative committee assignments include serving as Chair, Senate Healthcare Committee; Co-Chair, Ways and Means Subcommittee on General Government; and member of Senate Business and Labor Committee as well as Senate Housing Committee. She also was appointed to the Oregon Commission on Women, the Governor's Commission on Senior Services, the Oregon Hunger Task Force, the Oregon State Capitol Foundation, and the Oregon Autism Commission. Previous legislative committee assignments included Senate Natural Resources and Wildfire Recovery, and Veteran's Affairs and Emergency Preparedness.
Deb holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Music from Yankton College and the University of South Dakota, a Master of Health Administration from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and master's and doctorate degrees from Eden Theological Seminary. She is a strong advocate for healthcare for all, for public education for all ages, and for climate action. Deb is working to make housing and childcare more affordable, to expand employment options such as apprenticeship opportunities, to help small businesses thrive, and to support clean energy jobs that pay living wages.
As ordained clergy for over 30 years in the United Church of Christ, she has served congregations in Missouri, Illinois, and Oregon. Most recently, she served for 8 years at Smyrna United Church of Christ in the Mid-Willamette Valley.
Deb is the Mom of two young adults, one of whom has special needs, and is married to Dr. Stephen Patterson, who holds the George H. Atkinson Chair of Religious and Ethical Studies at Willamette University.
