Lorena Patterson directs Go Global NC’s Latino Initiative with a focus on connecting North Carolina policy leaders with countries and topics of strategic importance to our state. In the last four years, she has taken a total of 130 participants in delegations to study in locations across Mexico as well as in Cuba. Through this work, Patterson has increased the understanding and capacity for North Carolinians to take positive action to improve inclusiveness across the state.

Patterson joined Go Global NC in the fall of 2011. She is a native of Mexico City and relocated to the United States in 1993, attending City College of San Francisco where she received a certificate on diversity and social justice. She received a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies with a focus on International Relations and a concentration in Latin American studies from NC State University. Patterson is currently seeking her MPA at NC State University. She lived in Perugia, Italy, where she attended the Università per Stranieri. Patterson believes that North Carolina has the ability to become the first state in the United States to have successful, globally integrated communities.