2025 Men of the Year: Dan Patterson

In his fourth term, Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Patterson has dedicated his life to the public safety of Springfield. Bringing 28 years of experience to the table, his efforts extend beyond the prosecutor’s office to multiple civic endeavors.

“I also believe that my focus on boiling our mission down to its key components of seeking justice and doing the right thing creates a culture of character that allows assistant prosecutors to properly exercise immense authority and responsibility in a manner that achieves our public safety goals while honoring the rights of all involved in the criminal justice system,” he says.

Patterson graduated from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor’s in business management and minor in military science. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri School of Law in 1993. Patterson served as a judge advocate for 20 years in the Missouri Army National Guard, retiring in 2016 as a lieutenant colonel. For this role, he received the Meritorious Service Medal, Commendation Medal and Achievement Medal.

As an elected official, Patterson values collaboration and servant leadership to keep the wheels of justice running smoothly.

“I believe that my example and the expectations I set for my assistants creates an environment that facilitates partnership and collaboration with our law enforcement partners,” he says, “allowing us to work together toward shared public safety goals.”

Although he says he’d love to spend every day in the courtroom, his role as prosecuting attorney requires delegation so he can manage often limited resources to meet caseload and court schedule demands. Providing support to frontline assistant prosecutors is key, and he emphasizes training and mentorship along with creating support infrastructure through paralegals and investigators in the office.

“My proudest professional and civil accomplishment is to reflect upon the many men and women I have had the honor to work with in the Greene County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and to see the continued success of those still in the office and of those who have left the office,” he says.

Another proud accomplishment was the creation of the Greene County Family Justice Center in 2018. The center provides free services to survivors of domestic violence in partnership with community leaders including local police departments, government offices and nonprofits. Patterson serves as the center’s board chair.

He has been involved with numerous other organizations, including the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys and Ozarks Fighting Back Inc. In 2019, he was named Missouri Prosecuting Attorney of the Year.

Family: I am grateful for the support of my wife of 24 years, Jill Patterson, an outstanding former prosecutor now a senior attorney at Legal Services of Southern Missouri; am blessed by my three children: Andrew, who recently finished his second year practicing law; Morgan, a first-year veterinary medicine student at Mizzou; and Emma, who is pursuing her undergraduate degree in Springfield; and am fortunate to have my parents, Tom and Marsha, nearby in Springfield, whose example inspired my career in public service.

Words to live by: Be prepared, do your best, and remember that he who serves best profits most.