Gene Patterson is an East Tennessee native, working in communications at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He attended Hiwassee College and has a BS degree in broadcast management from the University of Tennessee Knoxville.
Gene serves on the Boards of the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce, the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC), the Center for Leadership and Community Development (CLCD), and East Tennessee Foundation. He is also a member of the Knoxville Chamber’s Business Climate Council, the Oak Ridge Chamber Advocacy Committee, and the Flatwater Tales Festival committee.
Gene’s background includes more than 30 years in Knoxville television news. He worked at WBIR from 1980 to 1997 and WATE from 2001 to 2014. In 2011, Gene won a National Edward R. Murrow Award for outstanding television journalism for his multi-part series “Mission to Africa.”
From 1998 to 2000, Gene served as Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe’s Deputy, working in policy and internal and external communications.
He is married to Phyllis and has two step daughters and three grandchildren. Gene lives in West Knoxville.