Patricia Washington

Vice President of Cultural Tourism, Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation

Patricia Washington is Vice President of Cultural Tourism for the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), a nonprofit organization that makes Philadelphia and The Countryside® a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality. In her role as vice president, Washington serves as a leader in the development of the company’s arts and diversity initiatives. She has headed up new projects such as Philly 360°™, reaching out to young, tech-savvy African-American travelers; Boundless Philadelphia®, focusing on the region’s plentiful outdoor offerings; and the Neighborhood Tourism Network, helping community-based attractions benefit from the tourism industry. Washington also oversees Philadelphia’s Quest for Freedom program, a marketing collaborative of 20-plus sites that promotes the region’s Underground Railroad and African-American history.

Before joining GPTMC, Ms. Washington was a program officer in the areas of Arts & Culture and Children, Youth and Families for the William Penn Foundation, where she worked on a variety of citywide arts and youth development initiatives.  As a lawyer, Ms. Washington also worked as an assistant city solicitor in the City of Philadelphia’s Law Department, served as district office chief of staff for a state senator and practiced as an entertainment lawyer.  Prior to that, she served as program director for the Painted Bride Art Center.  
Ms. Washington serves on the boards of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, Preservation Pennsylvania, the Multicultural Affairs Congress of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau and Interim House. She is also on the national steering committee and served as former chair of the Cultural & Heritage Tourism Alliance.