Patrick Brien has been the Executive Director of the Riverside Arts Council for the past 17 years. In addition to conducting capacity building workshops and providing private consultations throughout Riverside County, he has developed programs that include art as therapy for dementia patients and arts in corrections within the state penitentiary system. Sporting a long list of acting, directing and producing credits that span from Hawaii to Germany, Patrick ran theatre companies in various parts of the world before entering the local arts agency field. On the side, he is Founder and Artistic Director of The Gestalt Theatre Project, where he has directed and produced several regional and West Coast premieres. The numerous boards he serves on include the Riverside Downtown Partnership, Californians for the Arts and California Arts Advocates. He is also the President of the Inland Theatre League and serves on the executive committee of the United States Urban Arts Federation. Patrick is a graduate of Chapman University with a BA in Theatre and in Film.