David A. Patch
Director of Government Operations
U.S. Navy "ship driver," engineer and 25-year career Naval officer...New technology advisor on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations…20 years as a management executive and consultant for technology companies large and small, with business relationships worldwide…Successful entrepreneur who has helped launch seven start-up companies based on patented or innovative technologies…Creator of the State of Maine’s Small Business Innovation Research Assistance Program and longtime advocate of taxpayer investment in American ingenuity…Consultant to the National Science Foundation…Lifelong sailor, outdoor enthusiast and former marathoner.
These lifetime achievements only begin to tell the story of David Patch, RSL’s Renaissance Man.
When Patch, then in “retirement,” was asked by Gio Tomasi to join the RSL team in 2007 as company President, it took Patch a nanosecond to make the commitment. “I have great admiration for people who have the passion to take a risk, at great personal sacrifice, to make a dream come true,” Patch says. “Gio Tomasi has that passion, and a technology with unlimited potential. It’s exciting to be part of.”
Patch played an instrumental role in growing and establishing the company in its formative years. He is revered for his creative vision, long hours, lack of pretense and bottom-line management style. His long commutes between the office and his Maine home, and his sleeping in the office on an inflatable bed - to save money on hotel rooms - are legend.
Today, Patch is transitioning toward retirement, but as Director of Government Operations remains a vital cog in the RSL machine. He is actively involved in government relations, marketing, new business development, strategic planning and the pursuit of research and development contracts and grants.
