Who we Are

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Patrick Sullivan developed an interest in public service from the start of his career in the U. S. Navy. During that time, he worked mostly on the staff of three different admirals. He noticed that there were times when the practices seemed rather odd. What was of particular interest was the trend that whenever a new admiral assumed command there was a reorganization of the command. After leaving the Navy, he had several management jobs and was curious about how people functioned in organizations. This curiosity led him to pursue degrees in areas related to management. His emphases in his undergraduate studies were in history and political science with a minor in interpersonal communication. To consider the pursuit of the interest of organizations, he entered the Master of Public Administration program. Shortly after his MPA degree, he worked for a community college, where he got to experience firsthand the reactions to change by the staff. After this, he decided to get his doctorate and was fortunate to receive a fellowship with the University of Southern California, School of Public Administration. This was a life-changing experience. Many of the questions he had about behavior in the public sector were answered. At the same time, new questions arose. His dissertation explored the reaction of local governments to fiscal limits created by citizen initiatives.  

While working as a professor at the University of Montana, Dr. Sullivan was called upon to work with several organizations who were either having morale issues or simply wanted to improve morale. This resulted in several consulting experiences which further added to his awareness of how people work together. He left the university to create his own consulting firm, Northwest Community Consultants. Sometimes, missteps can be our greatest teachers. While the consulting part went well, the business part did not. The firm only lasted a little over five years. After a detour that involved preparation for the priesthood, Patrick returned to the field he loved. He further enhanced his skills and knowledge of public administration by being responsible for developing a new Master of Public Administration program. In so many respects, it was an experience that restored his enthusiasm for his field. He then got an opportunity to return to his beloved state of Montana.

In his role as the Director of the Professional Development Center for the State of Montana, Dr. Sullivan gathered so many stories of the challenges encountered by managers and supervisors in state agencies. This only added to his passion for his field. The need for leadership training and organizational citizenship behaviors stood front-and-center.  Even though the Professional Development Center was discontinued by the Legislature, the need for the services is not diminished. In fact, this knowledge is even more necessary than before. As we continue to move to more postindustrial organizations, the needed skills are more complex than ever. So, we formed P&D Consulting to continue this vital service. This time, Patrick had the sense to involve his daughter, Dawn, who excels in financial practices, to run the business end.  

Dr. Sullivan will continue to learn more about how we organize and leadership in this endeavor. His mantra over the years has been, “we can all always get better.” This will continue to be our guiding principle.