Speaker Biography

Patrick Madden is the Executive Director of the National Archives Foundation in Washington, DC. Appointed in June 2013, he provides strategic vision for the organization responsible for expanding how audiences connect with America’s original documents at the National Archives. He leads the Foundation’s efforts to grow and enhance the reach of the National Archives Museum in DC, and the network of research facilities and Presidential Libraries nationally.

Madden joined the Foundation after serving at the UN Foundation as the Executive Director of the United Nations Association of the United States of America. In this role, he oversaw a national membership from Maine to Hawaii, launched a youth engagement program called “GenUN,” grew its Model UN program for middle and high school students, and stewarded partnerships with the U.S. Department of State and major NGOs. He also previously served as the President and CEO of Sister Cities International (SCI), where he guided a network of U.S. cities and more than 2,000 international communities to implement economic development, humanitarian, cultural, and education exchange programs. During his time at SCI, he was responsible for attracting the organization’s largest grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to address urban poverty issues across Africa.

Before joining SCI, Madden held senior-level positions at the Association of Performing Arts Presenters and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery. At the National Portrait Gallery, he was part of the leadership team that secured a $30 million donation to save and tour George Washington’s iconic “Lansdowne” painting. Madden has also served as an adjunct professor at George Mason University, where he taught graduate seminars on fundraising.