2017 Annual Dinner Meeting
Previous Dinners
Featuring Jon Patten
August 24, 2017
Golf Event Center at Sandia Resort and Casino
Jon has been an entrepreneur since he was a boy when, in third grade, he bought toys wholesale and sold them to classmates. By middle school, he was first chair in math in Detroit Country Day School. Jon attended Alma College for a year and a half and failed English 101 three times. It was at St. John’s College in Annapolis that he began to learn the value of different opinions and the benefits that come from open honest discussion. Jon’s restaurant career began in 1978 with the purchase of New York Pizza with partner William Scott. They started with one employee and no restaurant management degrees or experience. Today Dion’s has over 1,500 employees and 23 stores. Dion’s sales have increased every year. Dion’s has won the NM Business in Ethics award. Two years in a row, Dion’s has been ranked as a top-five quick-service restaurant in the nation based on overall experience by Sandelman and Associates. Jon was CEO for 35 years and continues today as Chairman of the Board and CFO. Jon lives in Corrales, NM, is married, and has four sons.
He was also a founding board member of ACCION New Mexico, a nonprofit that lends to small startup companies. Jon has been a Vistage Chair since 2009 and has participated in multiple personal development and facilitator training programs.
Jon is currently on the Board of IFFA, which includes the Santa Fe folk Art Market and provides opportunities for entrepreneurs around the world. Jon is also serves as a founding Board member for MrOwl, an internet startup that helps people organize and search the internet.