Patti Southard is the program manager for Green Tools green building program in King County Washington. At King County Southard runs the Sustainable Cities Program which focuses on coordinating all of King County's cities on built environment and climate related policies. In addition Southard provides technical assistance for the County's LEED, Living Building Challenge and Built Green initiatives. Southard has led the GreenTools program as a two time Harvard Bright Idea Award winner and recently received Governor Jay Inslee's Solar Community Award for the Regional Code Collaboration which she co-chairs with the Kathleen Petrie, City of Seattle.

Southard was raised on her family farm and has focused her sustainable development career on the juxtaposition between rural and urban communities.