Patrick Sherwood
Patrick Sherwood

Award-Winning Alumnus Says Busy is Better

Volunteering comes as second nature to Patrick Sherwood ’86, especially when it comes to his alma mater, University of California, Davis. Sherwood is currently the executive vice president and western region head of U.S. Banks Financial Institutions Group for Wells Fargo Bank. But as a dedicated volunteer, his day job makes up only a portion of his impressive involvements.

“UC Davis helped show me that you don’t have to be singularly focused,” explained Sherwood, who was awarded the Cal Aggie Alumni Association’s Jerry W. Fielder Memorial Award this month. “You can look at a lot of different subjects, different interests and intertwine them in your own way. That philosophy served me well throughout my life. I’ve always tried to be open-minded and willing to try to different things.”

Sherwood served as the chair of the finance committee on the CAAA board of directors, formerly served as the executive vice president and president of the association. He also endowed a scholarship with CAAA. He joined the Dean’s Advisory Council for the College of Letters and Science in 2014, where he endowed an undergraduate scholarship in his family’s name. Most recently, Sherwood has been named to the Global Campaign Leadership Council, where he will represent alumni in the university’s next comprehensive fundraising campaign for the UC Davis Foundation.

“One of the highlights of my time working the CAAA board was when I became president. I really focused and strove to build more engagement between UC Davis, CAAA and alumni while also growing membership,” Sherwood said.

In addition to volunteering with his alma mater, Sherwood is also the co-chair of the Conservation Society of California, which operates the Oakland Zoo, where he just finished his sixth year on the board of trustees. He says he’s able to balance all of his roles thanks to lessons learned working on campus as an undergraduate.

“Working on campus helped me develop discipline, and I quickly found that I worked better and was more efficient and effective when I had more on my plate,” Sherwood said. “I benefit from being balanced. So whether it’s developing new goals at work, attending my kids’ sporting events, being there for my family, or giving back to the community and the university, I feel better when I am able to do more.”

While UC Davis helped build Sherwood’s work ethic, he said it also provided him space to grow as a person through his studies, work and relationships.

“What makes me passionate about Davis is the impact it has on each individual’s life, and the impact it has on the broader community,” he said. “I think helping both the local and worldwide community is very important. It’s something I feel passionate about and want to be a part of.” 

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