Lara Patterson completed undergraduate work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and post-graduate work at Salem College, and received her CPA designation in 1992. A native of Washington, DC who has lived in Winston-Salem for more than thirty years, her work experience includes tax and audit for public accounting firms Deloitte & Touche and Butler + Burke. She also has over eight years of experience providing professional accounting services for not-for-profit entities and private businesses, including the Work Family Resource Center, SECCA, Wall Esleeck Babcock, LLP, and Commercial Realty Associates.