LFA News

Patrick Coyle joined Lake Forest Academy on July 1, 2021 as the School’s new Chief Communications Officer. Patrick comes to LFA from the Washington, D.C., area where he served as the Director of Marketing and Communications at Georgetown Preparatory School for the past eight and a half years. He is a 2003 Georgetown Prep alumnus and came back to the school in 2013 as the school's first Director of Marketing and Communications. He previously worked for a private equity firm in Washington, D.C., focusing on brand development, brand management, and marketing strategy in the hospitality industry.

At Georgetown Prep, Patrick was responsible for developing and implementing the school's marketing, communications, and brand-promotion strategies and developing new media practices to reach all constituencies, particularly using the school's social media platforms and electronic media avenues to reach new audiences. In addition, he served as the school’s interim Director of Development on two separate occasions and was the President’s Chief of Staff. Patrick is a graduate of Dickinson College (PA) where he was a four-year letter winner on the school’s basketball team. Patrick is living in Lake Forest with his wife, Hayley (a pediatric nurse practitioner), and two sons, Liam (4) and Reid (9 months). He loves spending time with his family, running, and spending time on Cape Cod. 

Where did you grow up?
I’m from Kensington, Maryland, about five miles from Washington, D.C.

Where did you go to college?
I attended Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. I played on the school’s basketball team and I majored in Political Science.

What has your career path looked like?
At Dickinson, I majored in Political Science because I had every intention of going to law school and either becoming an attorney or working in politics. 

After I graduated, I worked at The Hill, a congressional multimedia company in Washington, D.C., in advertising sales. My plan was to work for a year or two while studying for the LSATs. However, after about six months at The Hill, I realized I loved the marketing and strategy aspects of the business operation. After three years at The Hill, I was hired to help develop an internet solutions company based in Philadelphia as the head of the D.C. sales team. I was then lucky enough to become the Director of Marketing at the Clover Investment Group, LLC, a small, family-owned private equity and investment group focusing on the hospitality industry. It was at Clover where my love for marketing and strategy really developed. And, then after four years out of the blue, I got a call from Georgetown Prep, my alma mater, to interview to be the school’s first Director of Marketing and Communications. I quickly learned that telling an institution’s authentic story was my true passion. I am privileged to do that now at LFA.

Do you live on campus or nearby?
Our family lives off campus about a mile away from LFA in Lake Forest.

What attracted you to LFA?
Everything, really. First, my wife and I love Chicago. We saw the Lake Forest community as a great spot to raise our two sons. After learning more about LFA, I loved the sense of community and the School's dedication to its mission. 

What are you most looking forward to this year?
I’m looking forward to getting to know the LFA community and working closely with my colleagues to help advance LFA.

Where is your favorite place in the world?
Chatham, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. I grew up going to the Cape and my parents built a home there in 2005. I have so many great memories there including getting married in Chatham in 2015.  

Tell us about your family, favorite sports team, and favorite book.
My wife is a pediatric nurse practitioner and we have two energetic sons, Liam and Reid. I’m the oldest of four. My two brothers are in the Boston area and my sister is in the D.C. area. My parents are primarily in Kensington still though they spend their summers in Chatham. I’m a Washington Football Team fan. I’m a huge college basketball fan and I root for Duke University.