Patricia Avery has served as the Executive Director of the Champaign‐Urbana Area Project (CUAP)since 2004. CUAPʹs mission is to reduce juvenile delinquency by providing direct services, advocating on behalf of youth and families, and working with community committees. She has also worked with the UC2B project and CCAP, whose work is to improve community and police relationships within the African American community, and Project ACCESS whose aim is to create a system of care for youth with SEDʹs and those involved with the juvenile justice system. She helped organize CUAP from 1997‐2003. She also founded the Mentoring Young Sisters Program, which offers one‐on‐one and group mentoring, teaches life skills, and offers cultural and recreational activities to middle school girls. MYS has served over 200 girls in Champaign County and the program is now serving girls in Hawaii. Other programs under she helped develop are the CUperStar Performing Arts Program, and the Peer Jury program at Central High School. In 1986 she began her work in the Office of the County Auditor and County Recorder. In 1996, she was the first African‐American Woman ever appointed or elected to a Champaign County office. In 1998, she ran again for the Champaign County Board and won, being the first African‐American to win in a district outside of District #5 in Champaign County. On December 4, 2000, she became the first woman, the first African‐American and the first Democrat to chair the Champaign County Board.
Patricia was featured in Difference Makers 2010: An eBlack Champaign-Urbana Publication.