Patrick Jason Dempsey, a 1992 graduate of SJA, currently serves as Vice President at RSD Advertising, where he oversees the design and production of projects while collaborating with clients, vendors, and staff to ensure schedules, budgets, and deadlines are met, while also supporting client relations and business development. By day, he is also a partner in a boutique design firm, a role that has given him the opportunity to travel internationally and experience sneaker culture around the world. If he’s not spending time with his family, working, or doing something sneaker-related, he jokes that he’s probably sleeping.
Reflecting on his time at SJA, Dempsey credits the school with instilling a strong moral compass and fostering lifelong friendships, emphasizing that the shared commitment to excellence and character helped create a uniquely strong bond among his classmates. He also notes how well SJA prepared him academically—particularly in writing through rigorous coursework and early essay training—as well as in leadership and public speaking, skills that continue to serve him in his career. He encourages current students to appreciate each day, maintain perspective, and hold on to the values they develop, as those foundations will guide them throughout life.
Beyond his professional life, PJ , or Sneaker grandpa, reflects on growing up during a formative era of sneaker culture. He recalls being around for the release of many now-iconic retro styles, including the first Air Jordan during his sixth-grade year, as well as classics like the Air Max 1 and Air Max 90, along with popular models from New Balance, Asics, Reebok, and Saucony that he and his peers wore for cross country, track, and basketball throughout middle and high school. In college, his rotation included Air Max 95, Air Max 96, and Air Jordan 9s. At the time, he never imagined he’d one day revisit those same pairs, this time with a greater appreciation for brands he once overlooked. Today, his preferences lean toward runners from Reebok, New Balance, Asics, and Saucony—at least for now.
Among his professional accomplishments, Dempsey attended Southwestern University on a Presidential Scholarship and secured an internship with George W. Bush’s gubernatorial campaign. He later joined the firm responsible for graphic design work on both Bush’s gubernatorial and presidential campaigns, contributing to the 2000 and 2004 elections and the 2001 Presidential Inauguration. He has also spent three decades working with Dell Technologies on major global events. These experiences, along with meeting his wife Amy during college and raising their two daughters, have shaped both his personal and professional life, reinforcing the value of hard work, adaptability, and creative problem-solving.
He remains closely connected to the SJA community through a tight-knit group of friends—some dating back to St. Mary’s—with whom he stays in regular contact and gathers at least once a year. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining these lifelong bonds and encourages fellow alumni to stay connected to the school and each other in whatever way they can, noting that these relationships often become some of the strongest and most meaningful in life .
"Enjoy every moment of every day – it goes by fast. Don’t chase everything in the future because you’ll miss out on all the good things happening each day. We all went our separate ways for college but over the years have all come back to the solid brotherhood we developed at SJA and I wouldn’t trade that for the world. Regardless, stay connected in some way because these are likely the strongest bonds you will form."
It's a GREAT DAY TO BE A BLOODHOUND!
