Patrick began his service to the Santa Clara Valley Water District in 2007 when the Board of Directors appointed him as the director to represent the cities of the cities of Palo Alto, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Cupertino, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, portions of San Jose and Sunnyvale, as well as Stanford. In 2008, the voters elected Patrick to the board to represent District 5.

Patrick was elected to the Cupertino City Council in 2001 and re-elected in 2005. He was elected by the council as mayor in 2004 and has served as Vice Mayor in 2004 and 2007.

In addition to his elected office, Patrick has also served on numerous boards, such as the League of California Cities, North-West YMCA, California Water Environment Association, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and committees including the Santa Clara Recycling and Waste Reduction Committee, Santa Clara Valley Water Commission and Environmental Advisory Committee.

Patrick earned his MPA in Public Administration at California State University, Hayward, and a Masters in Civil Engineering at San Jose State University. Patrick and his wife, Susan, have six children and eleven grandchildren. They have resided in the Cupertino and Saratoga area since 1981 and have lived in the Bay Area since 1969. The family came to California from Hong Kong in 1967, and Patrick became a citizen in 1972.