Wanda Patterson McRae will become the new superintendent of Mission Creek Correction Center for Women, effective August 1, 2006, State of Washington Department of Corrections Secretary Harold Clarke announced. The announcement was made on July 19, 2006.

McRae has been a corrections professional for 31 years.

She started her career as a corrections officer and has held positions on increasing responsibility in institutional- and community-based settings. Her previous assignment was an associate superintendent at McNeil Island Correction Center.

She is assisted in the development of the Emerging Professional Program, which offers support and mentors for at-risk high school students.

She stated, “I am personally committed to initiating partnerships with faith based and community organizations as well as college student organizations to assist with breaking the cyclic effect of incarceration on the family.”

McRae graduated from the St. Andrews Presbyterian College in North Carolina with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Biology Education. She is married to Dwight McRae, and has two daughters, Jamia and Dione, and currently resides in Tacoma, Washington.

Mission Creek is located in Belfair. It opened in April 2005 and is a 114 minimum custody female offender work camp.

McRae is the daughter of the late Gaston and Mary C. Patterson of Red Springs. She is also the sister of Elma Patterson Mitchell; Wilton and Ronnie Patterson of Red Springs; Gaston Jr. and Charles Patterson of Durham, North Carolina, and Mary Ella Patterson of Goldsboro, North Carolina.