Clients love working with Patrick because he uses his print, radio, and TV journalist skills to help them effectively connect with employees, customers, community leaders, investors, vendors, and others. C-suite executives and their teams like working with Patrick because he provides crisis communications planning, message development, media training, and media relations with a strategic mindset that helps their organizations address immediate and long-term needs.
Since transitioning to public relations, he has served as the spokesperson for a government agency in Florida as well as for Fortune 500 companies and worked with well-known automotive, high-tech, retail brands, vacation destinations, and others, including Smoothie King, Zaxby's, Winn-Dixie Stores, Florida Lottery, and the Amelia Island Tourist Development Council.
He has been active at the local and regional levels of PRSA and co-chairs PRSA’s national Diversity & Inclusion committee and Midwest District chair. He has taught writing courses as an adjunct professor at the college level as well as being a mentor to dozens of college students and young PR professionals.
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, Ohio State University
Certificate - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace, University of South Florida Muma College of Business
National Incident Management System (NIMS-700) and Incident Command System training (ICS-100), FEMA - Federal Emergency Management Agency
Accredited in Public Relations, Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) in 2011
Inducted into the PRSA College of Fellows in 2015 for contributions to the field of Public Relations
Created a breast cancer support program honored as one of the best Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs by PR News.
Led media relations for Indigo-Clean, a hospital light fixture that safely and continuously kills harmful bacteria, directly leading to sales to hospitals throughout the U.S.
Obtained $3.5 million in coverage from trade, specialty, and mainstream media outlets for Timberland Tires, leading to wholesaler and retailer commitments to sell the designed-to-be-recycled-into-shoes tire six months prior to the fashion brand launch
Solved logistical issues allowing frozen smoothies to be shipped to troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan war zones despite 100+ degree temperatures. Resulting media coverage in print, TV, radio, and restaurant trades, increased brand awareness and improved community relationships for Smoothie King franchisees across the U.S.
Led a multi-faceted non-traditional grassroots campaign for McDonald’s All-Day Breakfast in 125 Milwaukee area restaurants. The 30-day campaign increased overall sales by five percent.
Increased Winn-Dixie’s share of voice in news coverage by 50% in one year by adopting a proactive stance during product recalls, natural disasters, and other crises. This changed public perception of the grocer to that of an industry leader.
Patrick is the father of two grown sons and lives with his college sweetheart, Jane, in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood not far from Lake Michigan
Thanks to Zoom and social media, he keeps in touch with family members in California, Florida, Georgia, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Australia
He and his wife were “rescued” by Xena, a mixed breed herding dog who spends much of her day with Patrick in his home office
Lector, lay Eucharistic minister and vestry member, Trinity Episcopal Church in Wauwatosa, Wis.
Board member and Lagoon Restoration chair, Humboldt Park Friends
Has been an active member of PRSA chapters in Florida and Wisconsin since 1990 and served as chapter president in 1995, 2013 and 2018
Avid runner, hiker and outdoors lover
Mayoral appointee to City of Jacksonville’s Council on Fitness & Wellbeing
Department of Communications Advisory Board member, University of North Florida
He is the second son of a second son of an Irish immigrant on his father’s side of the family. Relatives on his mother’s side of the family were in Pennsylvania prior to the American Revolution.
As a TV reporter, he drove an M-60 battle tank at the U.S. Army’s armored school at Fort Knox.
He got the only one-on-one interview with then-Vice President George Bush by calling the White House Press Office everyday for six weeks in advance of a trip to Ohio by the VP.
While in college, he was a freelance photographer for the Associated Press, with his work being published all over the world.
"Field of Dreams"
"All the President’s Men"
“Spotlight”
“Shawshank Redeption”
“It’s a Wonderful Life”
© 2002 - Axia Public Relations
