Pat has 20 years of engineering experience. He graduated in 1995 with a BSME from Purdue University (Indianapolis, IN) and received his MBA in 2000, from Southern Illinois University. Pat spent the latter part of his studies working in cooperation with universities and industry in an effort to merge classroom lessons with hands-on experience. He did this as a Design Engineer at BE Aerospace in Longwood, Florida and as a Facilities/Equipment Engineer at Cresline Plastics in Henderson, KY.
After finishing his undergraduate degree, Pat worked as a Mechanical Engineer in the trucking industry at Navistar International. He then moved into the appliance industry, working for Maytag Laundry Products. Pat led various projects for wash system platforms, redesigning plastic tubs and baskets, exterior metal cabinetry and fluid delivery systems for washing machines. Later, he designed, prototyped and tested high-speed suspensions for vertical axis washers.
Pat Joined Whirlpool in 1999, working as a Component Value Engineer within the procurement group. He managed a group of injection mold suppliers to drive down cost and increase quality. He represented Whirlpool as the technical voice on multiple supplier audits. One of his key accomplishments in procurement involved a multi-million dollar annual saving by leveraging the cost of standard resins against newly approved alternates.
In 2002, Pat moved to product design in the ice and water subsystem group. He redesigned the water system for side-by-side refrigerators to increase water flow by a factor of two. He incorporated electronics into the valve system, which allowed for measured water flow at the dispenser. Pat and his team successfully supported multiple product launches for dispenser and door redesign. The design was incorporated into all major Whirlpool branded products under the project name of Niagara.
Pat continued his focus in ice and water system through 2012. He redesigned the dispenser to allow for unique features, including a flush dispenser module applied to all door types. He also led redesign efforts for side-by-side products to integrate Maytag branded product, after Whirlpool acquired Maytag in 2005.
Pat finished his last three years at Whirlpool in the Advanced Development Group, where he designed and prototyped mechanisms for beverage enablement technologies. He also led the development of an icemaker to achieve new-to-market performance characteristics addressing energy, ice quality and ice production rate.
Pat is listed as an inventor on more than 15 patents. His hobbies include youth development and athletics. He has been an active coach for football and wrestling for the past eight years and is a strong supporter of Mater Dei High School and its feeder school programs.