Pat Evangelisto
Pat has nearly forty years of extensive experience across a full range of Labour Relations, Human Resources, Manufacturing Operations Management, and Health and Safety.
He began his career in 1974 as Labour Relations Manager for Massey Ferguson in Brantford. At the time, Massey Ferguson was the largest Canadian owned company. In 1980 he became Director of Human Resources for Whitman Golden. Pat moved up to Vice President of Human Resources for Carborundum Abrasives in 1985. This was a two plant operation – one in Plattsville ON that manufactured sandpaper and one in Niagara Falls that manufactured grinding wheels. In 1987 he joined Hammond Manufacturing in Guelph ON as the Senior Human Resources Manager. In 1990 he was promoted to the position of Operations Manager responsible for the activities of 300 people manufacturing electrical enclosures.
Operationally he was responsible for capital budgets, profitability, strategic planning, manpower planning, plant expansions, labour negotiations, recruitment, continuous improvement programs, and shop floor metrics. Across these roles Pat was accountable for facility audits, joint health and safety committee management, accident investigation, employee training, claims management, and the development of the fiscal management of health and safety programs.
Throughout his career Pat’s deep commitment to health and safety became an unwavering passion. He helped reduce accidents, increase morale, and made workplaces much safer and healthier. He’s made health and safety the key organizational initiative and driver and has shown the connection between a safe workplace and a highly productive and profitable working organization.
Since 1999 Pat’s been a health and safety consultant with expanding expertise in construction, landscaping, health care, retail, and municipal governments. He’s held been on-site consultant to manufacturers and constructors. A significant aspect of his work is in helping employers make sense of what is required to have a compliant health and safety program. Some of his Clients include Teknion Furniture Systems, William Osler Medical, City of Hamilton, City of Toronto, Aldershot Landscaping, Van Rob Stampings, Magna, Liberty Tire, Oakrun Bakery, Grand River Conservation Authority, MABE, and Fitzgerald & Roderick.
Pat’s found that successful health and safety programs start at the top of any organization and successful ones are a reflection of the leadership commitment of the organization. He very effectively works from the executive floor to the shop floor with practical, hands-on approaches suited to the teams he’s working with.
Pat been an active member and on the executive of the Rockton Lions Club since 2005.Their club is one of the most successful clubs in their district. They’ve donated thousands of dollars to local and national charitable organizations. He recently was responsible for raising and donating funds to sponsor two Seeing Eye Guide Dogs through the Lions Foundation Guide Dog Foundation.
In his spare time, Pat likes to garden, cook, make wine, and tinker in the workshop. He and his wife Cathy live in a country home near Hamilton. They have four children, Julia, Lisa, Benjamin and Victoria. None of them live at home, so sometimes the wine, tinkering and cooking get a bit mixed up!