Notre Dame grad and township supervisor says he learned some important lessons in high school.
Notre Dame alum Patrick Kittle (’73) is Independence Township supervisor.
Kittle was gracious enough to spend some of his busy day yesterday answering a few questions on what he’s been up to since high school and how Notre Dame has been an important influence in his life.
How long have you been supervisor of Independence Twp, i.e., was the 2012 election your first for the position?
I retired from Chrysler in 2008 after 32 years. Soon thereafter, I volunteered to be president of my homeowners association. We live in a private golf subdivision of 350 new homes with another 150 on the way. Just like Chrysler, there was lots to do and not enough money to do it. Then, in November of 2011, one of my fellow board members suggested I should run for Independence Township supervisor. 2012 was my first election. I really never thought I would win since I was the new guy with zero municipal experience. But I was wrong. I guess folks wanted a change and a common-sense approach to management.
Where did you attend college after NDHS?
Undergraduate from MSU – School of Sociology (criminal justice), then graduate school at Wayne State University where I received an MBA with a concentration in marketing. But you never really stop learning. If you do, you go nowhere.
What about after college?
Started at Chrysler in 1977 in security. I actually worked for the Iacocca family for close to seven years as a guard. I married my Dominican High School sweetheart, Kim, and had four kids. I went to night school to get my MBA and got into the sales department at Chrysler as a field rep after I earned my MBA. Moved up the ranks in sales and marketing organization and my last areas of responsibility included national dealer relations director, director of dealer development and manager of dealer recognition. I retired (actually took a great package that allowed me to retire) in November of 2008.
In a Kittle family photo taken in 2007, left to right, Pat Jr., David, Kim, Pat Sr., Mike and Paul.
Why did you decide to run for supervisor of Independence and what do you think is the number-one priority in that position?
My neighbor, who is very active in local politics, asked me to get involved. She liked my management style and said the township needed a leader. I’m not very good with a lot of BS and I have this bad habit of telling folks what is going on, both good and bad — seems like that is what the folks in this community were looking for. Also seems people can handle bad news — it’s no news and/or blatant BS that drives them nuts.
A couple of my key priorities for Independence are open communication, don’t spend more than you bring in, and under-promise and over-deliver.
Any memories or reminiscences about high school? Teachers or coaches, etc.?
Father Bryson’s famous line: “Two for a dime, three for a quarter.” Genius! I was on the swim team in freshman and sophomore years, but I’m really not sure how an overweight Polish kid from Detroit ever made the swim team — but I did. God, I looked awful in that green and white Speedo. Will never forget training with Father Philippon. He ran our butts off. Great guy, though.
A big memory or lesson for me from Notre Dame: That disrespectful behavior toward teachers or those in authority will never be tolerated. I can still see the dazed look on a couple of classmates that found that lesson out the hard way. Not surprising that the disrespectful behavior never happened again. Maybe we need more of that today.
What have your experiences at Notre Dame given to you throughout your life so far?
Nothing comes easy and hard work pays off in the long run, but sometimes you have to make your own breaks to move ahead. Plus, a little discipline goes a long way in establishing acceptable vs. unacceptable behavior. Also, if you ever at one time planned on passing Mr. Vachon’s “Great Books” class, you better actually read ‘em. I got my first “F” in that class.
Can you provide any personal info such as family, hobbies, etc.? Assume you live in Clarkston?
I am 61 years old now and grew up in Detroit without a pot to pee in. There were seven of us in a little 900 sq.-ft. house. My brothers Bill (’70) and Robert (’77) also went to Notre Dame. I’ve been married for 39 years now to my best friend, Kim, and we raised four sons. Before we moved to Clarkston, boating was our passion since we lived in Grosse Pointe near Lake St. Clair. In Clarkston, I took up golf, so now I have 18 holes to pour money into instead of just one that floats on the lake.
My real passion, however, is being the president of the Friends of the North Oakland County Veterans Treatment Court. My son was an Army veteran who was struggling after having served in Afghanistan and Iraq for five years. He was honorably discharged in 2008, but David fought his demons for five years. We found his body in 2013, one year before the Veterans Court was founded. In the two and a half years I’ve been on the board, I’m proud to say we’ve raised over $350,000 to help struggling veterans in Macomb and Oakland counties.
Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org.
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." The Marist Fathers and Brothers sponsor NDPMA's Catholic identity and manages its educational program. Notre Dame is accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools, the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.