Patrick Rhode

Decades of Experience
With an extensive background throughout a career that has spanned The White House, NASA, the United States Department of Homeland Security and two Fortune 500 companies, Patrick Rhode has served in public and private roles with distinction. Rhode’s battle tested professional experiences bring rare vantage points as an insider to historic events on the national and international stages which underscore a broad perspective of the entire external affairs cycle facing any large organization. Rhode’s work as the United States Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Cintra combines his strengths from some two decades of professional experience. As United States Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Rhode oversees external affairs activities for a global transportation infrastructure leader with managed assets totaling more than 20 billion dollars.

Working His Way To The Top
Rhode began his career in broadcast journalism after earning his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Arkansas. Patrick Rhode worked as a television news reporter for CBS and ABC affiliates where he was recognized through an Associated Press Award. The Tuscaloosa City Council would bestow upon Rhode a city proclamation naming a day in 1994 as “Patrick Rhode Day” in recognition of his public affairs news contributions to the city. Rhode would then turn to public service as a spokesperson and communications director for Texas state agencies before later becoming a national spokesperson and media coordinator for a Fortune 500 electric utility company. Rhode would later be hand selected to be an operational manager for a successful United States Presidential campaign, and would later be honored in a White House East Room ceremony where he was sworn in as Special Assistant to the President of the United States.

Aftermath of 9/11
Later in his career, Rhode would be appointed as Associate Administrator of the United States Small Business Administration in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 when providing disaster assistance to impacted business areas of New York ad Washington DC was most critical. SBA is one of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s largest domestic partners during times of national disaster relief assistance. Rhode would then be appointed by the President of the United States as Chief of Staff for two FEMA directors within the then newly created United States Department of Homeland Security during which time more than 3 million disaster victims were provided relief services. Rhode’s dedication, demonstrated accountability, and strength of character were evident in assisting a White House and Administration ultimately overcome historic natural disaster relief challenges and provide greater stability and assistance for thousands of disaster victims. Rhode would later work with the United States Congress to promote greater efficiencies and accountabilities within the nation’s state, local and federal disaster assistance system.

From BearingPoint to NASA
While at the United States Department of Homeland Security, Rhode would be recruited by BearingPoint and ultimately accept a position as its Director of Homeland Security and Intelligence. Bearing Point provides management consulting services to public and private sector clients, and as a senior executive, Rhode provided communications and governmental consulting related services to domestic and international clients. An appointment by the President of the United States and the NASA Administrator to serve as NASA Senior Advisor would return Rhode to public service once again. Rhode acted as an advisor and counsel to the NASA Administrator and senior staff on many communications, government, public affairs, and external relations issues facing NASA during a time of space shuttle transition, budget debates, and astronaut health care issues. A graduate of the University of Arkansas, Patrick Rhode works from Cintra’s United States headquarters in Texas.

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