Pat with the Atlas family , the first customer to have Cox Gigablast service in their home
Taking a selfie with Anthony Bradley and Jimmy Outler at the Macon Solutions Store
Pat and Mae Douglas , former executive vice president and chief people officer at Cox Communications
Cox Communications has evolved into the largest private broadband company in America , proudly serving nearly 7 million homes and businesses across 18 states . Pat has had a hand in much of this evolution , administering an investment of more than $ 15 billion in the company ’ s infrastructure through upgrades to its network , tools and systems to deliver highspeed internet and video . During his tenure , Cox Communications more than doubled revenue to become the largest private telecom company in America and grew to more than $ 12.5 billion in revenue .
Leigh Woisard , senior vice president of corporate communications for Cox Communications , said the business milestones achieved during Pat ’ s time at the helm could fill books , but those are not what make him a great leader .
“ You ’ re missing a lot if you stop at the metrics and ignore what ’ s fortifying them ,” she said . “ Pat ’ s greatness is in how he makes people feel : He makes people feel they matter . And when people know they matter , great things happen .”
Pat often goes to great lengths to make sure people know they are seen and heard . A few years ago , worried that employees in some smaller markets weren ’ t getting the attention they deserved , he arranged an in-person tour to visit and connect with front-line employees . Sometimes the number of employees at a location would only fill a medium-sized conference room , which was just fine with Pat because of the opportunity to connect with individuals .
Ziggy Yagodinski , construction planner for Cox Communications , grew up in the cable industry alongside Pat . The two played on a Cox basketball team in the early 1990s , and Ziggy witnessed Pat ’ s rapid ascension in the Omaha market . When Pat left for Atlanta , Ziggy recalled : “ I gave him a big hug and asked him to never forget where he came from . I can tell you he never did .” Ziggy and Pat exchange notes and emails to this day .
Distinctive Moments
Pat ’ s calendar speaks volumes about what he values . Employee-driven sessions such as “ How to Be a Straight Ally ,” “ Speaking Out Against Asian Hate ” and “ Saluting Veterans ” are a constant on his schedule , and he helped create diversity councils and Employee Resource Groups that have helped shaped so much of Cox Culture .
After George Floyd ’ s murder in 2020 and other incidents of racial injustice , Pat spent hours calling minority leaders across the company to hear how they felt . His team says no one told him to make the calls , and no one supplied him with talking points on what to say . He just wanted to know what employees were thinking , and to this day those conversations help inform our response to racial injustice .
Because of Pat ’ s ability to connect with others , amplify voices and build strong teams , Cox Communications became widely recognized as a bestin-class operation . In 2006 , Cox first appeared in DiversityInc ’ s listing of the Top 50 Companies for Diversity and has made the list most years since . Women in Cable Telecommunications regularly points to Cox as one of the top operators for women . And Cox consistently ranks high in annual J . D . Power and Associates studies of consumer satisfaction .
In 2013 Pat was personally awarded the National Cable & Telecommunications Association ’ s Distinguished Vanguard Award for Leadership — the industry ’ s highest honor .
Adrian Bernal , a senior manager of competitive intelligence and strategy in Las Vegas , first met Pat at a national Diversity Council meeting in 2009 . Their paths have crossed multiple times since . While Adrian was in the hospital with cancer in 2017 , he received an email from Pat asking if there was anything he needed and
6 WINTER 2021