National government service saw him visit 80 nations
Kevin Fitzpatrick ’73 became known for a prodigious work ethic, one that took hold during his growing up years in Shelby. At 12, he was delivering the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Summers saw him working as a “V Boy,” selling vegetables door to door. While at SHS, Kevin played football, was a member of the Latin and French Clubs, and was a staff member of Whippet Tales and the Scarlet S, while working part time at Don Murray Ford.
After graduating, he earned a bachelor’s degree at Miami University where he served as president of Theta Chi Fraternity. During summers he worked at AMF. Following his junior year at Miami, he accepted an internship in Washington, D.C. with Ohio Congressman John Ashbrook — becoming a full time staffer in the office following his graduation.
After Ashbrook‘s sudden death in 1982, Kevin accepted a position with the Interstate Commerce Commission while joining a partnership that operated three restaurants in northern Virginia. For 26 years, Kevin worked for Ohio Congressman Steve Chabot. As Chabot’s top foreign policy staffer, travels took him to more than 80 nations.
During the last 8 years of his career, Kevin served as staff director of the House Small Business Committee, playing a major role in the enactment of the Paycheck Protection Program which provided loans for small businesses to keep their workforces employed during the COVID-19 crisis. One notable initiative was pushing for the Taiwan Travel Act that enabled diplomatic exchanges between US and Taiwanese officials.
Upon Kevin’s retirement, Rep. Chabot said, “During Kevin’s career, he shared his knowledge, experience and commitment to improving our country with many young people. They couldn’t have had a better teacher and mentor”