WE ARE THE
TRADE COLLECTIVE
Founded in 2024, the Trade Collective is being built by a growing team of dedicated volunteers who are excited to offer their experience and passion to build something that's needed in our community.
Our Founders
Patrick Hughes, Jr., Founder & Chief Connector
Patrick Hughes, Jr. is an Evanston entrepreneur and advocate who, since the 1980s, has created organizations and forged partnerships around the ideas he is passionate about. He is driven by a singular ability to connect with people. Wherever he lives and works, Patrick brings people together to imagine solutions to problems of inclusion.
Inspired in college by a friendship formed with a young autistic man, Patrick began a lifetime of advocating for and working with people with disabilities, forming the national non-profit Natural Ties in 1988. In 2000, he created Inclusion Solutions, a business that creates products that reduce barriers for business owners and consumers; its clients include gas stations, large retail businesses, and government polling places around the world.
Patrick has created or been involved in groundbreaking initiatives in Evanston including the Evanston MashUp, an event begun in 2010 that unites local business leaders, Northwestern University, and government; Evanston West End, a business collective that united the businesses located in Evanston’s industrial district; and the Evanston Mayor’s Employer Advisory Council (MEAC), a consortium of local business owners, government, and nonprofits that creates career opportunities for high school graduates.
Through his work with MEAC, and as a board member of the Evanston Township High School Foundation, Patrick began to seek ways to connect Evanston high school students to good-paying jobs in the trades. In early 2024, he seized an opportunity to take over an empty building a block away from ETHS, and the Trade Collective was born. His deep connections in the community have made possible the formation of the important partnerships with ETHS, Oakton College, and the Evanston-area business community that are the backbone of the Trade Collective model.
Patrick lives in Evanston, where he and his wife have raised two children, both ETHS graduates.
Neil Gambow, Director
A native of Cleveland, Neil’s long business career has included executive positions with numerous engineered product companies, including BFGoodrich, Halma Group, and Kelso Technologies USA.
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In 2018, Neil was appointed by Evanston’s mayor to lead the newly-formed Mayor’s Employer Advisory Council (MEAC), a volunteer organization founded to connect Evanston Township High School (ETHS) students with local jobs that do not require a college degree. As chair, Neil worked closely with Evanston employers and the high school to identify career pathways for students who do not go to or finish college. MEAC now boasts 154 members, including 65 employers representing jobs in health care, manufacturing, and the industrial trades.
Neil’s work with MEAC made him an Evanston leader in the post-secondary planning and workforce development space, and a natural ally of the mission and work of the Trade Collective, which he joined in early 2024.
Neil lives in Evanston with his wife of 50+ years
Team Members
Susan Besson, Communications & Advancement
A Chicago native, Susan has worked in public relations and corporate communications in Chicago and Paris, where she lived in the 1990s. Her skills translating complex issues into accessible language have been useful in her communications work professionally and as a volunteer, and are serving the Trade Collective as she assists with organizational development, grant writing, and content creation.
Susan has been involved in the community in many ways, including as chair of the Evanston Environment Board and with the Evanston Community Foundation’s Leadership Evanston program. She has also served as a French interpreter for Chicago’s Marjorie Kovler Center, which assists many French-speaking asylum seekers.
Susan lives in Evanston, where she raised two proud ETHS graduates.
Jim Cousineau, Collective Builder
A New Jersey native, Jim retired in 2023 after 30 years with Abbott Labs/AbbVie. His roles included management positions in chemical manufacturing, R&D, licensing/business development, and procurement.
Throughout his career in chemical manufacturing, Jim worked closely with industry and unions, and has a keen appreciation for the importance of the trades to business, workers, and the economy.
Jim lives in Evanston with his wife, where they have raised two sons, both ETHS graduates. Jim enjoys pickleball and golf, and continues to play hockey in a men’s league
George Ernst, Systems & Organizational Development
George is a recently retired Sales and Marketing executive with 25 years’ experience in sales management, designing and building global enablement programs. During his long career at Workday, he led teams in sales management, strategic partnerships, product training, and establishment of performance metrics and analytics.
His experience is invaluable to the Trade Collective, where he is helping with organizational and systems development, and the building of the industry-side Collectives.
George lives in Northbrook with his wife.
Tris O’Shaughnessy, Administrivia
Tris O'Shaughnessy has more than 30 years’ experience in program and project management in education and college- and career-readiness research. Her expertise includes grants and contract administration, data management and reporting, and systems implementation. Tris is committed to fostering inclusive and just work cultures, focusing on key areas such as hiring, training, mentoring, and policy design and implementation.
Tris lives in Evanston with her husband. She spends her free time walking her very active dog, visiting her amazing adult daughter and reconnecting with Chicago and her extended family.
Mike Petersen, Storyteller & Creative Director
Mike Petersen is a brand strategist and creative director who has enjoyed a long career creating brand, digital and advertising campaigns with both Fortune 100 companies and non-profit organizations.
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After beginning his career at VSA Partners in Chicago, in 2001 he founded the creative agency 50,000feet, where he led successful campaigns with Harley-Davidson, Mastercard, SONY, BMW of North America, MINI Cooper, Home Depot and many other notable brands.
Mike resides in Evanston with his wife, where they raised two amazing children (both ETHS graduates) and a small fluffy dog.
Dan Rogan, Education Adviser
Dan is an Evanston native who retired in 2024 after 32 years as a Post-Secondary School Counselor at New Trier High School. Dan brings to the Trade Collective a wealth of knowledge about the importance of guiding high school students as they begin to envision their career pathway after high school.
Dan’s experience is vital to the development of the Trade Collective’s important partnerships with ETHS and Oakton College.
In addition to his work with the Canal Shores Lumberjacks, Dan enjoys all things soccer—playing, coaching, and attending local high school and college games.
Dan and his wife raised two ETHS graduates, and live in Evanston.
Laurel Tyler, Collective Builder
Laurel Tyler recently retired from Insight Experience, where she designed and delivered corporate leadership programs for executive clients worldwide.
Prior to joining Insight Experience, Laurel was the VP of Finance and Strategy for a medical startup and spent 20 years doing mergers, acquisitions and operations for heavy manufacturing and chemical producers. Laurel began her career working for Chevron Corp in design engineering and project management.
Laurel has three grown children and a patient husband. She enjoys cycling, cross-country skiing, dancing, and dinners on the beach near her home in Evanston.
Contributors
Laurie Adrianopoli
Laurie Adrianopoli is a documentary filmmaker and executive producer who has helped with organizational development since the earliest days of the Trade Collective. She lives in Evanston with her beloved Labrador Retriever Sammy.
Pat Fowler
Pat Fowler is an Evanston native and restaurateur who owns beloved Evanston restaurants Firehouse Grill and Bluestone, La Rosa Pizza in Skokie, and Candlelite Chicago & Candlelite Lincoln Park. Pat and his wife Molly have fed and supported the growing Trade Collective family from day one.
Ben Girard
Ben Girard is a recent graduate of Northwestern University who is sharing his knowledge as a computer programmer to build tools that help illustrate career pathways to the trades.
Patrick Hughes, Sr.
Patrick Hughes, Sr. is a CPA who began his 50-year career at Aon in Chicago. We are grateful to benefit from his expertise and decades of experience in for- and non-profit organizations.
Julia Pantoga
Julia Pantoga is an Evanston native and ETHS alumna. She was a teacher and trainer for 23 years before she stopped working due to disability. She serves on the Evanston Commission on Aging and Disability, as well as other Evanston committees. An avid baker, Julia brings cookies to many Trade Collective events.
Brandon Reynolds
Brandon Reynolds is a 2024 graduate of Evanston Township High School who is supporting the Trade Collective doing research as he begins training within the manufacturing sector.
Tony Spreitzer
Tony Spreitzer is a retired teacher who is passionate about carpentry and is helping the Trade Collective develop the relationships and data base necessary to create the Carpentry Collective. For more than 20 years he was a school Resource Center Director and was responsible for the library, computer labs, maker space and wood working shop.
Andrew Uhle
Andrew Uhle is a Northwestern University student doing a work-study program and assisting with the organization of the Collectives.
Peter Vernon
Peter Vernon is an Evanston native whose expertise in the automotive sector is invaluable to the building of the Trade Collective’s Automotive Collective. Peter can often be seen at his restaurant, Candlelite Chicago, on Western Ave.
Jerry Ward
Jerry Ward is the President at Clarity Marketing Services, which helps companies execute their brand through print, promotional items, and digital media.
Jerry lives in Evanston with his wife Julie, where they have raised four children, all ETHS graduates.
Michael Witt
Michael Witt, a partner in the Chicago office of Duane Morris LLP, provides valuable legal counsel to the Trade Collective.