Volunteer Profile: Trevor Johnson, Montana ’94
Trevor is the director of quality assurance and quality control (DQA) for HART (Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation), a semi-autonomous department of the City and County of Honolulu on the island of Oahu. He reports to the executive director and CEO for HART. The DQA is responsible for establishing and implementing the HART Quality Management Plan (QMP) and shall ensure that all HART employees, consultants, contractors, and vendors, including their subs, comply with the QMP and all project contractual requirements. Prior to his role at HART, he was employed by Boeing for more than twenty-four years in aerospace manufacturing, fabrication, quality, and delivery. He joined Phi Delta Theta in 1990 at the University of Montana, Montana Alpha. He is a current member of the chapter advisory board at the University of Montana and served as CAB chair for more than five years. He is a member of the Phi Delta Theta Foundation Campaign Committee and is the First Thursday with the Phis leader in Honolulu. Trevor currently lives in Honolulu, Hawaii. He and his wife, Alisa Johnson, have a son, Jett, and one dog, LucyLu.
Tell us a little bit about yourself, your undergraduate fraternity experience, such as why you chose Phi Delta Theta, and if you have any favorite memories you would like to share.
I am a Montana Alpha, Bond #1425.
Reflecting back, my senior year of high school came and went in a flash. I spent the summer of 1990 preparing for my first time leaving South Everett, Washington, full-time and away from my parents. Freedom!
I committed to going to the University of Montana in the spring of 1990. My mother’s brother had attended UM in the late 1960s and early ’70s. He was a standout on the football team and a Phi Delt. He helped me a bit on my journey to UM and put in a word with the football team’s coaches, which I joined as a late walk-on. Upon arrival, I made the commitment to school and football. I was dialed in for a year, living in the dorms with a kid I’d never met from Great Falls, Montana. However, I knew I wanted to at least give a walk-through of Greek Row during recruitment week—flyers were posted everywhere from all the different houses. I planned to go see the Phi Delt house that my uncle had been a member of and maybe find out what it was all about. At the time, I only knew about fraternities from the movies and television shows. Thinking about it now, my head at the time was pretty much aligned with studying and playing football.
My dorm mate and I went to check out Greek recruitment. As we were walking down the sidewalk of University Avenue in September 1990 to go to Greek Row, the brothers of Phi Delt gave me a shout-out from the porch. Then a couple of the members came over and introduced themselves, and they never let me get any further down the street, so my dorm mate continued on. These two guys had me from the get-go. I was hooked—they really made me feel welcome and kept saying I would be a great fit, especially after I noted that my uncle had been a member in the late ’60s. They took me inside, and we found his membership plaque.
The first six months of my undergrad experience completely changed; it would not be spent studying and training for football only, but rather joining Phi Delta Theta and changing my direction in life. I received my bid card in October and joined Phi Delt as a new member. The next few months were fun and challenging, and I gained considerable leadership skills and how-to-deal-with-difficult-people skills right out of the gate.
Later, I was able to move into the chapter house after the spring quarter with a special request approved by the school. (Freshmen were not allowed to live off campus without approval in that era.) From that point forward, I lived and breathed all things Phi Delt at UM. While I was never in a formal role in the chapter house, I was always engaged in all its activities (i.e., meetings, social gatherings, intramural athletics, etc.). Sadly, I had to transfer to an in-state school in Washington in the spring of 1992 for various reasons. I wrapped up college in the spring of 1994 at Central Washington University.
What impact did Phi Delta Theta have on your life as an undergraduate, alumnus, and your career?
Phi Delta Theta gave me a sense of belonging and being part of something bigger than myself. The entire process—from that first moment of being called out from the chapter house porch, through the new member experience, initiation, and living on my own in the house with brothers from all over Montana, the US, and Canada—was incredible. I was able to observe and learn from the established members of the Fraternity and from their challenges, both in school and in life. We shared some pretty memorable times during those days, and I cherish all of them now. My first homecoming weekend as a freshman set the bar very high for friendship, celebrating the seventy-fifth year of Phi Delt at UM. I was able to meet all these brothers from the past, see their camaraderie firsthand, and watch how they instantly reconnected despite not having seen each other for a long time. Some hadn’t connected in ten or more years. It really sank in for me early in my experience as a Phi Delt.
As an early alumnus, I didn’t spend much time reflecting on Phi Delta Theta’s impact. Much of that impact, I suspect, was still working beneath the surface. I did return to UM several times over the years before graduating—usually for new initiations and/or homecoming events at the university. I stayed fairly connected to my chapter brothers, especially several from my new member class. Surprisingly, many moved to Western Washington, near where I grew up, after graduation. We spent countless hours hanging out, meeting up, and getting to know each other’s girlfriends, wives, and children. Another alumni brother and I organized a Seattle-area event to recruit incoming freshmen from Western Washington who planned to attend UM and secure their commitment to join Phi Delta Theta. That was a lot of fun and planted a seed in my mind that I could continue contributing to the chapter house and Phi Delt even as a long-gone alumnus.
Phi Delt taught me valuable skills that allow me to influence others beyond simply acting as their manager or boss, assigning tasks and signing off on their time cards. I now see myself as a mentor, connector, and collaborator. Phi Delt also provided me with a sense of direction and a community where I can grow my network and be part of something larger than myself. I’ve spent over thirty years working primarily in the quality organization or function. Many people in QA/QC roles focus on catching problems at the end of a process or plan. But it’s not about that—it’s about building teams and systems that prevent issues from occurring in the first place. A strong QA leader, team, and system maintain stability, reduce risk, and identify problems early before they become major issues, scrap, or impact customers. Phi Delt helped me early on to develop my system and recognize the quality people, teams, and a stable environment. That is one of our competitive advantages as a fraternal organization.
Who or what inspired you to become a volunteer?
My first volunteer activity was in Seattle during the summer of 2001 or 2002—I helped organize a gathering of recently graduated high school guys. At the time, the Montana Alpha Chapter House was struggling with membership numbers. I received an email from General Headquarters inquiring if I could help. I hadn’t really given back in years, and it was time to step up.
Then, about ten years later, I received another call from GHQ, from then development officer Andrew Cole. He said he would be in my area and wanted to take me to lunch to discuss Phi Delt. He called at just the right time, as I was at a point in my career where guiding and coaching were my main motivators, and I had the bandwidth to start pursuing activities outside of work and family. I have been all-in since that phone call and the subsequent meeting with Andrew and advancement officer Alec Pegler.
For the past ten years, I’ve served as either the CAB chairman or a CAB member for the Montana Alpha Chapter. I had the opportunity to attend the Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute as a fellow in the summer of 2019 and was lucky enough to go to the last three Biennial Conventions in Pittsburgh, Scottsdale, and Atlanta. After attending that first one in Pittsburgh, I had time to really reflect on Phi Delt, what it means to me, and what I can give back going forward. I also really missed out on all those Conventions dating back to the early 1990s!
It is super fun to volunteer at Convention by making calls, sending texts, and emails to my chapter brothers from Montana Alpha to help put us in the top for chapter donations for the Days of Giving Chapter Challenge. I love to win, and I plan to never miss another Convention as long as I live, given the opportunity! In addition, I am also the leader for the First Thursday with the Phis here in Honolulu, Hawaii, on the island of Oʻahu! So if you are ever on the island the first Thursday of the month—E ʻoluʻolu, e hele mai e inu pū i ka pia huʻihuʻi me mākou! (Please, come out and drink a cold beer with us!)
What would you tell someone who is considering volunteering for Phi Delta Theta?
First, I’d say One Man Is No Man. Then, I’d say, if you have the time, make the time and answer the call when it comes in. Volunteering is the best investment someone can make in their own development and ultimately the future of the Fraternity. During my time at Montana Alpha, we had a handful of local alumni from the 1960s-era classes, such as Roger Stromberg, Montana ’61, who lived in Missoula and was frequently a presence at the house. One of the most influential to me was Hal Fraser, Montana ’64. He lived across the street from the chapter house. The chapter had a good relationship with Hal and Roger, and they always seemed to be there to help and listen. It really sticks out in my mind and is something I always remember about them—they were brothers, not just some older alumni in town. Lastly, I would emphasize that you “always get more back than you give.” Working with undergraduate members and, in return, gaining valuable mentorship skills—and understanding the impact it will have on the younger brothers—is immeasurable and creates a lasting professional connection.
How have you stayed connected with Phi Delta Theta after graduation?
I’ve stayed connected with Phi Delta Theta and the brothers through the lifelong bond and friendships I made during my time at Montana Alpha. In addition, my Montana Alpha CAB chairmanship and participation continue to strengthen my connections with the chapter’s young members. Lastly, in the past ten years, I’ve made even more connections with brothers across North America through GHQ-provided opportunities such as Kleberg, Convention, the Foundation Campaign Committee, and First Thursday with the Phis here in Honolulu.
Who from your chapter inspired you? Have you ever told them that?
This is an interesting question—I haven’t really thought about it before. After some consideration, I would say I was first inspired by the two brothers who called me out that day I was walking past the house during rush week: Steve Dahlberg, ’91, and Jack Alton, ’93. The support they showed me that day, which continued throughout my time as a member and even now, has never wavered. Although we live many miles apart, they are always just a quick text or phone call away. Secondly, I was inspired by the nine other men in my new member class, with whom I was initiated in the bitterly cold winter of January 1991 in Missoula, Montana. We started as a very large new member class—I believe it was over twenty-five at the start. That was, and still is, a very large class for the UM Greek system. The ten of us who endured the entire experience and education of all things Montana Alpha and Phi Delt were incredible. The two additional brothers who got to go another round really showed some grit, for sure. Big shoutout to Cory T., ’94; Richy B., ’94; Josh A., ’94; Driscoll, ’94; J-Luv, ’93; Fraser, ’94; J. Barton, ’94; Stromboli, ’94; Stowey, ’94; Donny, ’95; and Salter, ’98.
What accomplishments or career milestones are you most proud of, and how do you attribute them to your experience?
I am most proud of my wife and son. My son Jett is one of many kids who had to deal with the pandemic while in high school; his story will always have a survival element to it. He is currently a student in the commercial pilot program at Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake, Washington. My wife, Alisa, and I have been married for nearly twenty-eight years. She has put up with me—no small feat—and takes great care of us and our home life. She has embraced some of my more adventurous ideas and has supported me without question through all my career choices and moves over the years. We have been fortunate to live in Australia and now Hawaii—how does that happen? Lastly, she knows no limits when it comes to helping others and making them feel special. Career-wise, two things come to mind. First, when I was promoted to an executive at Boeing as the 777X quality director, only about 2 percent of the company’s employees reached that level. The second career milestone I’m most proud of is the grand opening of the first segment of the Honolulu Rail system in the summer of 2023. It was a major achievement that many in Hawaii and on the island never thought would happen. I’m proud to say I was part of making it happen, and a year and a half later, segment two opened. Segment three is just around the corner.
Do you have any advice for current students?
Take time to step back and look beyond the social activities. Put time into actively building a foundation for your future and those around you on a daily basis—the opportunity to become the greatest version of yourself by balancing personal growth with collective responsibility. Take every opportunity to get to know each and every brother and make deep, long-term connections. These connections will last a lifetime. Both in good times and bad, life has many hurdles, known and unknown. The support of your brothers will be invaluable in both. Make sound learning a priority; your academic excellence should be the primary driver. Take time to join your chapter’s study groups and sessions. Attend as many General Headquarters activities as possible and embrace the opportunity to get deep into Phi Delta Theta, both currently and historically. Use these opportunities outside your own chapter to build your network with other brothers and alumni across Phi Delt Nation. Always raise your personal bar or expectations of rectitude—live your life with integrity and high moral character.
Lastly, I’d encourage all undergraduate brothers to maintain an active, well-organized LinkedIn profile that provides clear insight into who they are as individuals and what they bring to an employer. This is a great networking tool and a connector with Phi Delts across the world.
