Retired, Lockheed Martinr
Trepanier was in one of the School of Management’s earliest graduating classes, earning what was then called a master’s in Management and Administrative Sciences. (The degree is now known as Management Science.) His career took him from the U.S. Air Force to Texas Instruments to Lockheed Martin. Along the way, he became an expert in performance excellence, earning his employers the esteemed Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Established in 1987 by Congress, the Baldrige Award recognizes U.S. companies that have implemented successful quality-management systems. After retiring from Lockheed Martin, Trepanier moved to Sulphur Springs, Texas, in 2012.
Tell us the highlights of your professional career. What are your proudest achievements?
In the early 1990s, while at Texas Instruments, I developed an interest in performance excellence. In 1992, TI received a Baldrige Award for its Defense Systems and Electronics Group. I moved to Lockheed Martin in 1999 with the sole purpose of earning them the Baldrige Award. Lockheed’s Missiles and Fire Control was a recipient in 2012, just before my retirement. I served as a Baldrige examiner for three years and am one of 700 fellows worldwide for the American Society for Quality, for which I served on the board for eight years.
What brought you to UT Dallas?
I moved to Texas after high school graduation at 17 and immediately joined the U.S. Air Force. I attended University of Texas at Arlington on the GI Bill at night for my undergraduate degree when I was working at Texas Instruments as a quality and reliability manager. A colleague and I decided to pursue master’s degrees and were accepted in the Braniff International College of Management at the University of Dallas. (It is now known as the Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business.) Based on the performance of Braniff at the time, we decided to go to UT Dallas as it looked like a smarter choice.
What is your favorite UT Dallas memory?
My class was one of the first to walk across the stage in caps and gowns. I also fondly recall Dean Raymond Lutz (first dean of the School of Management), who frequently would host students in his home. His assistant was also one of my classmates.
Who was your favorite professor and/or what was your favorite class and why?
Well, I can’t say it was my favorite, but the class I remember most was a one-credit hour software programming class. We used punch cards at the time, which required frequent trips to the computer center. We’d have to go to campus before work, during lunch and after work in order to process those cards.
What advice do you have for current students hoping to succeed in the business world?
Get out there and get known! Throughout my career, I have been able to develop contacts all over the world. You never know when you may need them.
What makes an effective leader?
Put yourself aside and be a servant to the people you are leading. Leadership is not about you, it is about those you lead.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I started my life out on a farm, so I always knew how to use my hands and tools. I use that experience every Tuesday when I do construction for my church. I also have a workshop where I enjoy building furniture. Other than that, I serve as my homeowner’s association president, take some great trips with my wife and enjoy retirement.
