Humble Service to Collegiate

On the line was James Bandy, Collegiate’s director of campus safety and security. Trivette listened intently, smiled (which he does quite often), and responded with a cheery “Sure, I’ll check it out. Thanks.”

 

Seems that someone had spotted orange cones blocking several parking spots in the east lot behind the science complex and wanted an explanation.

 

“Typically, it’s just our grounds crew doing some work,” Trivette said as we resumed our conversation in my office. “I’ll walk back there when I leave here.”

 

That’s an easy assignment for the site supervisor for RMC Events, the company which provides security for Collegiate. Though he’s trained well, highly qualified, and experienced in his field, Trivette is happy if every assignment is equally mundane. If it isn’t, though, if he has to act on a moment’s notice, he’s ready for action.

 

Take that late Halloween afternoon in 2013 when a technician working on the telephone system inadvertently tripped the Signal Blue alarm, which alerted the police that an active shooter was in our midst.

 

Though there was no actual threat, there is a protocol to follow, and Trivette, who was on the Robins Campus at the time, quickly jumped into action.

 

“Our communications infrastructure wasn’t nearly what it is now,” he explained. “Information started trickling in, so I shut down the (Robins) campus, locked the gates, calmed everybody down, and explained the situation. The first 20 minutes or so, before we realized it was a false alarm was a very tense time.”

 

Trivette is most visible at Collegiate when he mans the crosswalk between the athletic center and footbridge that leads to the athletic fields each morning and afternoon. His responsibility is pedestrian safety as well as facilitating the two-way traffic flow through a very tight area.

 

He also organizes the schedules of the other RMC Events personnel, patrols the grounds during his duty hours (usually 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.), assists with logistics for a myriad well-attended events, coordinates with first responders, and handles spontaneous situations requiring a security presence.

 

“Zack is very committed to Collegiate’s mission,” said Bandy, a retired Henrico County police officer who came on board in August 2018. “He has fierce loyalty to the school and cares deeply about the safety of our students and staff. He’s pleasant to work with and be around. Zack does a lot that goes unnoticed, but he provides a tremendous service to the school.”

 

Trivette grew up in Mechanicsville where he still lives. He graduated from Lee-Davis High School, and, after a stint at VCU as an international relations major, he transferred to Strayer University where in 2011 he earned a homeland security and emergency management degree.

 

He arrived at Collegiate in the summer of 2012 as a contractor and has served here ever since.

 

“Each day is different,” he said. “I don’t know if I could do a sit-at-a-desk-and-type-all-day kind of job. I’d be bored out of my mind. Here you have the opportunity to be out and about. There’s some routine, but there’s a lot of variety at a place with 2,000 students, faculty, staff, and guests around on any given day.”

 

Why the security business?

 

“I enjoy being part of making things run smoothly,” he said. “I’m not here to hog the spotlight or lord authority over anyone. I don’t need power in my regular life. I’m the last person you’d think would have a job like this.

 

“I try to be as minimally invasive as possible. If you come at somebody instead of coming to them, it’ll start things off on the wrong foot. So it’s ‘What can I do for you?’ instead of ‘What are you doing?’ There’s a big difference between those two tones and the impressions you give.”

 

Off the job, Trivette indulges his artistic bent by playing drums and drawing.

 

“Those are my two big hobbies when I’m feeling particularly creative,” he said.

 

Turns out he once had dreams of a career as a professional musician.

 

“I played in a band with my stepbrother (Brady Johnson, bass and vocals) and a long-time friend (Matt Stoneman, guitar and vocals),” he said. “We played at places like the Canal Club and Alley Katz and also bars and restaurants that had weekend music. At one time, we did a tour from here to Florida and back. It was both fun and enlightening. I don’t think I’m cut out for the life of a traveling musician.”

 

After eight years, the band ceased touring in 2010. The guys still convene occasionally just to jam. A couple of times a week, Trivette plays on his own.

 

“It’s something I enjoy,” he said. “Helps me unwind. Helps me keep my skills sharp, just in case…”

 

And the pencil and ink drawing, which fills myriad sketchbooks and includes several framed renderings that hang in his house?

 

“When I was a kid, I was very into all the typical boy things like Power Rangers, X-Men, and Ninja Turtles,” Trivette said. “I started drawing (those characters) and then progressed to the point where I was considering graphic art as a career. I still do comic book stuff. I like that hard-edged, black-line style and then going back and adding color. Sometimes, I get an idea in my head and just have to get it out.”

 

Whether it’s his vocation or avocations, there’s one common thread: pride in workmanship.

 

“Honestly,” he said, “I’ve always wanted to present an image of someone who’s conscientious about what I’m doing and the impact it has on others, not just in work but in any activity that would be seen or heard by other people. I want to put the best version of whatever I’m doing out there.”

  -- Weldon Bradshaw