After serving in the Navy for three years and getting a college degree, Trotter joined Customs in 1971 as a GS-5 Customs inspector in Chicago, Ill. But the GS-5 already had big dreams, and he knew how to make them come true. Trotter was always ready to move, to go anywhere he could learn more and demonstrate a good attitude and a growing set of high-level skills. He spent time in St. Louis, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Houston, and in each place, he got what he came for: a better understanding of the organization's mission and a chance to display new talents. "Careers aren't always linear," Trotter says, "and I knew I had to jump around for career advancement."

Photo Credit: Gerald L. Nino

After 32 years of government service, Robert Trotter is still eager to take on tough assignments.

Trotter credits his climb to Senior Executive Service for his willingness to take on tough assignments. "When you are in competition with others, you need to go the extra mile and you must maintain your integrity," he explains. "You also need to set a positive example of behavior by putting the mission before your own self-interests."

After Chicago, Trotter moved to St. Louis, Mo., to take on the role of Assistant District Director. A few years later, in 1986, he trekked to Washington, D.C., to serve in various management positions; it was during his time at headquarters that he first joined SES after 15 years of government service. Then, he moved to Los Angeles to become Assistant Regional Commissioner for the Pacific Region, and then to Houston to take on the role of Regional Commissioner for the Southwestern Region. After Customs reorganization in 1995, Trotter returned to Washington, D.C., to serve as Assistant Commissioner for Field Operations and Strategic Trade.

As Director of the Houston Field Office for the past two and a half years, Trotter has been responsible for field operations in East Texas and Oklahoma. His team of 800 men and women processes passengers and cargo, with antiterrorism and narcotics tagged as priorities. The Houston Seaport could be used for smuggling radioactive materials. Trotter says, "We have the largest petrochemical processing area in the world, and we want to make sure these are kept safe, so we work with the state and local governments to protect that part of the border."

Shortly after 9/11, Trotter took on a one-year assignment as Chairman of the Houston Federal Executive Board (FEB). FEBs bring together executives from federal, state, and local governments to help agencies pool resources for services. But 9/11 put a new objective on the board's list: emergency planning and preparedness. "That year was marked by high tension and dramatic events. Everyone pulled together as never before to keep the government functioning for the American people."

Veteran Affairs conducted anthrax training, and the U.S. Postal Service gave "bombs-through-the-mail" training. In addition, the FEB got a seat on the City of Houston Emergency Planning Group. "This was an important development, because if we have an incident we can share the information with state and local governments," Trotter says. Other state FEBs are so impressed by the team effort in Houston that a number of them are also working to partner with their city's emergency board.

The challenges ahead
Now he's back in D.C. on a six-month detail for the Transition Management Office. The team acts as steering committee for the transition to the new CBP. Members examine cross-cutting issues to support their consolidation into a single agency. It's clear that Trotter takes this new responsibility seriously. "Each agency has had a unique history, and now each one is being merged under one new structure that will fight terrorism and bring better efficiencies to our work at the border," he explains. "We're looking forward to building a winning team with APHIS, Border Patrol, and INS."

After 32 years of being part of Customs, Trotter isn't slowing down. He believes that there are challenging jobs and exciting work ahead at CBP. "There will be opportunities for excitement and adventure in CBP," Trotter says. "Together, we can build a new history."