What Does Trevor Do
Trevor is a Senior Electrical Engineer for Elara Engineering where he routinely leverages his broad technical expertise to deliver innovative electrical system designs that are aligned to each client’s unique goals, budget, and operational needs. With his current primary focus on new construction, adaptive reuse, and retrofits in commercial and multifamily markets, he has extensive experience advancing all project types from concept through construction.
As an experienced electrical engineer, Trevor is proficient in power distribution, lighting and lighting controls, fire alarm systems, emergency power systems and Revit-based design documentation. As a project trade leader, he maintains a collaborative, detail-oriented approach that ensures quality, practical solutions, and long-term value. His passion and commitment to innovative, sustainable designs permeates the entire project team and helps ensure that all clients achieve optimal performance and flexibility across a wide range of project types.
Previous to Trevor’s current role as Senior Electrical Engineer, he was an Electrical Design Engineer (2019 – 2023) and an Energy Team Engineer (2018 – 2019) at Elara Engineering
Trevor is driven by…
…persistence, tenacity, and an unceasing desire to come up with viable solutions for each of the many different challenges that can be encountered during any given project. His passion lies in designing electrical systems that are code compliant, cost-effective, and ultimately completed in the right way. In short, Trevor takes deep pride in delivering excellence by doing the practical and right thing for all clients all of the time.
Key Project Contributions
- Maine East High School Renovation, Niles, IL – Served as lead Electrical Engineer for the electrical design and construction oversight for the complete replacement of all electrical main services, lighting, and major HVAC and plumbing equipment.
- 910 Custer Avenue New Construction, Evanston, IL – Served as lead Senior Electrical Engineer for the electrical design of a new 230-unit residential apartment building which included emergency generator, solar panels, courtyard, and multiple amenity spaces.
- 2100 North Lincoln Park West, Chicago, IL – As Lead Senior Electrical Engineer, worked side-by-side with a licensed electrician to map out of the entire electrical system throughout a multifamily high-rise building to create the structure’s entire electrical riser diagram. Performed additional electrical design to support replacement of the building’s boiler plant, amenity air handling units, and chiller plant (in design).
- James Kilmer Generator Replacement, Chicago, IL – Served as lead Senior Electrical Engineer for the design of a new emergency and standby generator for an existing large condominium building which included updating the emergency system to include back up power from the generator for the elevators, life safety systems, and fire pumps.
Key Company Contributions
During his time with Elara, Trevor has worked with the firm’s Digital Design Team to refine and improve technical design standards as well as the design process itself to ensure that quality electrical design drawings are consistently delivered. Critical to his commitment to support ongoing improvements, Trevor dedicates extensive time each month reviewing and generating code interpretations for complex code topics so that the Electrical Design Team can understand and correctly incorporate these standards into their designs without forgoing opportunities for innovative and cost-saving design elements.
What People Are Saying About Trevor
“We are so proud to have Trevor on our team at Elara! His deep technical knowledge and commitment to excellence shine through in his innovative approach to solving complex engineering tasks. Beyond his technical skills, Trevor is an impactful mentor to our young engineers and has a gift for articulating complex electrical concepts clearly and concisely to everyone involved in a project. I look forward to watching his continued growth and success with us.”
– Bhupendra Tailor, Principal – Electrical and Technology Engineering
Life Before Elara
Trevor is an Illinoian having grown up not too far south of Chicago in Bourbonnais. There, he worked for this father in the construction industry and ended up pursuing electrical engineering after an accidental, near-death experience (well, maybe a slight exaggeration). As told by Trevor, he was replacing a light fixture when he was in high school and forgot to turn off the circuit breaker, receiving quite a shock as a result. Instantly realizing he didn’t know anything about electricity he decided then and there to rectify the situation and became a lifelong learner of all things electrical.
Starting in high school, pouring over books and then eventually turning his pursuit into his major at the University of Missouri in Columbia, it’s easy to see how Trevor has manifested his passion into action. On a more personal note, he also chose to be a Razorback so that he could be even closer to the state’s beautiful Lake-of-the-Ozarks – which is where his family often vacationed during the summer.
Life Outside Elara
To say that Trevor is merely interested in rock climbing would be a serious understatement. Besides all things electrical, rock climbing is his other passion. Specifically, outdoor rock climbing where he now spends most of his personal time in Colorado and Nevada on big wall adventures – which are multi-day ascents of a steep, sheer cliff faces that are typically 1,000 feet or taller.
He started climbing when he was 24 after visiting the Vertical Endeavors climbing gym in the Chicago area. That love for climbing quickly blossomed into him spending the majority of his weekends traveling to Wisconsin or Kentucky to expand his newfound passion to the outdoors. As his skills and strength evolved, he moved on to bigger walls and harder challenges.
His proudest achievements in this sport are accomplishing the grade of 5.13* and V10* outside. Trevor’s first 5.13 graded outdoor rope climbing route is named “If and Only If” located in Staunton State Park in Colorado.
His first outdoor bouldering V10 grade was accomplished on a route named “Army of Darkness” near Lyons, CO. He enjoys pushing himself on the harder grades but also enjoys going on adventurous Alpine, multi-pitch climbs as well. His proudest achievement in that category of the sport is climbing the iconic Eldorado Canyon State Park climbing route “The Naked Edge,” which is notoriously dangerous, exposed, and not for the faint of heart.
What Trevor enjoys most about rock climbing is that it challenges a person both mentally and physically because one must train regularly to have the strength to climb these routes, obtain the skills and knowledge of the climbing equipment associated, and also be willing to persevere through immense fear while navigating the dangers of the sport.
More about Trevor’s professional abilities and accomplishments can be found here.
*Climbing 5.13 and V10 outside represents an elite level of climbing, achievable by only a small percentage of dedicated athletes. These grades signify immense finger strength, power-endurance, and technical mastery.
- 5.13 (Sport/Trad): This utilizes the Yosemite Decimal System (YDS). It involves highly strenuous, vertical, or overhanging routes with tiny, crimpy holds that demand precise body positioning. At this level, a climber usually needs to master the route over multiple attempts (a redpoint) rather than climbing it perfectly on their first try (onsighting).
- V10 (Bouldering): The Hueco (V) scale measures short, powerful sequences without a rope. V10 represents an extremely advanced level of raw power, tension, and micro-beta. It often entails just a few incredibly difficult, highly physical moves.
