Pi Kappa Alpha - University of Texas

Pi Kappa Alpha Alumni Updates Dylan Hamer '11 resides in Huntington, N.Y., with wife Hannah and their two children, daughter Rory (2.5) and son Colby (1). Dylan is employed with NorthMarq Capital's NYC office as vice president with the debt and equity production team to source commercial real estate mortgages and equity partnerships for clients. Beyond family and work, Dylan enjoys golfing, music and, of course, all things Texas Longhorns. Email: dchamer93@yahoo.com Cort McDonough '16 is currently completing the final year of a master's in public health at Yale University. Prior to graduate school, he worked at Eisenberg and Baum, a civil rights litigation firm in New York. At Yale, Cort has focused on health economics, legislative compliance and strategic planning for provider systems. Cort is interested in economics research at a think tank or business economics consulting and intends to pursue an MBA in the future. Email: cort.mcdonough@yale.edu Griffin Boutwell '19 is pursuing his J.D. at Washington and Lee University School of Law. After graduating from UT in December 2022, he worked for a year in Charles Schwab's corporate retirement department. He then earned a MS in international policy from Royal Holloway, University of London, where he focused his dissertation on the International Criminal Court. He currently splits his time between Lexington, Va., for his legal studies and London, U.K., where his girlfriend lives. Email: griffinboutwell@gmail.com v James E. Savage '63 entered Chapter Eternal on August 19, 2024. Jim grew up in Houston, graduating from Bellaire High School in Houston and The University of Texas with a BBA in finance. He served in the National Guard and, in 1966, married Shirley, his wife of 57 years. Jim's career in banking and real estate spanned more than 50 years in Houston. He held leadership roles at Texas Commerce Bank before pursuing commercial real estate. A devoted family man, Jim loved golf, the outdoors, Texas history and cheering for the Astros and Longhorns. Jim is survived by his wife, Shirley, sons James and Todd, and grandchildren Garrett and Tucker. His younger brother, Bob '67, is also a Texas Pike. Jim's legacy of love, hard work and dedication lives on through his family and friends. Dylan Hamer '11 with his family. Throwback 2009! Texas-OU Weekend. From left: Tyler Benson '07, Austin Walsh '07, Nolan Barratt '07 and Carson Carruthers '07. One of Johnson's most promising discoveries was in the small village of Montecristi, Ecuador, where he found a unique straw weave used in handmade Panama-style hats. The handiwork and craft had been handed down by generations of weavers in this village. Johnson was taken with "their incredible craft" and eventually moved back to the U.S., briefly to Austin in 1973, where their first daughter was born in 1974, then on to launch the Panama hat business later that year in Santa Fe. With early encouragement from another Santa Fe style maker, Mexican goods importer Tony Taylor (brother of Lady Bird Johnson), and also having his hats sold by Neiman Marcus in its Las Vegas, Newport Beach and Beverly Hills stores, Montecristi received international media attention that fueled Johnson's early success. Johnson demurely notes, "I had a real passion for the business and some talent. We bought Lone Star Hatters in Austin in 1979 to learn the cowboy style and fur hat construction." Johnson sold Lone Star Hatters a few years later to singularly focus on the Santa Fe business. Johnson is proud that he still works exclusively with a number of weaving families in Montecristi who supply his materials, and he regularly visits these key suppliers. Today, Johnson manages two locations in Santa Fe, a custom store (produces about 2,000 hats annually) and a retail store (produces about 3,000 hats annually). Custom hats begin at $1,000 and can top out at $30,000. The retail store pricing ranges from $200 to $800. Johnson is reticent to discuss too many clients but notes he has made hats for both President Bushes, members of the Qatar Royal Family were in this past summer for custom work, and he's worked with countless celebrities and business leaders. Montecristi Custom Hats celebrates its 50th year of business in 2024 and, with Johnson's leadership, is known as the most accomplished custom hatter in the world today. Johnson, who turned 80 in July, is content and enjoys his work, saying he is "Very happy. I have been blessed with a tremendously loyal customer base." PIKE salutes Beta Mu's Milton R. Johnson, a globe-trotting, innovative entrepreneur and style maker who has well-distinguished himself in the fashion and headgear fields. C H A P T E R E T E R N A L Do you have news to share? Submit your alumni updates to alumni@texaspike.com!

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