Montana Tech alumnus Tom Dyk and his wife Mary have reached one million dollars in aggregate giving to the university. Tom and Mary made their first gift to Montana Tech in 1990 and have been regular and generous donors since. Over the years, the Dyks have supported the Petroleum Department, given unrestricted gifts, supported capital projects like the Natural Resources Building, Digger Turf, and the Frank and Ann Gilmore University Relations Center, and established the Art Dyk Endowed Scholarship.
“We are pleased to be able to pause and recognize the generosity and support this campus has received from Tom and Mary Dyk,” said Michael Barth, Executive Director of the Montana Tech Foundation. “They are both accomplished individuals who have given of their time and treasure to grow Montana Tech. Tom has been instrumental in strengthening the campus by building a stronger Montana Tech Foundation, and we continue to rely on him for his guidance and wise counsel.”
Tom Dyk began his distinguished career after graduating from Montana Tech with a bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering in 1976. He is recognized among his peers for his impressive professional accomplishments, exceptional selflessness, and dedication to the value of Montana Tech and the State of Montana.
Professionally Tom has distinguished himself through his many accomplishments in the oil and gas industry. In 1983, less than 10 years from graduation, Tom climbed his way up the corporate ladder to become the Regional Vice President for the Rocky Mountain Division at Burlington Resources Inc. He is the leader in pioneering horizontal drilling techniques to unlock oil and gas resources that were previously not recoverable. Using this technology, he was on the cutting edge of the Bakken Formation development in the Williston Basin, currently one of the largest oil fields in the United States.
Tom has been instrumental in the development and success of several companies. As a co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Orion Energy Partners, Tom was the driving force in increasing investor’s capital from $130.4 million to more than $500 million in less than 5 years. In 2009, Tom cofounded Axia Energy for investment in Rocky Mountain oil and gas exploration and development. Over the past 5 years, Axia was able to return over $650 million to date after drawing on just $60 million of the $150 million in capital committed by investors. Tom serves on the board of Melior Technology, a company developing proppant for the oil and gas industry, and has been able to involve Montana Tech’s faculty, students, and equipment in the testing of their product.
Tom continues to selflessly give of himself. Tom has served on the Montana Tech Foundation Board of Directors since 1996 and was a founding member of the Montana Tech Petroleum Advisory Board. He has played an integral role in hiring and helping Montana Tech graduates while securing a significant amount for funding for the school either directly or through the Montana Tech Foundation. He played a critical role in securing considerable private funds for the Natural Resources Building.
Tom finds time to give back not only to his alma mater, but also to his community. He served as a founding committee member for the Jim Elliott School (a private Christian school in the Denver area), and was honored as “Father of the Year” in 2004 by the American Diabetes Association/Father’s Day Council. Currently Tom serves on the ACE (Alliance for Choice in Education) Board of Trustees for Colorado and Montana and is the Chairman of the Board for Select Oil Tools. Tom’s accomplishments earned him the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1993. Montana Tech also awarded Tom with an honorary doctorate degree in 2011.
Tom Dyk feels strongly about the powerful impact Montana Tech has had on his family. "Our family has been blessed through the education I received at Montana Tech. Our values have led us to give back to Montana Tech, as that education was the basis for many of our blessings. Our legacy at Montana Tech includes several family graduates, including two brothers (Joe and Jeff), two of our children (Jennifer and Dustin), nieces and nephews, as well as cousins and their children. We are believers in a hard work ethic combined with the high quality education that Montana Tech provides."