Greg Dyekman, Philanthropist |
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Greg Dyekman (BS accounting with honors ’77, JD law ’80) is the epitome of a dedicated philanthropist—someone who contributes his time and resources to increase the well-being of those around him.
“One of the things I’m passionate about is community service and public service, but not in a political way, in a nonprofit way, and I’ve wound up doing a lot of it,” says Greg.
The list of Greg’s accomplishments is a long one.
Greg continues to be a remarkable supporter of the University of Wyoming. He established two endowments, including the Debate/Forensics Excellence Fund and the Dyekman Law Faculty Research Fund, and he has also contributed to the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Law, and Engineering and Applied Science, as well as the Cowboy Joe Club and many other UW programs.
The Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce named Greg Person of the Year in 2008 in recognition of outstanding civic contribution to the City of Cheyenne. He is also a 2003 graduate of Leadership Wyoming, whose mission is to help Wyoming’s leaders better understand public policy issues, economic and social diversity, and the challenges facing the state and to prepare them to build a better Wyoming.
Greg serves his many communities in numerous ways. He is chairman of the State Bar's Law School Liaison Committee, vice-chair of the UW Foundation Board, past chair of the Arts and Sciences Board of Visitors, and an adjunct professor at the College of Law. He co-chairs the 2009 Campaign for United Way of Laramie County and was board president of the local council of Boy Scouts of America. He also is just completing a two-year term as president of the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra board.
“I enjoy the people I meet,” says Greg. “They are some of the greatest folks I know—they’re people with energy, accomplishments, and dedication. They are the heavy hitters, the go-getters. To get things done, all you have to do is point them in the right direction.”
A good example of Greg’s generous spirit is in UW’s debate world.
“My debate experience was the best overall education I received,” says Greg. “Debaters learn research, analysis, writing, tactics, and speechmaking. I highly recommend it to people. It’s something I was really happy to support philanthropically.”
In 2001, Greg was talking with Matt Stannard, UW’s debate coach, about ways to help UW’s debaters, and Stannard said that one problem is how much it costs to attend competitions. Students qualify for prestigious events and then have to find funding. “They would qualify and then would have to panhandle,” Greg says.
From that conversation, Greg decided to fund the Debate/Forensics Excellence Fund. This endowment was established to foster and enhance the Debate/Forensics Program, and it supports travel expenses, supplies, equipment, research, prizes, and stipends.
While Greg was a member in the 1970s, the UW Debate Team was a national powerhouse. “Greg won’t be the one to tell you,” says Stannard, “but he’s an outstanding University of Wyoming debater in his own right.”
As part of debate, Greg became friends with many now-prominent public figures, such as Heather Wilson, U.S. Representative from New Mexico, and Diana Degette, U.S. Representative from Denver.
“What I remember most is the people I got to know during my college days—not just other debaters but also the people I judged,” Greg says. “Any time you see a panel evaluating political debates, there’s always people I’ve either competed against or knew of from college debate. In debate, you see people two or three times a month, unlike basketball where you compete only a couple times a season against a particular team.”
Today, the Debate Team has returned to national prominence—winning National NPTE Speaking Titles in 2002, 2003, and 2008 and NDT District Top Speaker in 2006, 2007, and 2008. It has placed in the sweet sixteen for the two years in a row. “The members of the Debate Team have never failed to exceed my expectations,” says Stannard.
In March 2009, Greg was one of five people to be inducted into the inaugural class of the Wyoming Debate Hall of Fame, which has been in the works for the past five years as part of the Department of Communications and Journalism’s Academic Plan. Its mission is to honor debaters, not just from the UW campus but also from across the state.
“The footprints of my debate experience appear in almost everything I do,” says Greg. “This really is something that is directly applicable to what I still do every day. Debate is invaluable preparation for law school.”
Greg grew up in Cheyenne and then attended UW, first receiving a bachelor’s in accounting in 1977 with honors and then going on to graduate in the top 10 percent of his 1980 law school class. He has made his legal career at the firm of Dray, Thomson & Dyekman in Cheyenne, and he has been recognized by his peers nationwide as one of the top lawyers in real estate and corporate law, receiving an AV rating from Martindale Hubble (a 140-year-old authoritative resource for the legal profession). According to Martindale Hubble’s Web site, “An AV certification mark is a significant rating accomplishment—a testament to the fact that a lawyer's peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence.” He has also been recognized as a preeminent Wyoming attorney in Best Lawyers in America, Rocky Mountain Superlawyers, and Chambers USA.
“Every year, as part of commencement, Greg gives a speech,” says Ken Smith, head of the Department of Communications and Journalism. “He says you should give money back to UW. Your degree is only as good as you make it. Better to make your degree as good as you can in the eyes of others.”
For more information about the UW Debate Team, visit http://www.uwyo.edu/cojo/debate.asp. For more information about giving to the university, visit the UW Foundation Web site at www.uwyo.edu/foundation or call 1-888-831-7795.
Photo:
Greg Dyekman
Posted on Thursday, June 18, 2009
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