Carson Passey
Tom was one of the greatest mentors I ever had. He taught me how to work with difficult people and how to lead without destruction. He created the backbone of what is Google Fiber, and led to put TV infructure throughout UVU and in the Event Center. He was instrumental in bringing the Heber Campus of UVU with 178 classes offered the very day it opened by working with key people on UVU campus and throughout the state. He fixed a specification error made in new buildings on campus and the fix was done so well hardly anyone saw it, yet it was an ingenious fix that used local businesses, his team and some respected department directors. One of the individuals working for him received article of the year by the National Association of Education Procurement for co-authoring an article amount smart classrooms, which he encouraged. He effortlessly progressed a school amid constant opposition and the occasional scandal.
Tom helped me personally to overcome things I struggled with. There is a placard in an audio studio dedicated to him, which is wonderful but the placard could have also been at the front of the campus because he worked on every building there.
Tom was internationally famous for his work at the Osmond's Studios because when audio engineers would use Tom's studios everything was in working order, better than the standard, with scary consistency. America benefited from Tom's work and the Osmond family, with the many talents like Tom, they attracted still shapes our country today. Studio C, America's Got Talent, The Jazz, ESPN, KSL, The Imagine Dragons, Netflix, The Work and the Glory Series Movie, Extreme Home Make Over, Latter-Day Night Live where all created by part of Tom's career. UVU's extensive distance learning program led our nation, which Tom had a major part in. Most of the aviation department and fire department training throughout our state all where in part to Tom's career who worked with government and business officials to get them a building, phones, and internet. At one time the nations fastest internet and the southern half of Utah's internet for education, higher ed, law enforcement, and local government all were possible because of the vision and insight of Tom. To be more specific when wealthy colleges had 1 meg per second, Tom's department had 156 GB/sec, in 2001. And there was a fiber line from Lehi, to Nephi that received national attention for the largest intranet in the country, that all was started and built with Tom. All of Spanish Fork's cable and internet were possible in part because of Tom's vision and understanding.
My career has been successful just from the political lessons he taught be. But before that, as a student, he stuck his neck out to help me weather some difficulties. I bet there are literally thousands of us who have similar stories. The Stadium of Fire celebration, and the city of Mapleton all have their roots going back to Tom.
Even I while working under Tom, was part of the Western Conference of Education technology. We asked the question, "If we HAD to teach everyone remotely, what would we get?" While that happened nearly three decades ago, when COVID hit, every teacher, student and parent in the country were suddenly the receipting of groundwork Tom put together. I was in his office with closed doors a lot. People may have even suspected I had "disciplinary problems" but I was actually using his brilliance, vision and experience to help educators across our state and country. I even flew one weekend to the head quarters of Compact in San Francisco to film someone who had changed our country just so they would get the recognition they deserved.
If I ever make it to Heaven, I expect to see Tom there. I won't be able to talk either, I will cry like a little child while desperately trying to express my gratitude and thankfulness for this man. He helped me in life. When I grow up I want to be more like Tom.