Getting to Know: Jim Dain

Name: Jim Dain

BYU Employee Since: May 1982

My Job at BYU is… Managing Director, Buildings Transportation and Grounds

Currently, I am Working on… Never just one thing. Overall, I work with the best people there are to keep this campus operating, improved and maintained.

I get most excited about my work when… people visit campus and describe it as one of the most beautiful universities they have ever visited.

My most cherished memories at BYU are… building relationships with students, faculty, and staff both on the Provo campus and with my colleagues in Idaho, Hawaii, and Israel. A few of my many memories include permanent lighting and trail improvements on Y Mountain, watching and participating with the selfless facility employees responding to floods, fire and weather emergencies, participating in United Way Day of Caring, and the countless improvement projects that keep BYU one of the best learning and teaching environments in the country.

My involvement with United Way… has always been a heartwarming experience. Over the years I have been involved in many projects in a broad cross section of locations. Food and shelter coalition, RAH, women and children shelters, housing, community centers, and educational facilities throughout the valley. One particular memory I will never forget was when I was on a team of BYU employees assigned to do some yard work on a widow’s home in an Orem neighborhood. There were probably 50 of us who split up to accomplish a variety of tasks. We tilled gardens, regraded driveways, trimmed trees, removed stumps and planted grass. When we were finishing up the elderly homeowner stood on her front porch and with tears in her eyes said, “You have accomplished in 4 hours what would have taken me 4 years, all I can say is Thank You!”

United Way has made an impact on me because… I have a seen first-hand the behind the scenes work that goes on in our community to assist those in need. The people who volunteer or work to provide these needed services are truly some of the best among us.

A United Way Agency that is close to my heart is… the food and shelter coalition is an agency I have spent a lot of time in. We have identified many projects and have accomplished things in days that could have taken months. Corporate sponsors have stepped up and assisted us over the years and it seems wherever I look among the marvelous people who work there I see the results of a BYU day of caring project.

On Saturday Mornings you will find me… up at the crack of dawn working on a project somewhere in the outdoors. Working on my farm or at my home designing and completing projects with my wife Pam is where I love to be.

One item on my bucket list is… The Architect in me would love to see the great pyramids in Egypt. I would love to travel there some day with my wife when the world returns to normal.