My Name is Dave Olpin

I am here to help you -- and 89,000 other principals nationwide.

I have been the leader of numerous youth organizations. 
My devoted life-long purpose has been to inspire both young men and women to become much better than they thought they could by replacing their negative and ordinary thinking
 with positive and challenging thinking.

Mission Statement:

To help your students establish a truly successful, happy, and valued life.

SuccessThoughts.org was created to make available to you the many useful tools that I have gathered.
By frequently implementing these FREE tools---they will clarify for students both how to live better and how to make a better living.

Educational Background
















For me, youth leadership began in high school as President of the student body
and valedictorian.













I attended Brigham Young University on scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing and Finnish.

Military Service

After joining the AFROTC at BYU, I spent two years on the Drill Team for the U.S. Army and served six months with a total of eight years on reserve status. I trained in Fort Ord, California and Fort Huachuca in Arizona.

I was Honorably Discharged as a Battalion Personnel Sergeant First Class, West Coast Expert Rifle Team.

Business Background















I spent 21 years at
Sears Department Store Management in Provo, Utah overseeing hardline, soft line, and the catalog departments, earning several national awards.











Co-founded EFI Electronics Corporation International

With its own UL Lab, EFI developed hundreds of multi-varied sophisticated electrical power surge protection equipment.

Over the next twenty years, EFI became number one in its field in the world.

I personally secured significant power protection contracts for:









Distinguished 3 times for being in the top 2% of all 10,000 GSA vendors.

  • all State of Utah contract needs
  • all GSA contract needs
  • all USN 750 fleet ships
  • all USAF bases
  • all SSA offices
  • all USPS sorters
  • all FAA towers, landing lights, and Doppler radars
  • LDS Church computers and microfilming

School Board Member

Timpview High School

In 1976, I was asked to serve on the School Board for a proposed new High School in Provo. We were tasked with naming the school and determining its boundaries. Over the last 45 years, Timpview has been ranked nationally with a high graduation percentage and is well-loved by the students and community.

Youth Leadership -- HOBY

 President Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership of Utah (HOBY-UTAH) 

Volunteer Corporate President for eighteen years, directing a premier statewide high school youth leadership organization.

Hugh O'Brian

Hugh O’Brian portrayed Wyatt Earp, a western B/W TV hero for 8 years on primetime Sunday nights.

Hugh O’Brian Youth is an organization that was started in 1958, by the Marine Veteran turned Celebrity Actor at 33 years old, when he was challenged by a Noble Peace Prize winner to use his success to do something to make a difference in the world.

Two weeks after being given the challenge O’Brian had designed a plan for the first HOBY Leadership Seminar. He felt that youth were really beginning to make the choices that would direct their life when they were about 15 years old. He decided to seek out sophomore student leaders and give them an experience that would push them to become even more outstanding. With the help of his friends and contacts, O’Brian conducted a weekend long event for about 30 young men in Los Angeles.















Over the next 58 years,
Hugh internationally motivated the lives of over 500,000 HOBY Ambassadors.











This is one of my exceptional HOBY-Utah groups.

Here is another HOBY-Utah group.

Many win scholarships.

University Scholarships of $250,000 were awarded each year.

Scholarships were awarded based on the students submitting a record of their leadership and service during their ENTIRE junior year.

Over my 18 years as President, my program made available over $4M in Utah school student scholarships. I simply told the universities that we have the most highly selected leadership and service proven students in the state and you need them. They said, “Yes we do!”

Also, I secured thousands of substantial additional scholarships nationwide for HOBY by them using my original format.

HOBY Ambassadors often respond years later telling how HOBY has transformed their lives.

Mitchell Bassett: How HOBY Influenced My Life.
Sharon Little: How HOBY Influenced My Life

Youth Leadership -- Kiwanis

Provo Kiwanis Club four-time distinguished President 

45-year civic service member, raising very significant funding for thousands of children, and for supported youth organizations; providing thousands of children’s books; awarding the "Hope of America" to top Provo sixth graders, and "Salute to Outstanding Youth" awards.

Kiwanis International is a global community of clubs, members and partners dedicated to improving the lives of children one community at a time. Each community has different needs, and with more than 550,000 members in 80 countries and geographic areas, Kiwanis pursue creative ways to serve the needs of children. Kiwanis clubs host nearly 150,000 service projects each year to fighting hunger, improving literacy, and offer guidance to children.

My local Kiwanis assisted nearly a hundred community youth and children, providing thousands of children's books.

Recognitions

In 2006, I received the prestigious Alumni Emeritus from Brigham Young University, selected as one of only ten persons from an Alumni of over 300,000.

Silver Beaver Award

In 2000, I earned Scouting’s highest award, the Silver Beaver for forty years in Scouting leadership on ward, stake, and council levels.

As a Commissioner I developed a very popular and comprehensive Scout Leaders Guide manual. In 2012 our Utah National Parks Council was America’s largest Council. It accounted for 76,000 youth impacted, 19,969 advancements awarded, and 2,219 Eagle ranks earned.

National George Washington Medal of Honor by the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge

The Medal of Honor is awarded to a select few whose projects or deeds reflect the best of the American spirit of volunteerism by offering constructive solutions to contemporary problems.

In 1999, I was awarded the The Medal of Honor in connection with my work in the HOBY organization in Utah.









Mayor Billings awarded the Provo City Mayor's Award of Excellence in 2008 for my efforts in Provo's beautification through city parks and  trails for biking and walking. This helped dramatically in the revitalization of Provo.







Civic Involvement

After being appointed by three Provo Mayors: Lewis Billings, George Stewart and John Curtis to the Provo City Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, I served for over eighteen years as auxiliary chair.

During that time, we originated and built the Provo City Recreation Center and a new Provo City Library. 

Provo City Recreation Center

The Provo City Recreation Center was Awarded BEST IN NATION and attracted 2 million visitors last year which returned $500K to the city.

 Provo City Library

The Provo City Library occupies the building long known as the Brigham Young Academy built in 1892. For decades, it stood empty and dilapidated. During my tenure, a bond financed the preservation and renovation of the historic building. On September 8, 2001, it was dedicated for the citizens of Provo as their new library.

Sons of Utah Pioneers

I co-founded an authentic Pioneer Village to preserve the memory and heritage of the early pioneers of the Utah Territory and the western U.S.

The Pioneer Village contains the original structures built by Utah pioneers, including the Turner Cabin, the Haws Cabin, the Loveless Home, a granary, a school, a woodshop, corn crib, outhouse, and more. It also features various pioneer wagons, a working blacksmith shop, authentic mercantile general store, and a wide variety of historical artifacts and tools.

Pioneer Village represents early Provo, a frontier community existing in large part in isolation. The pioneers’ very survival depended on their own skills and the support of their neighbors and friends.