Olson’s Legacy of Service Earns Distinguished Alumni Honor

TORRINGTON, Wyo.  –  For more than five decades, Gary D. Olson has quietly helped shape the economic, civic and educational landscape of eastern Wyoming, building businesses from the ground up while investing just as deeply in his community.

This year, Olson has been named the recipient of the Eastern Wyoming College Foundation Alumni & Friends Distinguished Alumni Award, an honor recognizing professional achievement, community service and lasting support of Eastern Wyoming College.

“Gary Olson represents the very best of what it means to be an EWC alumnus,” said Lisa Johnson, director of the EWC Foundation. “His impact reaches far beyond his business success, it’s seen in the strength of our communities and the opportunities he’s helped create for others.”

Olson’s path to success didn’t begin with a degree, but with determination. He attended Eastern Wyoming College from 1969 to 1971 before stepping into the workforce, eventually co-owning Olson Tire alongside his father. After his father’s passing, Olson continued to lead the business, managing it for the past 50 years.

In 1972, Olson founded what would become one of the region’s most expansive sanitation operations. Starting with a single truck and driver, TDS Collection Service has grown into a multifaceted company employing as many as 35 people and serving communities from eastern Wyoming into western Nebraska.

Today, TDS operates the state’s only privately owned landfill and a baler facility, providing residential and commercial trash services across a wide rural footprint. The company has expanded well beyond waste collection, offering environmental cleanup for incidents such as oil spills and train derailments, along with hauling rock and other materials. A portable sanitation division, launched about a decade ago, further diversified the business.

With an emphasis on sustainability, Olson has prioritized recycling and responsible waste management practices, helping position TDS as both a regional leader and a forward-thinking operation. In recent years, he has brought in partners to ensure the company’s continued success well into the future.

That leadership has not gone unnoticed. In 1997, then-Gov. Jim Geringer presented TDS with the Amethyst Award through the Wyoming State Quality Award program, recognizing excellence in leadership and operations. More recently, the company was named Goshen County Economic Development Business of the Year in 2021. Olson has also received recognition from U.S. Sen. John Barrasso for his contributions to the region, along with the “Big Chief” award from the Torrington Chamber of Commerce.

“Gary’s leadership is defined not just by what he’s built, but by how he’s given back,” Johnson said. “Eastern Wyoming College has benefited tremendously from his vision, generosity and belief in student success.”

But Olson’s influence extends far beyond business.

He has played a key role in developing the Goshen County Sportsman’s Club, which has grown from five trap fields to a 400-member organization with extensive shooting sports facilities. His involvement spans numerous organizations, including the Goshen County Rural Fire Board, Pheasants Forever and Ducks Unlimited. A longtime leader in shooting sports, Olson is a past president of the Wyoming State Trapshooting Association and was inducted into the Wyoming Trapshooting Hall of Fame in 2005.

His civic service includes leadership roles in the Torrington Masonic Lodge, the Shrine and Job’s Daughters, as well as involvement with the local fair board during the development of the Rendezvous Center. He has also supported local economic development through investments, including the Cobblestone Motel.

Despite his many commitments, Olson remained closely connected to his family, rarely missing his children’s school activities and making time for hunting, fishing and outdoor pursuits.

His relationship with Eastern Wyoming College has been equally impactful. Olson served on the college’s Board of Trustees beginning in 2012 and as board president from 2013 to 2014. During his tenure and beyond, he strongly supported campus improvements, including the fitness center and racquetball courts.

A consistent advocate for workforce development, Olson has contributed financially to multiple campus projects, including the new agriculture building and the Douglas campus trade school. He has also partnered with the college on hazardous materials training initiatives and hired graduates from its commercial driver’s license program.

Even looking ahead, Olson’s commitment remains steadfast, with plans to continue supporting the college through a future gift.

Through business innovation, civic leadership and enduring support of education, Olson’s legacy reflects the very qualities the Distinguished Alumni Award seeks to recognize, a lasting impact built not only on success, but on service.