Terry started early: In high school, Terry creating a JETS (Junior Engineering Technical Society) chapter and served as its first president, was Vice-President for Band, a member of National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta (honorary math society), Physics Club, German Club and more while extremely active in Scouting in numerous positions including Senior Patrol Leader (boy in charge) of a troop, Lodge Chief for the Order of the Arrow (OA) (national Scouting honor society), Camp Program Director before old enough to legally hold the position, and OA Section Vice-chief over most of Texas.
When Terry was selected to be on the esteemed Honor Guard at Texas A&M, he was soon chosen as Commander. His new initiatives toward developing organizational excellence were so profound, Texas A&M changed history by creating a brand-new command level position (Cadet Major) specifically for Terry in the Corps of Cadets, while he earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
While waiting to enter the Air Force, Terry became a leasing agent for an apartment complex. Within a few short months, he took it from just over 80% capacity to over 100% full with a waiting list in every style of unit.
Terry was chosen as one of only 14 people in the United States Air Force to spearhead a brand-new career field in the Air Force. After this, he became the first-ever non-aviator to be the Executive Officer for an entire Group of nuclear B-52 bombers at Fairchild Air Force Base during the cold war. Named Officer of the Year, Distinguished Graduate of Squadron Officers’ School (attended by top Captains in the USAF), and Humanitarian of the Year for all of Strategic Air Command, he was offered any job in the Air Force, any career field, up to a Lieutenant Colonel level (as a junior captain), including a highly-classified job from the Pentagon. Previously unheard of.
As a young man in his 20s, Terry joined a business leads group and was called in four days later by the Chairman of the Board, telling Terry there was an explosion on the board, and everyone was going to quit. He went on to say the organization was going to fold – unless Terry took it over. Terry went to work on crisis management and team dynamics, and not only kept it alive, but within one year it was the largest of its kind in the state of Washington, and one of the largest in the country.
Within 2 years of arriving in Spokane, Washington, Terry received the highly-coveted United Way Volunteer of the Year award, the top award in the area for philanthropic efforts, and Rotary’s Community Servant of the Year award, among others.
In business, he created a multi-national sales and marketing organization, became a multimillion dollar earner.
Even as a Scoutmaster, Terry more than doubled a troop of just over 30 to over 60 in less than two years.
As the oldest contestant on a survival reality television show (prime time on Fox network) and representing all of Boy Scouts of America, Terry won, along with his novice partner, Natalie, earning the pair ½ million dollars.
As Course Director for a multiday Leadership and Self-improvement seminar, Terry shattered all records having an over-the-legal-limit course with a waiting list a mile long, within two weeks of opening registration, a full year before course.
Within a few months of beginning acting, Terry is the host of Montana Department of Transportation PSAs, host of nation-wide online videos for BSA National Supply, North Dakota anti-smoking campaign, been in several movies and won Best Supporting Actor and Fan Favorite at the 2021 Christian Film Festival. He is an award-winning producer as well.
Author of four books and a recognized leadership and self-improvement expert, Terry keynotes at corporate and organizational events and guest lectures at universities across the US and abroad. His latest, The Oxcart Technique – Blueprint For Success, hit #1 Bestseller on Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble, as well as bestseller on USA Today.
His philanthropic efforts literally span the globe including the Terry L. Fossum educational center in Rwanda, Africa, an agricultural training center in Malawi, Africa, scholarships for underprivileged youth, and more.
When he took over President of the Board of Directors of the Inland Northwest Council, Boy Scouts of America, he inherited an organization that was in a financial and membership tailspin, had let their CEO go, in the middle of a national lawsuit, a pandemic, and a loss of 52% of the units, with calls to divest themselves of our properties in an attempt to balance their budget. Within 2 years he not only turned the budget around completely, but brought the teams together to create new highly-innovative 6-figure income streams, with a 7-figure target in the near future. With a plethora of new initiatives, membership is on the rise as well.
He now has been welcomed onto the Endowment Board, overseeing and growing assets totaling in the hundreds of millions. They are asking him to become the President of the Endowment Board next election cycle.
Terry has been the keynote speaker for diverse organizations such as New York Life, the Mays Business School MBA program, Washington Food Industry Association, the United States Air Force, Spokane Executive Women’s International, Perione Produce Company, One Team Global, Girl Scouts of America, and Boy Scouts of America national conferences. He is often referred to as ‘the best we’ve ever had.