Boise State’s College of Business and Economics will begin offering a new professional sales curriculum thanks to a transformational gift from donors Allen and Dixie Dykman. The planned curriculum includes both a Bachelor of Business Administration in Professional Sales and a Professional Sales Certificate that can be added to any undergraduate major.
Allen, an alum of the College of Business and Economics, recognized the opportunity after his company, Dykman Electrical, was impressed by outstanding students from Boise State’s Professional Sales Team.
“We’re all sales people. If you’re not selling yourself, you’re not going anywhere,” he said. “We saw this opportunity to help students build those skills and we hope our gift will encourage others to give back to Boise State.”
Adding a sales program is a good move for students and for business. As artificial intelligence changes the business landscape, the sales industry and its focus on relationships and human connection will become more valuable. The sales program will provide students with a strong foundation in business principles including coursework in sales strategies, negotiation techniques and the intersection of sales and technology. The courses will emphasize exposure to industry practitioners, high-quality role-playing and simulations and real-world experiential learning.
“Every industry needs the communication and relationship skills that sales professionals provide,” said Mark Bannister, dean of the College of Business and Economics. “Whether it’s a family business seeking to expand into new markets or a legacy brand looking to grow profits, the business world needs sales professionals with business skills to share stories and grow revenue. As we evaluate the changing employment landscape for our graduates, it’s truer than ever that a career in sales is rewarding, highly valued and stable. Gifts like Allen and Dixie’s grant the College of Business and Economics a competitive advantage and the ability to respond quickly to the business community’s needs.”
The Dykmans’ gift will fund several initiatives to help build the professional sales program and support student success. First, it will fund two program leadership positions: an endowed professor to lead curriculum development, program strategy and forge key partnerships, and an endowed program director to collaborate with companies and recruiters, as well as coordinate sales competitions, career fairs and networking events.
Frank Veltri, a faculty member at Boise State since 2022, was recently chosen as the inaugural Dykman Family Director of Professional Sales. Veltri started the school’s Professional Sales Team in 2023 and organized the first sales-focused career fair–the same fair where Dykman Electrical met and hired Boise State sales students. Hiring is underway for the endowed professor position.
With the Dykmans’ support, Veltri will be able to establish a Boise State Professional Sales competition and an industry partner program allowing company partners to invest in the program and obtain priority recruiting access to talented Professional Sales graduates. This partner program will help fund student travel to other regional and national collegiate sales competitions and will support signature recruitment opportunities like the professional sales career fair and post-sales competition networking events. Veltri has already secured the Western States Sales Competition–one of the largest student sales competitions in the country which will now be hosted at Boise State this spring.
The payout from the endowment gift made by the Dykmans will be matched by the university for the next five years as part of a match through Unbridled: the Campaign for Boise State. The matching funds will accelerate the launch of the program and align with the campaign pillar of supporting faculty excellence.
“The friendship and support Allen and Dixie have shown to Boise State is unparalleled. Their investment will transform educational and career outcomes for generations of future Broncos. We are humbled by the example they set in seeing a need and taking action to fill it,” said Matthew Ewing, CEO of the Boise State University Foundation.
The Dykmans’ past contributions to Boise State have supported Athletics, the Alumni and Friends Center and the College of Business and Economics Dykman Trading Room. They have also established endowed scholarships at five major Idaho colleges and universities.
When asked about their giving legacy, Allen said, “You only take one thing to the grave and that’s the difference you make in other people’s lives.”