Meet the Middletons
The University of North Dakota honored UND Alumni Tom and Konnie Middleton when the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education voted on Jan. 28, 2021 to name the School of Entrepreneurship & Management in their honor. The Middletons’ $5 million gift provided transformational support for the School, its programs, and its students.
Tom Middleton, a 1972 UND graduate, grew up in Bowesmont, North Dakota. Konnie Middleton (Peach) graduated from Central High School in Grand Forks and earned her degree in education from UND in 1975. Now retired, the couple resides in Arizona but has maintained a strong and lasting connection to the University and the state of North Dakota.
“With their generous gift, Tom and Konnie Middleton made a bold statement of support for the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration,” said DeAnna Carlson Zink, CEO of the UND Alumni Association & Foundation. “They sought to maximize the impact of their philanthropy on the lives of UND students, and we were grateful and humbled by the trust they placed in us to carry out their vision.”
Tom Middleton expressed the couple’s enthusiasm for the partnership. “Konnie and I were excited, honored, and humbled to partner with UND and the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration,” he said. “We have been very fortunate, and we place great value on giving. This gift allowed us to give both back and forward for the benefit of the University, its faculty, and its students.”
Tom Middleton spent his professional career in sales, sales management, and marketing with Johnson & Johnson and its pharmaceutical subsidiaries. Konnie Middleton worked as a clothing buyer for department store chains before dedicating herself to raising their two daughters, Nicole and Lindsay.
UND President Andrew Armacost emphasized the lasting importance of the Middletons’ contribution. “While new and renovated buildings enhance our campus, it is the programs within them that empower our students and faculty to educate, research, and engage in ways that develop the leaders North Dakota needs,” he said.
Armacost noted that the Middletons’ North Dakota roots and appreciation for entrepreneurship aligned closely with the mission of the College. Their gift established the Middleton School of Entrepreneurship & Management within the new Nistler College of Business & Public Administration building and created a lasting impact on the state’s future by supporting a stronger, more diverse economy.
The Middleton School of Entrepreneurship & Management became the first named School within the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration.
“The Middleton School of Entrepreneurship & Management represents who we have been, who we are, and who we aspire to be,” said Dr. Amy Henley, dean of the College. “Thanks to Tom and Konnie Middleton, we strengthened our position as a premier provider of entrepreneurship education in the Midwest.”
Offering six majors, two minors, and a certificate program, the School delivers coursework in organizational fundamentals and management, paired with entrepreneurial skill development emphasizing reasoning, creativity, testing, and critical thinking—skills essential to successful entrepreneurs.
