Distinguished Service Award goes to Class of '63 grad

  • Published
  • By Steven A. Simon
  • Academy Development and Alumni Programs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  A Class of '63 Academy graduate and Denver business executive is the recipient of this year's Air Force Academy Distinguished Service Award.

John Fox will receive the award from Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson during the Parents' Weekend Parade at Stillman Field, Aug. 29, but he's known of his selection since May, when he received Johnson's letter of congratulations.

Fox thanked Johnson and said he is "immensely honored to receive this award."

"In a sense, I feel like I am accepting on behalf of so many men and women who have served our Air Force and our country so well for so long," he said.

The Academy established the award in February 1999 and presents it each year to an individual or organization whose contributions have had a distinct impact on the well-being of the Academy. The award recognizes those who contribute to the Academy through their generosity and dedication to the institution.

Fox called his Academy experience "a defining moment in my life," and said his sense of duty to his alma mater remains strong.

"My commitment now is to help provide that experience for all of our cadets," he said. "The security of our country depends on getting our young men and women ready for the daunting challenges ahead of them and my hope is that in some small way I can contribute to that effort."

Retired Gen. Steve Lorenz, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Air Force Academy Endowment, praised Fox's selection for the Distinguished Service Award.

"He has always exemplified our core values - integrity first, service before self, excellence in all we do - and he has always been an active supporter and an advocate for the Academy and its people," he said.

Academy, private-sector achievements
Fox became one of several founding directors of the U.S. Air Force Academy Endowment in December 2007. As a director and supporter of the Academy Research and Development Institute, he formed and co-chaired the Academic Excellence Committee for the Academy Visiting Professor Chairs.

He also established the first-ever Director's Challenge, inspiring other board members to increase their donations to the Endowment.

Fox co-chaired the Endowment's Center for Character and Leadership Development Stewardship Committee and worked with U.S. Air Force Academy Endowment and then-CCLD president Dr. Erv Rokke to develop a strategic plan for the center. He also helped create the CCLD's first-ever Senior-Scholar-in-Residence and spoke at CCLD capstone courses for cadets.

Fox has made generous financial contributions to Academy programs and facilities, including principal gifts to the CCLD, the Holladay Athletic Center and the Academy Endowment Founding Director's Fund.

After graduating from the Academy in 1963, Fox served as a pilot and pilot instructor. He later earned an MBA from the University of Denver, became a financial analyst and founded MarkWest Energy Partners, a New York Stock Exchange-listed company serving the oil and gas industry. Fox is the company's president, CEO and chairman of the board. He also co-founded and was the chief operating officer of Western Gas Resources.

Along with his MarkWest Energy Partners responsibilities, Fox is the chairman of the board of Kona Mountain Coffee, a Hawaii based coffee firm, visitor center and mail-order company. He's also the chairman of the board for the Fox Family Foundation, a Denver-based nonprofit organization.

(Simon is an Academy Class of '77 graduate)