Sam Means is the first to acknowledge that he hasn’t always made the best decisions in life. “Past lifestyle choices that landed me in some pretty tough positions,” he said.
But through faith and family, Means has been able to get back on track. “I was able to work through those choices and become a much stronger person who is not easily swayed by stressful or difficult situations that I go through,” he said. “I can take those things in stride.”
Means graduated from Dublin High School in 2006 and went on to Texas Tech. He started as an architecture major, then switched to ag economics.
For the next seven years, Means attended school on and off, balancing it with different jobs around Lubbock. He had a hard time applying himself, and around 2014, he decided his current lifestyle wasn’t working. “God got ahold of me,” he said. “I actually dropped out of school and went to Midland and started working for a field services company there, Peak Completions.”
The company helps companies with their fracking operations, as well as servicing existing oil wells and fixing any problems they may have. Means found the job through his college roommate and his brother, both of whom worked there.
He excelled at the work, eventually becoming the shop foreman, and ended up staying there for five years, when he got a call from his high school friend who was looking to fill a position at Waste Management, a waste and environmental services company.
“He thought I’d be a great fit, so I applied and got the job,” Means said.
His new position consists of helping clients located in the Delaware Basin, an area of far West Texas and southeast New Mexico known for its oilfields, with management solutions for their oil and gas waste. “We make sure [the waste] is disposed of in environmentally friendly ways,” he said.
While his previous position was fieldwork-based, his new job is more managerial. “I don’t deal with the day-to-day operations,” he said. “I’m managing customer relationships, managing my sales area. I still travel a little bit, just to touch base on things about once a month. But for the most part, it’s remotely managed.”
Means has moved away from West Texas and now lives in Houston with his family.
Because everyone’s company has different waste management needs, the job requires creativity. “The biggest thing I like about [the job] is it allows me to be a problem solver,” he said. “That’s how I’ve been able to build a business to the extent that I have. I’ve probably doubled the size of our business in the area [I work in] over the last three years, and a lot of that has been building relationships with people looking for a solution to their problems and whatever creative way we can assist them.”
In the future, Means hopes to stay with Waste Management and move up in the company to be an area manager, or even the director of an area.
Recently, Means’ went back to school to finish his ag economics degree, and graduated in December of 2022.
When he’s not working, Means is usually spending time with his family. He and his wife Tiffany have three children: Gillett, 2, Elaena, 4 and Rylan, 6. “It is somewhat uncontrolled chaos,” he said. “They are a blast. And so most of the time, we’re just hanging out playing with them, having a cookout or something along those lines.”
Means also enjoys woodworking, and likes to make his own furniture. The family lives in Houston, where Means’ wife is an attorney.
Means’ parents, Craig and Jay Means, still live outside Dublin. “We try to go back and visit once a month at least,” he said.
Throughout his life, Means’ family, especially his grandparents, has been an important source of inspiration for him. “My grandparents on both sides are steadfast in the example they set, and although for a time in my life I did not go about it the correct way, I had that example to fall back on when I needed it,” he said.
He’s also found strength through his faith. “My faith in Jesus is the biggest thing that’s kept me going,” he said.
Means and his family attend church in Houston at High Point Church, which is a church plant, or a new church that is just starting to build a congregation. “We rent space from a junior high school and basically bring everything into the auditorium [Sunday] morning, and after the church’s services are over, we pack it all up and take it back,” he said.
The Means family worked with another church plant when they lived in Midland. “That was a really fulfilling experience that really helped us grow a lot personally,” he said. “When we moved to Houston, being able to take our experiences from that other church plant and apply them here has been really awesome.”
Means’ advice to Dublin graduates is to prioritize their education. “Whether that’s technical school or some type of traditional college experience, educate yourself in some way,” he said. “It will always benefit you in the long run. And when you’re in school or whatever, go to class and take notes. I can tell you firsthand that if you do those two things you can pass and you can achieve your goals.”
Editor’s Note: This column chronicles what Dublin graduates have done since high school. If you have any suggestions for other grads, email publisher@dublincitizen. com.