Dian True, regional coordinator and community outreach coordinator for the Wyoming Center on Aging at the University of Wyoming, and Dr. Tom Repas, a Gillette endocrinologist, were recently honored at the 2026 Wyoming Diabetes Summit in Casper. Pictured, from left, are Ashley Littleton, chair of the coordinating body of the Wyoming Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES) chapter; True; Repas; and Troy Bailey, treasurer of the coordinating body of Wyoming ADCES. (Kara Beech Photo)
Dian True, regional coordinator and community outreach coordinator for the Wyoming
Center on Aging (WyCOA) at the University of Wyoming, and Dr. Tom Repas, a Gillette
endocrinologist, were honored at Elevating Your Practice: The Wyoming Diabetes Summit
in Casper.
The two were presented with awards that recognized their pivotal roles in establishing
the very infrastructure of diabetes care in Wyoming. The ceremony, which took place
April 10, highlighted a partnership of professional excellence that dates back over
two decades.
True was celebrated as a “pioneer” and a “mentor of mentors.” With a career spanning
25 years, she was a key architect in the 2000 opening of one of Wyoming’s first comprehensive
diabetes centers in Cody. Her influence, however, extends far beyond clinical practice.
In 2006, she served as the founding president of the Wyoming Association of Diabetes
Care and Education Specialists (ADCES) chapter, providing a vital platform for professional
advocacy. Her reach eventually went global, and she represented the profession as
an ambassador in major international cities, including Paris, Zurich and Beijing.
“Dian is the reason many of us have a seat at the table,” says Ashley Littleton, chair
of the coordinating body of the Wyoming ADCES chapter, who presented True with her
award.
Littleton emphasized True’s work in Washington, D.C., as a legislative liaison and
her decades spent ensuring state programs met rigorous national standards for Medicare
recognition.
Repas was honored for his visionary leadership as a driving force in regional endocrinology.
After completing his fellowship at the University of Wisconsin, Repas returned to
the wide-open spaces of Wyoming, where he has spent 25 years elevating the standard
of patient-centered care.
“Dr. Repas has been the approver of the diabetes continuing education for the diabetes conference (Wyoming Diabetes
Summit) we support,” says Kara Beech, a regional coordinator for WyCOA. “All education
has to have someone with a high level of credentials approving the education provided.”
Both True and Repas were credited with leading the 2001 advisory initiatives that
secured Centers for Disease Control grant funding necessary to establish the Wyoming
Chronic Disease Prevention Program.
While Repas is known professionally as a principal investigator in major Type 1 and
Type 2 diabetes clinical trials, the ceremony also shed light on his unique life outside
of the clinic. A fourth-generation master beekeeper and an internationally award-winning
mead maker, Repas was recognized for practicing the same principles of sustainability
and wellness on his family homestead that he advocates for his patients.
The joint recognition of True and Repas served as a reminder of the progress made in rural health care in Wyoming. Their combined efforts have not only improved patient outcomes across the state, but also have built a sustainable framework for the next generation of Wyoming health care providers.
