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Tim Dunn (b. 1955) is an American businessman and philanthropist. He co-founded the oil and gas business CrownQuest Operating, LLC, and currently serves as the company’s chief executive officer. Dunn is involved with a variety of social and political causes that emphasize religious and political liberty.

Early life
Dunn was born in Littlefield, Texas. Neither of his parents were high school graduates. He grew up in Big Spring, Texas, where he graduated from Big Spring High School in 1974. He earned a chemical engineering degree from Texas Tech University in 1978.

Career
Dunn began his career as an engineer at Exxon Production Research Company, where he worked from 1978 to 1980. From 1980 to 1987, Dunn worked in banking at First City Bancorporation. He served as an executive at Parker & Parsley Petroleum from 1987 to 1995, and ended his career there as chief financial officer.

Dunn co-founded the predecessor entities to his current company, CrownQuest Operating, LLC, in 1996. He currently serves as CrownQuest’s chief executive officer. In 2013, Dunn was named as top CEO of a large company by the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association and Texas Monthly magazine.

In both 2013 and 2014, CrownQuest announced plans to drill for oil in approximately 250 wells. CrownQuest’s new $14.9 million office building is slated to open in summer 2015.

Public policy
Dunn is involved with a variety of national and Texas-based public policy organizations as both a donor and board member. He has been called the most effective political donor in Texas.

Dunn serves as chairman of the board of directors of Empower Texans and Texans for Fiscal Responsibility. He is also vice chairman of the board of directors at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

Dunn helped to found the Center for Effective Criminal Justice at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. The Center for Effective Criminal Justice initiated the national Right on Crime movement. The Right on Crime movement focuses on advancing statutory and administrative reforms designed to move Texas' criminal justice policies toward a focus crime reduction and restoring victims and communities damaged by crime.

Dunn is a founding board member of Citizens for Self-Governance (CSG), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whose stated mission is to "elevate awareness and provide resources, advocacy, and education to grassroots organizations and individuals exercising their rights to govern themselves." CSG is currently spearheading the Convention of States project, a national effort geared toward equipping citizens to call for an Article V Convention to propose Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

Dunn serves on the board of the Lucy Burns Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that seeks to empower people to engage in democracy via the delivery of "exceptionally high quality information."

Educational and religious involvement
Dunn co-founded the Midland Classical Academy, a nonprofit Christian school, where he serves on the board of trustees. Midland Classical Academy uses the Socratic method to teach a curriculum rooted in the development of western civilization.

Dunn serves on the board of directors of the China Aid Association, an international nonprofit Christian human rights organization committed to promoting religious freedom and the rule of law in China. Dunn is also a member of the board of directors of Grace School of Theology, a Christian seminary with a vision to become “A Seminary to the World,” and the Liberty Institute, a Christian legal defense organization.

In June 2014, Dunn joined the board of directors of King’s College, a Christian liberal arts college located in New York City.

Personal
Dunn married his wife, Terri, after his junior year of college. They have six children and nine grandchildren. The Dunns reside in Midland, Texas, where they are members of Midland Bible Church. One of Dunn's sons is the Christian singer-songwriter David Dunn.