Board of Governors
Kim Abrams Bio
Vice President, Corporate Services and Real Estate
Co-Head of America’s Regional Offices Goldman, Sachs & Co.
222 South Main Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Kim Abrams is the Head of the America’s Regional Offices for Goldman Sachs. She oversees the corporate services and real estate functions for the firm’s offices in the United states, Canada and South America. Prior to relocating to Salt Lake City, Kim held hospitality roles at the firm in event management and food services based in New York. She joined Goldman Sachs in 2001. Prior to joining the firm, Kim worked at JP Morgan and the AICPA.
Kim is a board member of the Salt Lake City Downtown Alliance.
Kim earned a Bachelor’s degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Llyod Allen Bio
Llyod Allen
CBRE
Lloyd Allen, J.D. serves as the Managing Director for the Salt Lake City office of CBRE. Within his role, Lloyd leads 120 professionals across various business lines including Advisory & Transaction Services, Capital Markets, Debt & Structured Finance, Project Management, Asset Services, Valuation & Advisory Services, Marketing Research and Corporate Services. He is responsible for leading business development efforts and maintaining the world-class standard that is expected of CBRE. Lloyd also acts as Principal Broker, ensuring compliance with federal and state statutory and Utah Division of Real Estate requirements.
Lloyd’s professional experience begin in the field of law, where he has served as general and corporate counsel, worked in private practice and taught as an adjunct professor. In 2006 Lloyd transitioned to commercial real estate and took a position as corporate counsel and senior vice president of brokerage services for a national commercial real estate organization. In addition to overseeing litigation and managing the state regulatory relationship as principal broker, he also managed the brokerage relationship, overseeing more than 80 agents located throughout the state of Utah.
Nathan Anderson Bio
Director, Public Affairs
Union Pacific Railroad
280 South 400 West, Ste. 250
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Nathan Anderson is Director Public Affairs for Union Pacific Railroad. A function of the Corporate Relations Group, he acts as the public face of the company, specifically in Utah, Nevada, Idaho, and Montana. Mr. Anderson has direct responsibility for community outreach, constituent and legislative issues, philanthropic giving, and public relations and serves on multiple non-profit and professional boards. He joined Union Pacific Railroad in 2004 after spending time in both private equity and manufacturing.
Mr. Anderson continues in a strong tradition of an actively engaged public presence in the communities served by Union Pacific Railroad. Until March 2015, he was a part of the Marketing and Sales organization at Union Pacific, with multiple roles including managing business segments, major account management and business development. His most recent position was in the Salt Lake City, UT commercial office.
Mervyn Arnold Bio
Elder Mervyn B. Arnold was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 5, 2003. He was released October 6, 2018. He previously served as Area President of the South America South Area in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has also served as Assistant Executive Director in the Temple and Missionary Departments, a member of the Boundary and Leadership Change Committee, the President of the Brazil South Area, and a counselor in the Brazil North and Brazil South Areas.
Before his call as a General Authority, Elder Arnold earned a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s degree in public administration from Brigham Young University. He founded and co-owned a building and development company. Later he expanded and was a cofounder of Guardian State Bank. After he retired, he became director of training and field services in the Missionary Department of the Church, where he was working when called as a General Authority.
Elder Arnold has served in several Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Northern Mexico Mission, president of the Costa Rica San José Mission, counselor in a stake presidency, stake high councilor, bishop, and elders quorum president.
Mervyn Bennion Arnold was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on July 19, 1948. He married Devonna Kress Arnold in August 1971. They are the parents of six children.
Eddie Bangerter Bio
President and COO
Rocky Mountain Care
576 West 900 South #260
Woods Cross, UT 84010
Edward Bangerter, President of Rocky Mountain Care, LLC and Home Care and Hospice and Advisory Committee Member, began work with Rocky Mountain Care in 1990 on a part time basis, and full-time in 1993 as the Administrator of Rocky Mountain Care – Bountiful. During his tenure there he was responsible for all facility operations. From that position, as home care operations were started, he moved positions to oversee the establishment of those services in the company.
Bangerter now serves as President of Rocky Mountain Care, LLC, the management company over all skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, private duty nursing and hospices. Prior to that, he was the Divisional President over Home Care and Hospice. He has also served as a Vice President over those operations. He is responsible for all home health care, private duty and hospice operations for Rocky Mountain Care and its affiliated companies in offices covering five western states. He provides overall management oversight and review of operations, management and licensure of these offices, as well as maintaining primary fiscal control over the operations.
During his tenure, home health care was expanded from one office to the current 23 offices through internal growth as well as acquisitions. Also, under his supervision, private duty and hospice operations were initiated and then expanded. Rocky Mountain Care affiliated entities now provide hospice in two states, with applications in process to expand to a third.
Bangerter also oversees the Central Intake, Education, Quality Assurance, Clinical Programs, Social Services, Therapy, Information Technology and Business Development efforts for all Rocky Mountain Care related entities.
As a member of the Advisory Committee, Bangerter provides long term planning and oversight of the operations of all Rocky Mountain Care entities, as well as future development and business growth.
Bangerter is a graduate of Brigham Young University with a Bachelors degree in Communications, and obtained a Masters in Business Administration from Weber State University.
Dr. Robert T. Behunin Bio
Director of Government & Public Affairs
R & R Partners
837 East South Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84102
As a higher education administrator for nearly twenty years, Rob used his PhD in Medieval and Renaissance literature, his communication abilities, fundraising skills, and personal networks to drive innovation, develop strategies for community growth and engagement, and build coalitions to get things done. Now the director of government and public affairs for R&R Partners, Rob is using his unique skill set to help a variety of clients across the entire state achieve critical objectives. Rob has served on various boards including GOED, World Trade Center, the Governor’s Energy Advisory Committee and the Judicial Conduct Commission, to name a few. He lives in Wellsville and says he enjoys the commute to Salt Lake and working with folks in rural Utah.
Bruce Bingham Bio
Partner
Hamilton Partners
222 South Main, Suite 1870
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Bruce Bingham is a founding partner of Hamilton Partners, with the responsibility for overseeing office, industrial, residential and retail development in Salt Lake City and Utah. Bruce has been involved in the purchase of the Newhouse Building, the Boston Building, the Broadway Centre and the development of the 222 Main Office Tower. Mr. Bingham’s community participation includes serving on the Executive Board of the Salt Lake Chamber, having served as past chair of the Downtown Alliance, serving as president of the Days of ‘47 Pioneer Celebration, serving on the Executive Committee of Enterprise Mentors International and the English Skills Learning Center.
Nate Boyer Bio
Partner
The Boyer Company
90 South 400 West, Suite 200
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Nate Boyer became President in July of 2017. Nate’s experience has included leasing, development and build-to-suit leaseback work. As a partner for The Boyer Company, he has managed and developed over 2.5 million square feet of office and related commercial space in various markets in and out of Utah. Nate has worked closely with build-to-suit office clients to construct office buildings totaling over $500 million. Nate previously served as president of the NAIOP Utah Chapter and serves on various boards including the Salt Lake Chamber, Envision Utah, and Pioneer Theatre Company.
Nate received a Bachelor of Science (Finance) from Brigham Young University and his Master of Science in Real Estate Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Mark Brennan Bio
Senior Vice President
Ames Construction
3737 West 2100 South
West Valley City, UT 84120
Mark has worked at Ames Construction full time since May 1974. He has worked in various positions in Management; presently he is the President of the Western Region and one of the five owners of Ames. He has traveled around the world doing heavy civil construction. Ames has built power plants, mine sites, major rail and road construction. We have moved half way around the work in a matter of days to fulfill the needs of our clients, both public and private. Ames believes strongly in relationships, and being transparent in all aspects of our work. Ames believes people can do anything with the right leadership and resources. Ames believes in community involvement and hard work to better our lives and environmental. I am proud of our employees and values.
Benjamin Brown Bio
Ben Brown joined Fidelity Investments in 2004 and currently serves as Fidelity’s Public Affairs Manager for Utah. He assists with monitoring and reporting on local business trends as well as representing Fidelity in the business community. In addition to his Public Affairs duties, Ben assists with coordination and implementation of employee volunteer events and corporate sponsorship programs statewide. Ben currently serves as treasurer for the Plan B Theatre Company, board member of Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake, and vice president of the board for the Salt Lake City Gay Athletic Association. Ben earned his Bachelors of Business Administration from Westminster College. Ben resides in Salt Lake City and in his free time enjoys exploring the world of photography as well as Salt Lake City’s nightlife and restaurants.
Terry Buckner Bio
President and CEO
The Buckner Company
6550 South Millrock Drive, Ste. 300
Salt Lake City, UT 84121
Terry H. Buckner is the president and CEO of The Buckner Company, and was born into the entrepreneurial family that carries the company’s name. Terry earned his MBA from Utah State in 1979, his Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation in 1983 and was named Young Agent of the Year in 1989, a year after taking over the position as president of The Buckner Company. After buying out his father and uncle and assuming full command of the company from his partner in 1992, Terry made several critical strategic moves that allowed the company to experience explosive growth between 2001 and 2011. He serves on the Board of Governors for The Salt Lake Chamber, the National Advisory Council for Weber State University and as a member of the Board of Directors for Envision Utah, a non-profit entity established to manage Utah’s growth. Terry and his wife Lynne are parents to seven children.
Lonnie Bullard Bio
Chairman and CEO
Jacobsen Construction Company
3131 West 2210 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84119
Lonnie Bullard has been the CEO of Jacobsen Construction Company since 1996. Jacobsen is one of the largest general building contractors in the mountain west and one of the largest employee owned construction firms in the country. Notable local projects include the Conference Center, renovation of the Utah State Capitol and the Salt Lake Tabernacle, and the major portion of the work on City Creek Retail Center. Prior to joining Jacobsen, he was a senior partner at a major Salt Lake real estate development company. He also worked in investment banking in Chicago and New York City. Lonnie received a bachelor’s degree from Weber State University and an MBA from Northwestern University.
Keith Buswell Bio
Vice President of Corporation Relations
Wadman Corporation
2920 South 925 West, P.O. Box 1458
Ogden, UT 84401
Mr. Buswell has more than 35 years of construction related experience, spending the last 12 years as a vice president for Wadman Corporation. After graduating from Brigham Young University his professional background included varied experiences in commercial real estate development, acquisitions, retail store development, prototypical designs, construction and property management. He has worked for a real estate investment trust, developers, anchor and specialty retailers on a regional and national basis. As a retailer, he worked in the grocery industry with real estate and construction responsibilities for more than 10 years and in the consumer electronics industry building stores across the country. In addition to real estate and construction responsibilities, Keith has also been involved in marketing, strategic planning, purchasing and administration for large corporations as well as smaller, high-growth entrepreneurial companies. He has served on the State School Board and Board of Regents for the past four years.
Andy Carroll Bio
Chief Business Officer
REAL Salt Lake/ Rio Tinto Stadium
9256 South State Street
Sandy, UT 84070
Andrew Carroll is the Chief Business Officer for the RSL organization, overseeing all business operations at Real Salt Lake (MLS) and the Real Monarchs (USL), including corporate partnerships, tickets sales and operations, marketing, communications, public relations, media and game operations.
Andrew joined Real Salt Lake as Vice President of Corporate Partnerships in November, 2012, where he was responsible for all Corporate Partnerships sales and service, as well as all Game Operations. In 2013, his first season at RSL, the team was recognized as the Corporate Partnerships Team of the Year by Major League Soccer. Andrew was also instrumental in securing the long-term jersey front partnership with LifeVantage, the 2nd largest club partnership in Major League Soccer history at the time.
Previously, Andrew was the Chief Marketing Officer for Maverik Center & the Utah Grizzlies, where he was the driving force in securing the first-ever arena naming rights sponsorship for the then E Center of West Valley City. Prior to his success at Maverik Center, he was founder and CEO of Icon Sports Group, a sports marketing firm dedicated to athlete marketing, where he successfully developed and executed fully integrated marketing, public relations, media, merchandising and licensing solutions for professional athletes. In this role, Andrew was highly involved with Olympic and Action Sports athletes, and was also a certified agent with NFL Players Association. Prior to founding Icon Sports Group, in a period spanning fifteen years, Andrew held a variety of sales and marketing executive positions at Cadbury Schweppes and Pepsi.
Andrew is the former Board Chair and current board member of Wish of a Lifetime and also serves on the Board of Trustees of Salt Lake Regional Medical Center.
Thom Carter Bio
Thom Carter was named the second Executive Director for the Utah Clean Air Partnership in October of 2017. UCAIR is a non-profit organization established to bring communities together with one goal in mind – improving Utah’s air. Thom has a diverse background, including work in the political and policy arena alongside international experience in professional sports.
Born in Salt Lake City, Utah; Carter spent his childhood in New Hampshire and youth in New Jersey, graduating from Montgomery High School, in Montgomery, NJ. After serving a mission in California for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Carter attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah earning a degree in English. While at BYU he served as a Student Body Officer.
His career has taken him all over the country and world; with focus on policy, politics and fundraising as well as professional sports management. In the policy world, he worked in Ohio, Tennessee, Washington DC, and New Jersey. Carter served as an elected official while in New Jersey.
His professional sports background includes working in the minor league baseball system of the Arizona Diamondbacks in Montana and California. He also spent close to four years growing Major League Baseball’s operations in Australia. He was the CEO/GM of the Canberra Cavalry of the Australian Baseball League (a MLB affiliated winter league), leading them to an ABL Championship. Under his leadership the Cavalry were the first Australian team to win the Asia Series.
Carter is an avid reader and sports fan. Growing up in the Northeast, he has a great love for all New England sports teams (Red Sox, Celtics, Patriots, and Bruins) and also cheers for the Los Angeles Dodgers due to his Grandmother’s and Father’s love for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He hopes the BYU Football team can return to their former glory and enjoys attending BYU sporting events.
Thom married the former Andrea Mayo in April of 2018.
Now at UCAIR, Thom sits on the Governor’s Energy Advisory Council and Co-Chairs the Healthy Salt Lake Steering Committee. Thom works diligently to bring partners together for collective impact in addressing Utah’s air quality challenges.
Vance Checketts Bio
Vance Checketts is the Chief Operating Officer at Dsco.io, a Utah-based supply chain software technology company. Previously, he was VP & GM at Dell EMC, where he had responsibility for a technical team of 1,400 people in Utah. Vance joined EMC through their acquisition of Mozy in 2007. Vance has an BA and MBA from Brigham Young University. He serves on several other boards and local organizations, including Silicon Slopes, Junior Achievement, Utah Child Care Cooperative, and the STEM Action Center. He was recently honored with the Impact Award from the Women Tech Council.
Roger Christiansen Bio
Senior Vice President, Marketing, Communications and Business Development
Bank of Utah
711 South State Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Roger Christensen is the Marketing, Communications and Businesses Development Senior Vice President for Bank of Utah who helps build strong relationships to our customers, shareholders and employees. These relationships build strong long-term ties that can create profitability and friendships to all involved.
Prior to working with Bank of Utah, Roger spent nine years with Columbia River Bank, first as Chief Operating Officer, then as President and Chief Executive Officers. During this time he served on many boards, such as United Way, Associated Oregon Industries, Western Independent Bankers and Pacific Coast Banking School to name a few.
Roger enjoys all types of participation sports and arts, in addition, he is involved with charitable institutions in the area.
He currently serves on the Hale Theater Board, Utah Micro-loan Fund and the Union Station Board of Directors.
Carlton Christensen Bio
Trustee Christensen comes to UTA after serving five years as the Director of Regional Transportation, Housing and Economic Development for Salt Lake County. Prior to joining the County, Trustee Christensen worked as a Community Development Representative for Zions Bank. Previously he worked for 18 years in finance and accounting for both the bank and for a property management development company. He has an extensive track record of public service including sixteen years spent on the Salt Lake City Council. Mr. Christensen has also been the Chair of the Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency and Salt Lake City Council, President of the Utah League of Cities & Towns, President of the Associates Board for the Museum of Natural History of Utah, an ex officio member of the Salt Lake City Airport Board and Chair of the Wasatch Front Economic Development District. Mr. Christensen previously served on the Board of Shelter the Homeless and as a member of the Great Salt Lake Advisory Council.
Wilford Clyde Bio
President
Clyde Companies
P.O. Box 1955, 730 North 1500 West
Orem, UT 84059
Wilford W. Clyde is a lifelong resident of Springville, and recently finished his second and final term as mayor in January 2018. He graduated from BYU with a degree in accounting. Following graduation, Wilford began working in the family construction business, Geneva Rock, where he eventually became the president. He is currently president and CEO of Clyde Companies, Inc., parent company of W.W. Clyde & Co., Geneva Rock, Sunroc Corporation, Sunroc Building Materials and Beehive Insurance. Wilford has served the community in many capacities including: chairman of the Utah Manufacturers Association, president of the Utah Associated General Contractors, chairman of the Provo/Orem Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the Board of Trustees of Utah Valley University and national president of the BYU Cougar Club. He is the past chairman of the Salt Lake Chamber and currently serves on the Utah State Board of Regents that governs Higher Education in Utah.
Dr. Noelle Cockett Bio
President
Utah State University
1440 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322
Noelle E. Cockett was appointed as Utah State University’s 16th president in October 2016, beginning her official tenure in January 2017.
At the time of the announcement, Cockett was serving as executive vice president and provost at USU and has held that position since 2013. Prior to that, she served USU as vice president for Extension from 2006 to 2013; dean of the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences from 2002 to 2013; and director of the Utah Agriculture Experiment Station from 2009 to 2013.
Cockett has built a distinguished career in sheep genomics research, maintaining an active research program even while serving in various leadership positions at USU. Her research program has centered on the identification of genetic markers associated with economically important traits in sheep, as well as the development of resources that advance research on the sheep genome. Cockett and her colleagues published an article describing the sheep genome sequence in Science in 2014. Her current project focuses on the identification of genetic regions associated with entropion in newborn lambs. Cockett has served as the United States coordinator for sheep genome mapping since 1993 and is an active member of the International Sheep Genomics Consortium.
As an active researcher, Cockett has received many awards and accolades throughout her career including a Young Scientist Award from the Western Section of the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS), the Utah Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology (2004 and 2015) and one of USU’s top honors, the D. Wynne Thorne Research Award.
After receiving her master’s and doctorate in animal breeding and genetics from Oregon State University, Cockett spent five years as a research geneticist at the United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska. She joined USU in 1990 as a researcher and assistant professor in the Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences.
Cockett grew up on a beef cattle ranch in eastern Montana and is married to John Cockett, director of technology in USU’s Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services. Noelle and John have two children, Dylan and Chantelle.
Elizabeth Converse Bio
Elizabeth Converse is a communications and advocacy expert, and the current Director of Operation for the Utah Technology Council. Having worked in government and politics for 15 years, she enjoys representing tech on Capitol Hill under the newly joined banner of Silicon Slopes/UTC. Originally from Oklahoma, Elizabeth moved to Utah nearly a decade ago, and enjoys exploring the outdoors with her husband, son, and two furbabies.
Amanda Covington Bio
Amanda was previously the Senior Vice President of Communications and Government Relations for Vista Outdoor Inc., a leading global designer, manufacturer and marketer in the growing outdoor sports and recreation markets. Amanda also served as the Vice President, Corporate Communications for ATK, an aerospace, defense, and commercial products company, prior to its spin-off to Vista Outdoor.
Before joining ATK, Amanda worked as the Assistant Commissioner for Public Affairs at the Utah System of Higher Education from 2005 to 2008. She also served as the Deputy for Communications and spokesperson for Utah Governor Olene S. Walker from 2003 to 2004. Before joining the Governor’s Office, Amanda was the Director of Communications for the Utah Department of Transportation, leading communications campaigns for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, I-15 Reconstruction, and Legacy Parkway.
Amanda has a background in broadcast journalism, working for Utah’s NBC and ABC affiliates.
Amanda earned an Honors bachelor’s degree in mass communications and a Master’s of Public Administration from the University of Utah.
Lew Cramer Bio
President
Coldwell Bank Commercial
6550 South Millrock Drive, Suite 200
Salt Lake City, UT 84121
Lew Cramer became president of Coldwell Bank Commercial in 2013. directed the World Trade Center Utah in enhancing our state’s international expansion by assisting Utah firms in connecting with global business opportunities for nearly seven years. Cramer spent many years in Washington, D.C. working with US WEST International. In the Reagan administration, he served as a White House Fellow, as a Deputy Assistant Commerce Secretary, and as the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for International Trade. In the first Bush administration, Mr. Cramer was the Director General of the U.S. Commercial Service, directing the activities of 1400 commercial officers at over 150 embassies worldwide and in 65 offices throughout the United States. He previously taught at the University of Southern California and Georgetown University. He is an honors graduate of the charter class of the Brigham Young University Law School.
Bill Crim Bio
President & CEO
United Way of Salt Lake
257 East 200 South, Ste. 300
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Bill Crim serves as President and CEO of United Way of Salt Lake (UWSL). Most recently, he worked as UWSL’s Senior Vice President of Collective Impact and Public Policy. He has worked for over 23 years on issues related to economic opportunity, health care, education and poverty – first as a research fellow for the Coalition on Human Needs in Washington, D.C. and then as a researcher, policy analyst, community organizer, lobbyist, and executive director for Utah Issues.
Bill joined UWSL in 2004 to help in its successful transformation to the Collective Impact business model. He led a team that created and implemented UWSL’s public policy strategy, establishing the organization as an influential leader within Utah’s local and state policy environment. In 2013, Bill helped facilitate the first “pay for success” transaction for early childhood education, helping make high-quality preschool available to 600 additional low-income children in several communities in Utah.
He has been appointed by Utah’s Governor to serve on the Utah State Health Data Committee, the Utah State Homeless Coordinating Committee, and the Utah Commission on Volunteers, and previously served on the Utah State Workforce Investment Board.
Bill began his career with the Utah Issues Center for Poverty Research and Action, where he served as Executive Director. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Utah with a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science, and is married with two sons.
Andrew Croshaw Bio
Andrew Croshaw
Andrew Croshaw is CEO of Leavitt Partners. Andrew joined Leavitt Partners at its inception in 2009 and was appointed to his current role in April 2017. He has played an instrumental role in positioning Leavitt Partners as one of the nation’s leading health care intelligence firms. In his current role, he oversees the operational and strategic activities of all Leavitt Partners enterprises.
Previously, Andrew served as the President of Leavitt Partners Consulting where he oversaw the delivery of consulting services to clients across the country. Prior to joining Leavitt Partners, Andrew was
a senior executive advisor to Secretary Mike Leavitt at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services where he managed the overall implementation of a signature department initiative to improve the connectivity, transparency, and value of America’s health care system. Prior to serving in the federal government, Andrew worked at Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation and Eli Lilly and Company where he provided leadership for the corporate Medicare and Medicaid business segments.
Andrew earned a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University, where he pursued interests in health care innovation and leadership.
John Dahlstrom Bio
Vice President
Wasatch Commercial Management
299 South Main Street, Suite 2400
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
John A. Dahlstrom Jr., executive vice president and general counsel of Wasatch Property Management, Inc., has been working with Wasatch since May of 2001. John is chiefly responsible for leasing, acquisition and development of commercial properties managed by Wasatch and owned by Wasatch affiliated entities. Before joining Wasatch, John practiced law in Salt Lake City, Utah. He has a Bachelor of Arts in the School of Finance from the University of Utah (1984) and received his JD from the University of Utah in 1988. John is a member of the Board of Governors of the Salt Lake Area Chamber, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Downtown Alliance in Salt Lake City and is a director on the Gallivan Center Board.
Michael Dale Bio
President
New Media Strategists
P.O. Box 58613
Salt Lake City, UT 84158
Michael Dale is president of New Media Strategists and specializes in public and media relations, crisis communications, internal and external client communications and event management. Michael earned his Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Boston University. He has produced and hosted television programs with KSL-TV and KJZZ-TV in Salt Lake City, KCBS-TV and FOX-TV in Los Angeles and NBC News in New York City, Boston and New Hampshire. Michael currently serves on the Board of Governors of the Salt Lake Chamber and the Board of Trustees of the Intermountain Healthcare Deseret Foundation. Utah Business honored him in 2005 as one of the “Forty Under 40” rising stars in the state. In 2010, the Salt Lake Chamber named New Media Strategists Entrepreneurial Success Small Business of the Year.
Raymond J. Dardano Bio
President and CEO
Marlin Business Bank
2795 East Cottonwood Pkwy, Suite 120
Salt Lake City, UT 84121
Mr. Dardano is the president and CEO of Marlin Business Bank in Salt Lake City, Utah. Marlin Business Bank specializes in commercial lending and focuses on financing business equipment nationwide. After receiving a BA in Finance from the University of Illinois, Dardano began his banking career as a bank examiner for the State of Illinois in 1982. In 1999 he moved to Utah as director of lending for Merrill Lynch Bank USA, which was a Utah industrial bank. Dardano joined UBS in September 2002 and started their Utah industrial bank. He ran the bank until mid-2011, a period during which it became one of the top 50 banks in the United States as measured by deposits. Dardano is currently a member of the following Boards: University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business, Junior Achievement of Utah and Utah Symphony and Opera.
Ingolf de Jong Bio
President
General Communications
12393 South Gateway Park Plaza, Suite 400
Draper, UT 84020
Ingolf de Jong is the president and a principal partner of General Communications, Inc., a building technology integration company designing and implementing audio/visual networked solutions with offices in Utah and Virginia. He enjoys grass roots politics and is frequently elected as a political delegate from his precinct. He donates his time to various civic, religious, and industry organizations. Throughout his life, with four sons, he has volunteered countless hours as a Boy Scout leader with each of his sons earning the Eagle Scout rank. Ingolf and Wendy, his wife of 32 years, enjoy living in Highland Utah. They are the proud parents of four sons, two daughter-in-laws, and four grandchildren.
Sydnee Dickson Bio
Superintendent
Utah State Office of Education
250 East 500 South, P.O. Box 144200
Salt Lake Chamber, UT 84111
Sydnee Dickson has been serving as Utah State Superintendent of Public Instruction since June of 2016 and served as interim state superintendent for six months prior to that. She has nearly 10 years of experience working in the office of the Utah State Board of Education (USBE). Prior to that Dickson worked in various counseling, teaching, and leadership capacities in the Davis, Granite and Murray school districts for 27 years. She holds an Ed.D. degree in Education Leadership and Policy from the University of Utah and a master of education degree from Brigham Young University in educational leadership and administration. Her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and teaching is from Utah State University.
Quinn Dietlein Bio
Quinn Dietlein is a proud father of 3. He really enjoys making music with his family band. He is an avid lover of musical theatre and the Utah Jazz. Quinn works at Hale Centre Theatre as the Executive Director, he is in his 10th year at the organization. This role allows him to operate in several different functions of the theatre ranging from fundraising and marketing to the more alluring side of getting productions onto the stage. Previously, Quinn worked at Flying J and received his MBA at USU.
Dr. Beth Dobkin Bio
Beth Dobkin, provost emeritus and professor of communication, served for the past 10 years as provost and vice president for academic affairs of Saint Mary’s College of California, a private, comprehensive and Catholic university of approximately 4,000 students. She oversaw the academic vision and operational management of the college, with specific responsibility for academic affairs, enrollment, student affairs, and technology. Dobkin is a commissioner for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and serves on the boards of the Foundation for Hispanic Education and Ujima Family Recovery Services.
Under Dobkin’s direction, Saint Mary’s College achieved upward trends in enrollment, retention, and graduation rates, and she led the college to achieving national recognition in hybrid executive education, performing arts, diversity initiatives, community service, and study abroad; earning inclusion in the 2012 edition of Colleges that Change Lives; and obtaining Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation.
Dr. Dobkin’s initiatives led to the highest graduation rates in the college’s history, with a 15 percent increase in the four-year graduation rate of firsttime, first-year students during her tenure; acquisition of over $4 million in federal grants as a Minority and Hispanic Serving Institution; and establishment of the College Committee on Inclusive Excellence, a Bias Incident Response Team, campus-wide diversity training, and the college’s first chief diversity officer.
Dr. Dobkin was honored by the San Francisco Business Times as one of the “Most Influential Women in Business in the Bay Area” in 2015 and 2014, and in 2013, she was identified by Diablo Magazine as one of six “Women to Watch.” Previously, she directed the University of Massachusetts Public Debate program and taught at Hartford University, the University of Connecticut, and the College of Our Lady of the Elms. Dr. Dobkin has achieved national recognition for her research and teaching in the area of media and conflict. Her honors have included a fellowship in executive leadership with the American Council on Education and lifetime membership in Phi Kappa Phi. She earned her doctorate and master’s degrees from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and received a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from Humboldt State University.
In addition to her anticipation of joining the Westminster community, Dobkin said her family is also looking forward to exploring Utah’s storied landscapes with their horses. Dobkin has been married for 27 years to her husband, Randy Chiotti. The couple have two children: Alexandra, who is headed to graduate school in architecture this fall, and Randall, who will be attending a University of California campus as an undergraduate.
Matthew Durham Bio
Partner
Stoel Rives, LLP
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Matt Durham leads the firm’s Labor & Employment Group. A frequent media commentator and blogger at the World of Employment blog, Matt has more than 20 years of experience helping employers resolve disputes in state and federal courts and administrative agencies involving employment discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, wage and hour, drug testing, leave, benefits and labor/occupational safety issues. He routinely advises employers on developing and implementing personnel policies and complying with state and federal employment laws. Matt also represents clients in general civil litigation matters and has experience mediating employment disputes.
Rebecca Dutson Bio
Rebecca Dutson previously served as executive vice president for United Way of Salt Lake. Rebecca oversees the organization’s resource development, and marketing. She previously served as COO. Prior to joining United Way in 1991, Rebecca worked for First Security Bank. Recognized for her leadership at the national level, she served as a member of the United Way Worldwide Inclusion Council and was the convener of the Women’s Business Resource Group. She is a frequent presenter on resource development at national and regional conferences. In 2006, Rebecca was highlighted in Utah Business’ Forty Under 40 issue. Rebecca received her BS from the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business. She is an accomplished violinist and pianist. She and her husband, Rulon, enjoy two wonderful daughters.
TJ England Bio
Associate General Counsel
C.R. England Global Transportation
P.O. Box 27728
Salt Lake City, UT 84127
TJ England is Deputy General Counsel & Director of Corporate Compliance at C.R. England, Inc. Mr. England’s role focuses on the management of C.R. England’s legal department and legal and regulatory compliance. Mr. England is also a member of C.R. England’s Board of Directors. Prior to C.R. England, Mr. England was in private practice at the Utah law firm of Ray Quinney & Nebeker and also worked for the litigation center of the American Trucking Associations in Arlington, Virginia. Mr. England received a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Utah and his juris doctorate from the George Washington University Law School.
Michael Ferro Bio
Michael has been a licensed real estate broker since 1985 and joined InterNet Properties in 1999 as Associate Broker bringing extensive experience in commercial real estate, general contracting and real estate development to the firm. Upon the passing of the company’s founder, Vasilios Priskos in 2017, Michael took on the role of Principal Broker for the firm. He also heads up the Development Services division which provides owner’s representation and construction management services.
Prior to locating to Salt Lake City from Southern California, Ferro gained much of his experience working for companies such as Breton Construction in Irvine and Birtcher in Laguna Niguel where he was involved in numerous real estate and construction deals comprised of high-rise office, warehouse/distribution centers, retail centers and multi-family projects.
He joined Salt Lake City based Union Pointe Construction and its development arm, Union Pacific as Vice President from 1992 to 1998, then joined Prime Commercial as Associate Broker as well as being Vice President of its development arm, Synergy Development, which specialized in build-to-suit retail projects for companies such as OfficeMax and Walgreens.
Ferro attended the University of Utah from 1980 to 1982 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Real Estate Finance with a minor in Economics from California State University at Fullerton and is a member of NAIOP, Utah Investment Council, CCIM and ICSC.
Michael’s expertise in commercial real estate leasing and sales, coupled with his experience working with local and national development firms, general contractors, investment groups, architects and engineers has proven substantially beneficial to his clients over the course of many years.
Marlise Fisher Bio
Marlise Fisher serves as the Utah-Nevada Regional President for Washington Federal, managing the banking operations of twenty-one retail branches. In addition, she oversees mortgage lending, small business banking, wholesale lending, construction lending, commercial real estate and treasury management services.
Marlise has worked in the banking industry for the past 30 years, working as a Stockbroker, Financial Advisor and finally as the Registered Principal for Mountain West and Heritage Savings Banks prior to joining Washington Federal. She has been a Branch Manager, Division Manager, and Regional President.
Marlise is a member of the Salt Lake Home Builders Association, Salt Lake Chamber Board of Governors, Rocky Mountain Community Reinvestment Corporation, Ivory Boyer Real Estate Center Advisory Board, University of Utah Crimson Club, Riverside Country Club, and is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Salt Lake City.
Tage Flint Bio
Director
Weber Basin Water Conservancy District
2837 East Highway 193
Layton, UT 84040
Tage Flint is the General Manager/CEO of Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, which administers operation and maintenance of irrigation and municipal water conveyance in five Utah counties, including seven major dams and reservoirs, three hydro-power generation plants, and hundreds of miles of canals, pipelines, and aqueducts. Throughout his 30-year career in the water industry, Mr. Flint has worked in engineering design and management of large water works facilities and has extensive experience with water rights, irrigation company leadership, and municipal water supply.
Mr. Flint remains active in his community and industry, by serving on many boards and committees. Most notably, he is the former National Director of the American Water Works Association, a member of the Air Force Chief of Staff’s Civic Leader Program, Chair of the National Water Resource Association’s Municipal Caucus, President of the Utah Defense Alliance, Vice Chair of the Top of Utah Military Affairs Committee, and Co-Chair of the Governor’s Water Strategy Advisory Team.
Mr. Flint is a Registered Professional Civil Engineer with degrees in mathematics and engineering and a Masters of Business Administration.
Rick L. Folkerson Bio
Vice President of Marketing
Ken Garff Automotive Group
531 South State Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
Rick Folkerson has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics at the University of Utah and a Dealership Management degree from the General Motors Dealer Academy. Rick leads the Ken Garff Community Relations and Grassroots Marketing team. Rick developed and launched the Keys to Success as well as the Road to Success incentive based education programs. The two programs influence almost 300,000 students attending high school and elementary schools. He also works with the Ken Garff Dealerships on large community sponsored projects within the Wasatch Front. Rick also serves as the Army Reserve Ambassador for the state of Utah, encouraging and speaking on the benefits of serving in the military. He is married to Jennifer Garff Folkerson and together they have two children, Richard G. and Jacob R. Folkerson.
Theresa Foxley Bio
CEO
EDCUtah
201 South Main Street, Ste. 2150
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Foxley assumes the President/CEO role at EDCUtah after most recently serving as the Deputy Director of Corporate Recruitment and Business Services at the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED). During her tenure, Foxley worked with dozens of companies on expansion and relocation projects, including Goldman Sachs, Vista Outdoors, Procter & Gamble, Solar City and Stadler Rail.
As Deputy Director of GOED, Ms. Foxley helped develop the strategic direction of the office and oversaw corporate recruitment, incentives, Utah’s International Trade and Diplomacy, the State Trade and Export Promotions program, and various other programs designed to help expand Utah’s economy.
Chris Gamvroulas Bio
President of Ivory Development
Ivory Homes
978 East Woodoak Lane
Salt Lake City, UT 84117
Chris Gamvroulas is president of Ivory Development, the land acquisition and development arm for Ivory Homes. Since 1996, Chris has overseen the land acquisition, planning, entitlement and construction of over 10,000 home sites for Ivory Homes. Prior to joining Ivory, Chris worked in state government for eight years in several capacities, including four years at the Utah Film Commission and three years as assistant director of the Division of Business & Economic Development. Chris graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Political Science. In 2006, Chris was recognized as a “Forty Under 40 Business Leader” by Utah Business, and in 2009 he was awarded the “President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement” by the Salt Lake Home Builders Association.
Christian Gardner Bio
President & CEO
Gardner Company
90 South 400 West, Suite 360
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Since 2004, Christian Gardner has served as president and CEO of Gardner Company. Christian has vast experience in finance, entitlements, design, and management. As president, Christian has developed and is currently developing diverse projects include corporate office buildings, medical office buildings, retail shopping centers, mixed-use lifestyle centers, surgical centers, hotels, and residential subdivisions. Christian is active in community and charitable causes. He is a member of the Alexis de Tocqueville Society and currently serves as a member of the United Way Board of Directors, NAIOP member and Carmen B. Pingree School Of Autism Board. Christian received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Utah and his Master of Science in Real Estate Development from the Massachusetts Institute Technology.
Kevin Garn Bio
CEO
Thackeray Garn
748 W. Heritage Park Blvd., Ste. 203
Layton, UT 84041
Kevin has over 35 years of commercial development experience specializing in the development of hotels, mixed-use projects, retail, office, apartment, restaurants and industrial properties. Kevin the Principal owner of KSG Properties. Kevin is the principal owner of a number of other businesses and is Chairman of the Board of First National Bank of Layton. He is a former Utah House of Representative having served for over 12 years. Kevin will be responsible for general oversight, financial control, lender and financial relationships.
Dan Gelston Bio
L3 Technologies
President, Broadband Communications Systems Sector
President, Communication Systems-West
Dan Gelston currently serves as President of Broadband Communications Systems sector and President of Communication Systems-West division at L3 Technologies. Employing over 3,800 engineers and support staff, the sector is a recognized leader in the design and production of state-of-the-art data links, SATCOM modems, terminals, and tactical signal intercept equipment.
Mr. Gelston joined L3 Technologies with 20 years of leadership experience in the US military, Intelligence Community, and defense industry. A turnaround and growth specialist, he has led product and service businesses focused on national, homeland, and cyber security, and has first-hand merger and acquisition experience in both buy/integrate and sell/operate.
Prior to L3 Technologies, Mr. Gelston served as the President and CEO of Smiths Detection, Inc. In this role, he had full operational and fiduciary responsibility for a stand-alone, 1,000+ employee company that specialized in security and detection technologies, manufacturing specialized products for the detection and identification of contraband and chemicals, biologicals, radiological materials and explosives.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Gelston was the President and CEO of Cobham’s Tactical Communications and Surveillance SSA business, and served as Vice Chairman of the Northrop Grumman / Cobham Joint Venture NGCI. At Cobham, he led the sale of their Global Surveillance Business to private equity and served as CEO during its transition to a private company. As Vice President/General Manager at Sotera Defense Solutions, Mr. Gelston played a key role in the company’s successful 2009 NASDAQ IPO and subsequent 2011 sale to a private equity. As the youngest Director at BAE Systems, Mr. Gelston established and led the corporation’s fastest growing and most profitable directorate.
Mr. Gelston’s military experience includes active and reserve duty from 1998 to 2007. As an Armor and Military Intelligence officer, he served both stateside and overseas.
Mr. Gelston holds a Masters of Science degree in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University and graduated from Bucknell University with a Bachelors of Arts double major in Economics and International Strategic Studies.
David Gessel Bio
Executive Vice President
UHA, Utah Hospital Association
2180 South 1300 East, Ste. 440
Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Dave Gessel currently serves as the Executive Vice President at the Utah Hospital Association (“UHA”). He has previously served as the Vice President of Government Relations and Legal Affairs for UHA. He has also worked as an attorney for a major Utah law firm as well as Legislative Director for a U.S. Congressman. Dave has also been actively involved in a number of federal, state and local political campaigns.
Dave received his Bachelors Degree from the University of Utah, his Masters Degree from Rutgers University and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia. Dave is a recognized healthcare law and policy expert. Dave has been appointed to a number of Utah state commissions and is active in civic and community affairs. Dave is a member of Rotary Club 24. He and his wife Diana reside in Salt Lake City and are the parents of four children.
DarlaGill Bio
Darla Gill is one of the founders of Merit Medical, and now represents Merit in several community, philanthropic, and scientific organizations. She served early in 1988 as Merit’s Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales and as a Director on the Company’s Board. From 2009 to 2018, she was President of Merit Endotek, a division that develops, manufactures, and distributes nonvascular stents and other products designed for the treatment of strictures in the gastrointestinal tract and the airway. Gill has worked in the medical device industry since 1983 and has served as a Director on several company boards. She was an executive at Utah Medical Systems from 1983–1988. In 1992, Gill founded Momentum Medical and led the company until its sale in 1998. At that time, Gill returned to Merit Medical as Executive Vice President of New Business Development. From 1999 to 2005, she served as Executive Vice President of Merit Medical Europe where she managed the Company’s marketing, sales, logistics, and customer service in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In 2006, Gill was appointed Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Organizational Development of the Company, and from 2007–2009, she was Executive Vice President of Marketing. She has a degree in Business Administration and is an inventor on several medical device patents.
Natalie Gochnour Bio
Associate Dean, David Eccles School of Business
Director, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute
Thomas S. Monson Center
411 E. South Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Gochnour serves as an associate dean in the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah and director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. Gochnour’s experience includes a diverse mix of public service and business expertise. For seven years she guided the public policy work of the Salt Lake Chamber, Utah’s largest business association. Gochnour created and led the Downtown Rising movement, helped pass a ballot initiative to secure funds for the expansion of Utah’s TRAX light rail and FrontRunner commuter rail service, and assisted with the drafting and promotion of the Utah Compact, a widely heralded document supporting immigration reform.
Gochnour’s state service she advised Utah governors Bangerter, Leavitt and Walker. She also served as a political appointee in the George W. Bush administration, serving as an associate administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a counselor to the secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Gochnour is a sought after public speaker with the unique ability to translate policy-speak into everyday language. A native Utahn, her professional focus and passion are public policies that promote balance, civility and prosperity. She shares her views in regular columns in both Utah Business magazine and the Deseret News.
Terry Grant Bio
President Utah Market
KeyBank of Utah
39 South State Street, Ste. 2500
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
With over 30 years of banking experience, Terry Grant is the President of the Utah Market for KeyBank with his office located in Salt Lake City, Utah. As president, he oversees all banking operations including Commercial, Private Banking, Retail and Business Banking in the state of Utah. As well, he is a member of KeyBank’s Executive Council. KeyBank is a full service national bank with its headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to joining KeyBank, Terry was a Regional Team Lead for the Regional Commercial Banking Group at Wells Fargo; founded and was the Chief Credit & Lending Officer at Proficio Bank; the Utah Commercial Division Manager at JP Morgan Chase; and a Senior Relationship Manager at US Bank in Utah. Terry spent 20 years outside of Utah in senior commercial banking roles with Royal Bank of Canada (Los Angeles, Toronto & New York) and Credit Lyonnais New York.
Terry was recently appointed by Governor Herbert to be on the Utah International Relations and Trade Commission. He sits on the Board of Trustees for Westminster College; and currently sits on the boards of the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce; Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Roundtable (Chair); World Trade Center Utah; Utah Technology Council; Utah World Trade Association; Camp Kostopulos; Junior Achievement; Living Planet Aquarium and Hale Centre Theatre in West Valley.
Jonathan Hafen Bio
Attorney
Parr Brown Gee & Loveless
185 South State Street, Suite 800
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Jonathan Hafen has extensive experience representing clients in federal and state courts. As a trial lawyer Mr. Hafen handles a variety of litigation, serving as legal counsel to a number of small, midsize and multinational companies, utilizing the significant resources available at Parr Brown to address the legal challenges routinely confronting business leaders. Mr. Hafen has been recognized as a top commercial litigator by Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA – America’s Leading Business Lawyers, Benchmark Litigation, Mountain States Super Lawyers (recognized as one of the top 75 lawyers in the Intermountain area), and Utah Business’ “Utah’s Legal Elite”. He graduated magna cum laude from BYU Law School in 1991 and clerked for Monroe McKay, Chief Judge of the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Val Hale Bio
Executive Director
Governor’s Office of Economic Development
60 East South Temple, Third Floor
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
Val Hale became Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development in August of 2014. Previous to that, he served two years as President and CEO of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce. He served eight years as a vice president at Utah Valley University, overseeing, among other things, communications, marketing, legislative affairs and fund raising. Prior to his UVU stint, he worked 22 years in the BYU Athletic Department, including five years as Director of Men’s Athletics.
Kay Hall Bio
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Zions Bank
One South Main Street, 15th Floor
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Kay B. Hall is executive vice president and CFO of Zions Bank. He began his career at Zions in 1990 as an internal auditor. In 1993, he was promoted to the position of assistant controller and then to controller. Kay received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Utah and his master’s degree from Westminster College. Kay became the CFO of Zions Bank in 2000. He and his wife Nancy have been married for 30 years and have five children and two grandchildren. He enjoys spending time with his family traveling and watching baseball. Kay currently serves as a board member for The Children’s Center, Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce and Utah Bankers Association.
Miles Hansen Bio
Miles Hansen is the president and CEO of World Trade Center Utah, an organization dedicated to promoting prosperity across the state by attracting investment and increasing exports.
Hansen was most recently the Director for Gulf Affairs at the National Security Council in the White House. Prior to that, he served as a staff aide to the State Department’s Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs. As a diplomat, Hansen was the energy and economic officer at U.S. Consulate General Dhahran in Saudi Arabia’s oil-rich Eastern Province where he served as a liaison with Saudi Aramco and advised U.S. government and private sector leaders on the Saudi energy industry and economic reform agenda.
He also served tours focused on Iran at U.S. Embassy Yerevan, Armenia and the Iran Regional Presence Office at U.S. Consulate General Dubai. Before joining the State Department as a Thomas R. Pickering Fellow, Hansen started his career in Utah as a Special Assistant in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. Hansen is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and Brigham Young University. A speaker of Russian, Farsi and Arabic, Hansen has firsthand experience in more than 70 countries and is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
John Hanshaw Bio
President
MountainStar – HCA Mountain Division
6985 Union Park Center Suite 500
Cottonwood Heights, UT 84047
John Hanshaw is a healthcare professional with more than 32 years of hospital management experience in four states. In 2005, he was promoted from CEO of St. Mark’s Hospital to his current position as president of MountainStar Healthcare. John is responsible for overseeing nine hospitals in three states, the only satellite emergency department in Utah, and a growing number of outpatient centers and physician practices. In 2008, John was appointed to lead the American Hospital Association’s Section for Metropolitan Hospitals as chair of its national governing council. The American Hospital Association named him as Utah’s Grassroots Champion and honored with the Distinguished Healthcare Executive Award by the Utah Hospitals & Health Systems Association. John earned a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Accounting from the University of Arizona.
Kelly Harris Bio
President/Owner
Harris Financial, Utah
2180 South 1300 East, Suite 420
Salt Lake City, Utah 84106
After graduation from Brigham Young University, R. Kelly Harris spent twelve years in the banking business before leaving to start his own business, Harris Financial. Now nineteen years later, Harris Financial has grown into a regional financial services company specializing in employee benefits, business continuation, planning, and wealth management. In 2001, the Salt Lake Chamber named Harris Financial Small Business of the Year for Service. Mr. Harris has also served as chair of the Business-to-Business Expo and president of the Salt Shakers. He has also served as chair of Special Olympics Utah, chair of Westminster College’s Foundation Board, president of the Society of Financial Service Professional of Utah, president of the National Football Foundation and served as the only non-professional golfer on the Utah Section PGA Board. In 2002, the PGA named Mr. Harris golf citizen of the year.
Richard Hartvigsen Bio
Rich serves as Vice President of Global Government and Industry Affairs for Nu Skin Enterprises. Since joining Nu Skin in 1989, he has represented the company in many roles including General Counsel; General Counsel of International Operations; Director of Legal Affairs and Chairman of Strategic Development.
Rich has worked extensively in developing Nu Skin’s fifty-five global markets, has lived in the Asia Pacific region and speaks Mandarin Chinese. He has testified for the U.S. Senate Finance Committee on international business and the importance of APEC corollary international trade agreements.
Rich has chaired Global Regulatory Affairs, Legal, International, and Government Relations councils for the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA) and U.S. Direct Selling Associations (USDSA) and sits on the USDSA Board of Directors. He currently serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committees of World Trade Center, Utah; the Board of Governors for the Salt Lake Chamber; and has served on the Board of Directors for the Provo-Orem (Utah) Chamber.
Rich received a BA from Brigham Young University (BYU) with academic honors and a Juris Doctorate Degree from BYU’s J. Reuben Clark Law School.
He is married to Karolyn Smith and they are the proud parents of five children.
Mark Herman Bio
Mark A. Herman
Salt Lake City, Market President
Commercial Banking Division Manager
Mr. Herman is a veteran banker with over 30 years’ experience in various facets of the banking industry. His career began at Lloyds Bank PLC’s Chicago office in middle market lending. Since then he has held roles in corporate banking, derivative sales, as a manager of middle market banking teams, as regional manager of public sector lending. He joined US Bank as manager of the middle market banking team in Denver, Colorado, and presently is the Salt Lake City, Market President. He has served as a member of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation’s Executive Board, the Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce Executive Board and currently is on the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors. Mr. Herman is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University with a B. S. in Finance.
Ted Hill Bio
Partner
Eide Bailly LLP
5 Triad Center, Ste. 600
55 North 300 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84180
Ted Hill is a certified public accountant and is the partner in charge of the Utah offices of Eide Bailly, a regional public accounting firm. Ted has more than 30 years’ experience in a variety of industries including nonprofit organizations, real estate, affordable housing, manufacturing and technology. He has experience with various merger, acquisition and other types of transactions. He currently serves as the finance committee chairman for Primary Children’s Hospital board of trustees. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Utah Association of Certified Public Accountants.
Gary Hoogeveen Bio
Gary Hoogeveen is President and Chief Executive Officer of Rocky Mountain Power. He is responsible for the company’s transmission and distribution operations, customer service, regulatory and legislative affairs in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming. Hoogeveen is additionally responsible for PacifiCorp’s coal fueling and mining operations as well as thermal generation operations
Prior to his current position Hoogeveen served as Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Rocky Mountain Power and President and Chief Executive Officer of Kern River Gas Transmission Company for four years. He joined Kern River after serving as Vice President of Customer Service and Business Development for Berkshire Hathaway Energy subsidiary Northern Natural Gas Company. Prior to joining Northern Natural Gas, he held various management positions at Berkshire Hathaway Energy.
Hoogeveen currently serves on the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors and the EDCUtah Board of Advisors. While in Omaha, he served as a member of the Executive Board of Directors of the Omaha Metropolitan YMCA, and was a Charter Board member of the non-profit CREATE Foundation based in Omaha. He dedicates his time to others within the company through both formal and informal mentoring.
Hoogeveen earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from the University of Northern Iowa, and a Ph.D. in space physics from Rice University.
Dr. Deneece Huftalin Bio
President
Salt Lake Community College
P.O. Box 30808
Salt Lake City, UT 84130
Dr. Deneece G. Huftalin currently serves as the President of Salt Lake Community College and feels privileged to have served the students of Salt Lake Community College for more than two decades in various roles. Dr. Huftalin joined SLCC in 1992 as the Director of Academic and Career Advising and in 1994 was named Dean of Students. In addition to working with students, she has worked in collaboration with faculty to strengthen learning communities, the first year experience, learning outcomes and inclusivity initiatives on campus. Dr. Huftalin was named Vice President of Student Services in 2004 and served in that capacity until 2014. Dr. Huftalin earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah, a master’s degree in Education from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a doctorate in Education, Leadership and Policy from the University of Utah.
Scott Hughes Bio
CEO
Hughes General Contractors, Inc.
P.O. Box 540700
North Salt Lake, UT 84054
Scott Hughes is the CEO of Hughes General Contractors and the President of Lakeview Rock Products. He has worked in the construction industry all of his life and is actively involved in the development of Utah’s built landscape, including educational and municipal facilities, private business offices, historic restorations, heavy duty shops, civil work, special projects, and aggregate supply. He is one of the driving forces behind the recent launch of Lakeview Asphalt.
Richard Hunt Bio
Owner
Hunt Electric, Inc.
1863 West Alexander Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84119
Richard Hunt founded Hunt Electric in 1986 and has grown the company to be a Premier Electrical Contractor in the Intermountain Region.
Through his experience and leadership he has assembled an unparalleled team of industry professionals with the knowledge and skills to deliver maximum Quality and Customer Value to every project. Richard promotes the company’s core values of Quality, Integrity, Performance and Versatility.
The success of Hunt Electric is firmly rooted in bringing maximum value to the customer. Richard participates at all levels to ensure seamless performance. A diverse company with integrated and complementary products and services give our customers the advantage of using a single contractor for all their Engineering, Electrical, Infrastructure, Renewable Energy, Data and Service needs.
Affiliations and Certifications:
State of Utah, Master Electrical License
State of Colorado, Master Electrical License
State of Arizona, Electrical Contractor License
State of California, Electrical Contractor License
State of Nevada, Electrical Contractor License
State of Idaho, Electrical Contractor License
State of Wyoming, Electrical Contractor License
State of North Dakota, Electrical Contractor License
Uniform Building Code Commissioner 2001/2007
Utah Paperbox Board Member
AGC Board Member
Brayden Jessen Bio
President
SentryWest Insurance Services
P.O. Box #9289
Salt Lake City, UT 84109
Brayden Jessen currently serves as President of SentryWest Insurance Services, which is a full service property and casualty insurance brokerage established in 1976. He developed his career working in Los Angeles and Salt Lake in various segments of the insurance industry, working with national companies including: Marsh; Travelers; and Liberty Mutual. Brayden has a track record of success and a strong commitment to the insurance industry. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. In addition, he attained his Certified Insurance Counselors designation.
Dale Johns Bio
CEO
Salt Lake Regional Medical Center
1050 East South Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84102
Dale Johns has over 20 years of leadership experience in the healthcare industry. For the last four years, Dale has served in the capacity of CEO at Salt Lake Regional Medical Center. Dale began his career with IASIS Healthcare in 2004 as the Director of Medical Imaging for Davis Hospital and Medical Center. In 2006, he was promoted to Chief Operating Officer at DHMC; and in 2009, he transferred to Salt Lake Regional Medical Center as COO for that facility before moving to Town and Country in 2010.
Dale has a Bachelor of Science in Health Services Administration from Weber State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Utah. Prior to college, Dale served in the United States Army which is where he received his initial healthcare training and certifications.
Greg M. Johnson Bio
Vice President
Intermountain Healthcare
36 South State Street, 22nd Floor
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Greg serves as the Vice President Finance for Intermountain Healthcare and is responsible for a significant portion of the financial operations as well as other functions across the integrated healthcare system. Greg oversees Accounting, Budgeting, Business Applications, Capital Investment, Compliance, Financial Planning, Internal Audit, and Treasury operations. Prior to joining Intermountain in 1992, Greg worked for seven years with Ernst & Young in the Long Beach, California and Salt Lake City, Utah offices where he had significant experience in financial accounting and reporting in the healthcare and manufacturing industries.
Greg is a Certified Public Accountant and has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Brigham Young University and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Utah. He and his wife, Ann, have three children and live in Highland, Utah.
Patricia Jones Bio
CEO
Women’s Leadership Institute
175 East 500 South, Ste. 600
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Patricia Jones is the CEO of the Women’s Leadership Institute. The mission of the institute is to elevate the stature of female leadership in the state of Utah. The organization was formed in January, 2015 through the visionary efforts of key business leaders to address Utah’s deficiencies in the presence of women at top levels of corporate and political leadership.
Jones was tapped as CEO because of her background and expertise in the business and political worlds as well as her ability to engage, collaborate and lead. As co-founder and former President of Dan Jones & Associates, a successful public opinion and market research firm for 35 years, Jones helped lead and manage the company while serving on numerous community and company boards. Jones is an experienced and highly-regarded researcher, specializing in qualitative research, having conducted hundreds of focus groups throughout the country for a variety of industries since 1980.
Senator Jones served in the Utah Legislature for 14 years, serving in leadership positions 12 of those years. She was a member of the Utah House of Representatives from 2000-2006 and was elected to the Utah Senate in 2006-2014, serving eight years there, including serving as the first female leader in either party and in either House. While in the Utah Legislature, Jones was a member of various committees, including Public Education, Higher Education, Health and Human Services, Judiciary, Economic Development, Law Enforcement, Government Operations and Executive Appropriations.
A University of Utah graduate in communications, Jones currently is a member of the Utah Board of Regents, the Board of Governors of the Salt Lake Chamber, the Intermountain Healthcare Community Care Foundation, and a member of the National Advisory Board of the University of Utah School of Dentistry. Jones has served on the boards of United Way of Salt Lake, Utah Symphony and Opera, St. Mark’s Hospital, Hale Centre Theatre, Columbus Community Center, University of Utah Alumni Association, Coalition for People with Disabilities, This is the Place State Park, Coalition for the Understanding of Substance Abuse Disease, and Zions Bank Women’s Financial Group.
Jones is married to Dr. Dan E. Jones and has four children, three step-children and sixteen grandchildren.
Dr. Bruce Kusch Bio
Bruce C. Kusch became the 13th President of LDS Business College in Salt Lake City, Utah on April 17, 2017. Prior to his appointment as president, Kusch served as Chief Academic Officer beginning in March 2016. In his brief tenure he has implemented significant change in the college’s curriculum, and its learning and teaching framework, resulting in increased student satisfaction and achievement across a variety of academic disciplines. Drawing on his PhD work in instructional design, he has inspired the creation of new and innovative design models, greatly reducing the time required to design a course, while still maintaining high standards of quality. In addition, Bruce has fostered the development of deep employer engagement relationships, providing graduates with improved employment opportunities.
Bruce began his academic career at Brigham Young University-Idaho in August 2002 as a member of the Business Management faculty. In July 2008 he accepted a position in Academic Administration, serving as the Associate Academic Vice President for Curriculum. In that role he managed the implementation of a new General Education curriculum, and pioneered efforts to create a new and innovative degree structure aimed at increasing student success and paths to graduation. Bruce served in that role until June 2012 when he and wife were called to preside over the Mexico Cuernavaca Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Upon his return in June 2015, Kusch was appointed an associate dean for online programs at BYU-Idaho, serving there until his appointment at LDS Business College.
Prior to joining the BYU-Idaho faculty Bruce was a sales and marketing executive and management consultant for several firms in Silicon Valley, CA, including IBM, Hitachi America, and Logitech. He has also served on several boards; for a school district in Northern California, as a trustee of Madison Memorial Hospital, the United Way and a software company in Rexburg, Idaho.
Kusch holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix, an MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management, and a PhD in Instructional Design from Idaho State University. In 2012 he received the Kole-McGuffey Prize from the Idaho State College of Education in recognition for his research in online learning environments. In addition, he was named the 2019 recipient of the Idaho State University Professional Achievement Award for the ISU Graduate School Doctoral Program.
Bruce Kusch currently resides in North Salt Lake, Utah with his wife, Alynda.
Gary Larcenaire Bio
President & CEO
Valley Behavioral Health
5965 South 900 East, Suite 420
Salt Lake City, UT 84121
Gary has spent his entire career in public health systems. He was formerly CEO of Emergence Health Network in El Paso, Texas. During his nine-year tenure as chief executive officer, Gary orchestrated a successful turnaround of the El Paso Center for Mental Health/Intellectual Disabilities. Emergence Health Network is now considered a leader in the provision of mental health services in the State of Texas. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Master’s of Public Administration. Gary was selected Humanitarian of the Year 2010 by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) El Paso in recognition of his advocacy on behalf of those suffering from untreated mental Illness. He lives in Sandy with his wife Nicole and two daughters, ages 18 and 13, and four golden retrievers. Gary has enjoyed exploring Utah, and can often be found mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking and enjoying the outdoors.
Missy Larsen Bio
Vice President
Corporate Communications
doTERRA International
Over the past 28 years Missy has become recognized for her collaboration and results-focused work in business, non-profit, and government leadership. She has built a successful career on a passion to connect resources for community-building initiatives. Before joining the innovative team at doTERRA, she served as Chief of Staff to Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes where she oversaw policy issues, office administration, community outreach, and partner alliances.
Missy launched her career as Press Secretary for the late U.S. Congressman Bill Orton (UT, 3) and in 1994, she solely launched INTREPID PR, an award-winning firm based in Salt Lake City. After a decade of success, she left the agency to care for her four children and continued to represent some of Utah’s most valued businesses and organizations at their request. In 2009, after mentoring a Somali-Bantu refugee family, Missy co-founded the Utah Refugee Coalition (now Utah Refugee Connection) as an organization to connect government offices, non-profit organizations, and businesses with a core mission of helping incoming refugees integrate into Utah communities and build self-sufficiency. Today the organization connects refugees and refugee providers with needed resources and volunteers.
Missy is the founding chair of SafeUT, currently chairs the Utah Refugee Connection board, serves as VP of Government Relations for the Boy Scouts of America Greater Salt Lake Council, and serves on the Anti Bullying Coalition and the Hale Centre Theatre board. She has served on numerous boards over the past 25 years. Missy and her husband Sam are the parents to four children.
Nicole Lengel Bio
CFO
Harmon City, Inc.
3540 South 4000 West, Ste. 500
West Valley City, UT 84120
Nicole is the CFO of Harmons Grocery which operates 17 grocery stores in Utah and employs more than 3,500. She has more than 25 years accounting and auditing experience including 17 years as a CFO. Nicole earned her Masters in Accounting from Utah State University and is a certified public accountant. Nicole currently serves on several boards including the Utah / Southern Idaho Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Salt Lake City Chapter of the National Charity League, and the Utah Taxpayers Association.
Patrick Liston Bio
Patrick W. Liston is Vice President of U.S. Bank Compliance at American Express, currently serving as Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) and Chief Physical Security Officer of American Express National Bank (AENB).
He joined American Express in January of 2011 to serve initially as CCO of American Express Bank, FSB (FSB), and subsequently transitioned to become CCO of American Express Centurion Bank (AECB) in June of 2015. In July of 2016, Mr. Liston was then affirmed to serve concurrently as CCO of FSB and AECB. Mr. Liston then served as a voting member of each Bank’s Board-level Compliance Committee, which concluded in early 2018 with the April 1 merger to create AENB.
Prior to joining American Express, Mr. Liston served as Chief Compliance Officer for three successful organizations. This included the subsidiary bank for the largest U.S. property and casualty insurance company, State Farm Insurance, as well as the banking subsidiary of a top 10 life insurance company, The Principal Financial Group. He also has experience in financial services consulting in addition to commercial real estate development and investment.
Mr. Liston began his career on the regulatory staff of the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Thrift Supervision (now a part of the OCC), working for nearly a decade with the agency’s Des Moines and Dallas offices, as well as work assignments in Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in Financial Management.
Daniel Lofgren Bio
President
Cowboy Partners
6440 South Wasatch Blvd., #100
Salt Lake City, UT 84121
Dan Lofgren is the founder, president and CEO of Cowboy Partners, a real estate development and investment company, and its sister company Cowboy Properties, a property management company in five Western states. Dan has been innovative in real estate development since 1978 after graduating the University of Utah. Dan is a member of the Granite School District Board of Education, a trustee of the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration and the Executive Committee of Envision Utah. He is former chairman of the Salt Lake County Housing Authority, former chair of the Utah Quality Growth Commission, former president of the Utah Home Builders Association and a former member of the Pioneer Theatre Company board. Dan received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Utah Apartment Association.
Brent Low Bio
President and CEO
MediaOne
4770 South 5600 West, P.O. Box 70400
West Valley City, UT 84170
Brent J. Low is the president and CEO of MediaOne, Utah’s largest and most diverse media company. Mr. Low has worked for several Fortune 500 corporations including General Motors, AMR, Thomson Reuters and Gannett. He has held regional leadership positions with responsibility of multiple operations in both the mid-west and western United States. He has been recognized with three president’s awards, on a national level, for his leadership and performance. Mr. Low enjoys being connected with the community and serves on several boards. Mr. Low earned a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Finance at Utah State University. He has participated in several key industry leadership summits and developmental programs. He and his wife have four children.
Al Manbeian Bio
Managing Partner
GPS Capital Markets
10813 South Riverfront Parkway, Suite 410
South Jordan, UT 84095
Al Manbeian is the managing partner and co-founder of GPS Capital Markets, Inc., a leading Corporate Foreign Exchange Brokerage Firm. In his current position, Al oversees the firm’s global marketing and business development efforts. His firm has been recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in its region and for having best practices in its industry. Al has a wealth of experience in various facets of international banking, such as currency & derivative risk management, global treasury processes, and trade finance. Al speaks to these topics at various industry and academic forums throughout the country.
Ron G. Mangone Bio
Executive Director
Strong & Hanni, PC
3 Triad Center, Suite 500
Salt Lake City, UT 84180
Ron joined Strong & Hanni as Executive Director in March 2006. He has in excess of 20 years of executive law firm management experience and 11 years corporate experience in the fields of financial management, accounting and general management.
In his capacity as Executive Director, he is the chief non-attorney manager and administrator of the firm. He is responsible for the general management of the firm, including all administrative and operational functions, which encompasses financial management, information systems, support functions, personnel, facilities and overall general management. He is also an ex officio member of the board of directors.
Molly Mazzolini Bio
Partner and Director
Infinite Scale
16 Exchange Place
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Molly Mazzolini is the partner and director of brand integration for Infinite Scale. Molly is Infinite Scale’s strategic branding expert, responsible for promoting not only the Infinite Scale brand, but also the multifaceted brands of its clients. Molly’s knowledge of brand development, identity and strategy allows Infinite Scale Design Group to provide comprehensive solutions and services based on client needs. Molly also specializes in sponsor platforms, public relations and sports marketing. Her experience includes: University of Utah Athletics Department (Rice-Eccles Stadium treatments), Brigham Young University Legacy Hall (Hall of Fame), Super Bowl XXXIX – XLIII (look + decor), 2002 Olympic Winter Games (sponsor integration + brand management). Molly graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Loyola University and a Master of Professional Communication from Westminster College.
Kristin McCullagh Bio
Director, Legal Services
SelectHealth
5381 South Green Street
Murray, UT 84123
Kristin has been an attorney, human resources and employee benefits professional for nearly 20 years. She joined the SelectHealth Executive Team as Senior Counsel in 2013. She previously served as Counsel and Director of Legal Services for SelectHealth, where she had legal counsel responsibilities and oversight of regulatory compliance and appeals functions. Before joining SelectHealth, Kristin spent nine years as the Health and Welfare Benefits Director at Intermountain Healthcare.
Ty McCutcheon Bio
President & CEO
Daybreak Communities
4700 Daybreak Pkwy
South Jordan, UT 84009
Ty is President and CEO at Daybreak Communities and is responsible for leading the development of Daybreak, a 4,000 acre master plan in the Salt Lake Valley with entitlement for 20,000 residential units and 14,000,000 sq. ft. of commercial uses, that has not only been the top selling community in Utah each year since opening in 2004 but also a leader in advancing leading sustainable development practices and smart growth.
Ty received his BA in Economics from Occidental College in Los Angeles, CA and has more than 20 years of experience in planned community development, having held a variety of sales, marketing and operations roles with major land developers in both Utah and Southern California.
He is involved in his community, serving as a Vice Chair and Executive Committee Member of Envision Utah and Treasurer of the Utah Property Rights Coalition. He is a Past President of Salt Lake Habitat for Humanity and the Utah Homebuilders Association. He was named one of Utah’s rising business leaders, “Forty under 40”, by Utah Business Magazine in 2010.
Dr. Donna L. Milavetz, MD, MPH, FACP - CEO Bio
Steward Health Care
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Dr. Milavetz is a licensed medical doctor and Internist with over 20 years of clinical experience. She trained at one of Harvard’s teaching hospitals and also holds a Master’s Degree in public health from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Milavetz was on faculty at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester prior to moving to Utah. Dr. Milavetz is the former Medical Director of the McKay Dee Women’s Health Center in Ogden, Utah before starting OnSite Care in 2006. Dr. Milavetz continues practicing part-time at an OnSite Care clinic. Her particular area of expertise is developing and running on-site medical clinics and wellness programs. She is passionate about advancing the quality of community healthcare, specifically, in improving healthcare outcomes while driving down wasteful medical spending. Additionally, she is a highly sought after public speaker on a variety of medical topics, including preventive medicine focused-practice and on-site clinics.
Derek Miller Bio
President and CEO
Salt Lake Chamber
175 E. 400 S. #600
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
Derek B. Miller is the president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber as of May 2018.
Previously, Miller was president and CEO of World Trade Center Utah, an organization dedicated to helping Utah companies “think, act, and succeed globally.” WTC Utah is a member of the World Trade Centers Association headquartered in New York City, a network of more than 300 WTC’s in 100 countries around the world, with the mission to facilitate prosperity through trade and investment.
Miller also served as chief of staff to Governor Gary R. Herbert, overseeing the Governor’s Office, the Governor’s Cabinet and state operations. Mr. Miller has also served as managing director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.
Before moving back to his home state of Utah, he worked in Washington D.C. for the U.S. House of Representatives as legal counsel and for Arthur Andersen as a management consultant. Miller is a graduate of the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University, and he also holds a Master of Public Administration from the University’s Romney Institute of Public Management.
John Miller Bio
Assistant GM
Mark Miller Toyota
730 South West Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
John C Miller is a partner and Assistant General Manager at Mark Miller Toyota. Since 1999, he has gained experience by spending time in nearly every position the company offers. These positions include; car wash/service porter, parts assistant, salesperson, floor manager, finance manager, assistant service manager, new car department manager, and currently assistant general manager. John is also active in the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, serves on the New Car Dealers of Utah Board of Directors, and on the Denver Region Toyota Dealer Council as the state rep. In addition to cultivating a career as an auto dealer, his real passion has been in serving his community. He is currently serving on the board of trustees for Rowland Hall, Salt Lake Police Foundation and Utah Debate Commission. John also serves in a leadership position as the Board President of Ballet West and is the past Chairman of the Board for the Kostopulos Dream Foundation. John lives in Salt Lake City with his wife, Andrea, and two young sons, Owen and Declan. He also enjoys playing golf and running marathons.
Mike Moffitt Bio
Chair & CEO
Gold Cross Services
1717 South Redwood Road
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
Michael S. Moffitt is president of Gold Cross Ambulance and responsible for all operational activities throughout the company’s service area. Mike began his emergency medical career in 1978 as an emergency medical dispatcher for Gold Cross. He has over 30 years of professional emergency medical experience in the State of Utah. He is a graduate of the Ambulance Service Management Program sponsored by the American Ambulance Association through Texas Tech University, and attended the University of Utah and Westminster College majoring in business administration. Mike currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Intermountain Healthcare Deseret Foundation. Previously he served on the Utah State EMS Committee, the Salt Lake EMS/ Interhospital District Council and the American Ambulance Association’s Ethic’s Committee. Mike is a lifelong supporter of the Boy Scouts of America and is associated with the national champion Highland Rugby Club.
Steve Morrison Bio
Steve Morrison is President and CEO of EMI Health and has over 12 years experience in the health care industry. Prior to his current assignment, he held the positions of Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Director of Internal Audit.
Steve graduated from Weber State University with a B.A. Degree in Accounting and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant. He is also a licensed insurance producer in Utah and Arizona. Steve serves on the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement of Utah.
Steve and his wife, Kristy, have two sons and a daughter who reside in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. He is actively involved in the community and enjoys many outdoor activities including golf, skiing, motorcycling and spending time with his family.
Shawn Morrow Bio
Shawn earned a B.A. from Brigham Young University and a M.B.A from Murray State University. Shawn is a Board Certified Healthcare Executive and a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. Twenty four years as an executive in the healthcare industry has given Shawn the opportunity to provide leadership to hospitals in Kentucky, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Alaska prior to joining Intermountain Healthcare in 2012. Shawn led Heber Valley and Park City Hospitals prior to accepting the position as LDS Hospital Administrator in September 2017.
Pres. Brad Mortensen Bio
Brad L. Mortensen was named the 13th president of Weber State University in December 2018.
Mortensen joined Weber State in 2004 as associate vice president for Support and Government Relations. Beginning in 2007, Mortensen served as Vice President of University Advancement for 11 years. As vice president, he developed partnerships and philanthropic resources to promote educational access, student success, inclusiveness, and faculty and staff vitality. He led communication and strategic efforts to strengthen alumni and community connections, and in 2018 began guiding Weber State’s efforts to support regional economic development.
Active with several Northern Utah organizations, he has chaired the Ogden-Weber Chamber of Commerce and United Way of Northern Utah. Utah Business recognized him as 2018 CXO of the Year.
His prior professional endeavors include the Utah System of Higher Education, Utah governor’s office, Arizona legislature and two policy fellowships.
Mortensen earned a bachelor’s degree from Utah State University, a master’s degree from Syracuse University and a doctoral degree from the University of Utah.
Originally from Lyman, Idaho, Mortensen and his wife Camille are the parents of four children, including one who graduated from Weber State, and another who plans to attend in fall 2019. Mortensen enjoys running, hiking, outdoor water sports, golf, horse-back riding and plays the piano.
Ron Mortimer Bio
Principal
Horrocks Engineers
2162 W. Grove Parkway, Ste. 400
Salt Lake City, Utah 84062
Ron is a Principal at Horrocks Engineers and has 28 years of experience in transportation planning and traffic engineering. He has led the traffic operations on more than 1,000 projects ranging from large freeway corridor studies including HOV lanes to small access and circulation studies. His experience includes area-wide transportation master plans, freeway and arterial corridor operations studies, signal operation modeling and coordination systems, travel demand forecasting, transit planning, large area development projects, traffic calming, parking and circulation studies, project prioritization, impact fees, maintenance of traffic (MOT), and special traffic generators such as sports facilities, stadiums, recreation centers, museums, colleges, universities, and mixed-used developments. Ron is particularly gifted in working with the public and conveying complex transportation and land use scenarios in a clear and concise manner.
Over the years Ron has been closely involved with some of Utah’s most significant highway projects including I-15 The Point in Utah and Salt Lake Counties; I-15 CORE, I-15 Technology Corridor, Geneva Road Environmental Impact Statement, and Pleasant Grove US-89 Railroad Bridge in Utah County; I-15 Dixie Drive Interchange in Washington County; and I-15 Antelope Drive Interchange and I-15 Layton Interchange in Davis County.
Shawn Murphy Bio
Wasatch Electric
2455 West 1500 South, Ste. A
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
Shawn started at Wasatch Electric in 1977. Since then he has worked in many areas of electrical construction, including supervising, engineering, estimating, budgeting, staffing, planning, managing, and leading. Starting as an Apprentice, he moved up through Journeyman, Foreman, Project Engineer, Estimator, Project Manager, Division Manager, Vice President, and COO positions.
His extensive experience in leading large teams on complex, fast-track projects has given him the expertise required to fully understand the detailed processes that result in a successful project and a happy client. His greatest satisfaction is when team members develop their skills and abilities over time, resulting in personal growth and enthusiastic client approval of the services we provide.
Shawn currently is serving as Governor of the International Chapter of the National Electrical Contractor Association (NECA) and has served as Chairman of various committees, including the Joint Apprenticeship and Training (JATC), Drug Free Workplace (DFW), Labor Management (LMC), and Negotiating committees. He also serves as a member of the Executive Committee of the NECA Board of Directors.
Sterling W. Nielsen
President and CEO
Mountain America Credit Union
7181 South Campus View Drive
West Jordan, UT 84084
Sterling Nielsen is president and CEO for Mountain America Credit Union where he has worked for the past 15 years. He is committed to giving back to the community and to the credit union movement. Sterling earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Accounting from Brigham Young University and is a certified public accountant. He currently serves on several boards including the Utah Credit Union Association, the Salt Lake Chamber, the West Jordan Chamber, and CO-OP Shared Branching. He is currently chairman of the Member Business Lending board of managers. He and his wife, Stephanie, have five children.
Brett Okland Bio
Vice President
Okland Construction Company
1978 South West Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84115
As Okland’s vice president of operations, Brett assists in facilitating a productive work environment for the owner, architect, engineers and subcontractors. Brett oversees all pre-construction efforts with in-house estimating staff and project managers and works with the Okland teams to insure project milestones and budgets are meeting pre-construction planning expectations. Brett’s community and civic involvement include service on the Salt Lake Chamber Board of Directors, Eccles School of Business – Family Business Forum, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Board and the BYU-Idaho President’s Leadership Council. In his spare time, Brett enjoys biking: his favorite rides include Mid Mountain (Deer Valley – The Canyons) & Spiro Trail. Brett and his wife Kristen have four children.
Jeff Olsen Bio
President & CEO
Boart Longyear
2570 West 1700 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
Mr. Olsen was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer on March 1, 2016 after serving as Chief Financial Officer since 2014. Before joining Boart Longyear, he served as Chief Commercial Officer for Rio Tinto’s Iron & Titanium business since 2010. Prior to that time, he was Chief Financial Officer for Rio Tinto’s Borax and Minerals divisions for approximately eight years, and held other financial roles at Rio Tinto for another six years earlier in his career. Mr. Olsen’s experience also includes financial roles at General Chemical Corporation and Xerox Corporation in the United States.
Mr. Olsen holds a Bachelor’s of Arts from the University of Utah and a Masters of Business from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester.
Jim Olson Bio
Sr. Vice President Sales & Marketing
Utah Jazz
301 West South Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Jim Olson is senior vice president of sales and marketing for the Utah Jazz. In his 18th year, Olson is responsible for ticket, suite, and premium sales and services, the Jazz 100 Club, food services, game operations, guest services, building operations, security and marketing for the Jazz, EnergySolutions Arena and the Salt Lake Bees Triple-A baseball team. A native of Salt Lake City, he graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in Communications and attended Northeastern University in Boston, receiving a master’s degree in Sports and Recreation Management while working with the Boston Celtics, New England Patriots and Boston Bruins doing research analysis for their marketing efforts. He and his wife Suzi have four children and reside in Salt Lake City.
Slade Opheikens Bio
Chief Operating Officer
R&O Construction Company
933 Wall Avenue
Ogden, UT 84404
Slade started at R&O in 1987, seven years after his father launched the company. He has since worked in nearly every operations position with the company: laborer, superintendent, project manager, chief operating officer and finally as president and CEO. In this position he directs a team of six vice presidents to ensure that each of R&O’s projects receives the management, resources and attention required to exceed client expectations. Slade actively directs the daily operations of R&O and just this year launched the first full rebrand of the company. Slade, his wife and four children reside in North Ogden.
Scott W. Parson Bio
President
Staker Parson Companies
P.O. Box 3429
Ogden, UT 84409
Scott W. Parson is the President of Staker Parson Companies and the Oldcastle Materials Mountain West Division comprising sixteen businesses in eight western states. Oldcastle Materials is the nation’s leading integrated supplier of rock products, ready-mixed concrete, asphalt, paving, and construction services. Parson is a past chair of the Salt Lake Chamber and serves on the organization’s executive committee and Board of Governors. He is also involved with the Utah Foundation, Hale Centre Theatre and Utah Mobility Coalition. Parson helped establish the Weber State University Parson Construction Management Program and chaired the Industry Advisory Committee for many years. In 2004, he received the Distinguished Service Award from Weber State University and currently serves as a trustee of the university. Parson graduated from Brigham Young University and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business where he earned his MBA.
Bill O. Perry IV Bio
Bill has spent most of his career focused on building a group of closely-held family businesses. Principal among these businesses is Perry Homes, Inc. Since 1975, Perry Homes and related companies have built and delivered nearly 10,000 homes to the home buying public in Utah and Idaho. Since 2002, through a family office, Bill has helped facilitate and manage investments in Veritas Funding, one of Utah’s largest mortgage lenders, in the Folsom Lake Auto Mall (Toyota and Kia dealerships in Sacramento, CA), in Black Pine Sports (an outdoor sporting goods product company) and in numerous other real estate and non-real estate investment opportunities and enterprises.
Bill is active in his community, serving on several boards and working with several non-profit groups. In 2014, Bill was appointed by Governor Gary Herbert as a Commissioner of Real Estate for the State of Utah. In 2006, Bill was appointed by Governor John Huntsman as a member of the Utah Land Use and Imminent Domain Advisory Board, overseeing the office of the Utah Property Rights Ombudsman. In 2012, Bill was appointed by Lieutenant Governor Greg Bell as a member of the Utah Commission on Civic and Character Education which promotes citizenship in Utah’s schools. In 2006, together with other developers in Utah, Bill helped found the Utah Property Rights Coalition, which advocates for the protection of private property rights in land use policy. Bill currently serves as the Vice President of that organization. Through the coalition, Bill has helped secure the passage of more than 50 land use related bills at the Utah Legislature.
By training, Bill is a corporate generalist attorney with substantial in-house legal experience. His legal is real estate law, municipal zoning law and contract law.
Glen Perry Bio
Glen Perry was born and raised in Maine and moved to Utah in 1994 after graduating from the University of Maine with a degree in Construction Management / Civil Engineering Technology. Glen currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer of COP Construction LLC, a heavy civil construction company with offices in Billings, MT and North Salt Lake, UT. Glen oversees all day to day operations of the company including Estimating / Pre-Construction, Project Management, New Market and Client Development, Purchasing, Equipment and all Field Operations. Glen has 30+ years’ experience in all levels of construction management. Throughout his career, Glen’s experience has been in a variety of areas from heavy site-work and civil construction to multi-family residential and land development construction. However, the majority of his career has been in the management of the construction of heavy civil, utility and water/wastewater treatment plant projects throughout the western United States. From a personal standpoint, Glen is married to his wife of 27 years and has two grown children, one boy and one girl, who both live out of state. In his spare time, Glen enjoys mountain biking, skiing and fly fishing.
Pres. David Pershing Bio
President
University of Utah
201 Presidents Circle, Room 203
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
David W. Pershing was named the University of Utah’s 15th president in March of 2012. Joining the University of Utah as an assistant professor of Chemical Engineering in 1977, he was named a Presidential Young Investigator by the National Science Foundation in 1984, became Dean of the College of Engineering in 1987, and named senior vice president of Academic Affairs in 1998. A gifted teacher and prolific researcher, he is the recipient of the University of Utah’s Distinguished Teaching and Distinguished Research Awards and the U’s Rosenblatt Prize for Excellence. He has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications, won more than 20 research grants (approximately $60 million), and earned five patents. He was named Engineering Educator of the Year by the Utah Engineering Council in 2002 and is a winner of the Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology.
Julie Peterson Burdett
Tiffany & Co.
50 South Main Street, Ste. 201
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Julie Burdett is the Director of the Tiffany & Co. store in City Creek, and has been with them since 2012 when she opened the store along with the Center grand opening. Julie was born and raised in Salt Lake, attending the University of Utah before pursuing a leadership position with her employer. After a five year career as a Store Manager she became a District Manager and oversaw districts in the Michigan area, as well as California, Nevada, Arizona and Idaho for over 16 years. Julie then became a Regional Manager for clothing company Aeropostale, responsible for a 40 store market with $85m in sales.
Julie loves to train and develop her teams, and in three of the companies she worked for she was responsible for developing the training and onboarding program for District Managers, and as a result trained more than 75 leaders at that level. In 2011 she was recruited by Apple to be a Senior Leader in their store at The Gateway, which was an exceptional experience and really shaped the way she looks at the client experience.
In 2012 she was recruited to open the Tiffany & Co store in City Creek Center, and has been there ever since. Julie sits on the Salt Lake Chamber Board of Governors, and is passionate about working in the community to support finding a cure for cancer, as well as work with animals and police K9 organizations. In her spare time she likes running, hiking, gardening and spending time with her husband and grandkids.
John Pfisterer Bio
President & CEO
Komatsu Equipment Co.
1486 South Distribution Drive
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
John Pfisterer is President and CEO of Komatsu Equipment Company. He is responsible for the strategic direction of the company as well as the support operations and equipment sales in the states of Wyoming, Utah and Nevada.
Prior to joining Komatsu Equipment, John was President of DTE Rail Services, a subsidiary of DTE Energy, located in Denver, Colorado. Previous responsibilities at DTE Energy included Vice President of Sales for DTE Coal Services.
John has held management, operations, and sales positions with ARCO Coal Company, Arch Coal, Washington Group International and Westinghouse Electric.
John earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering at the University of Wyoming and a Master of Business Administration at Webster University. He is a registered professional engineer in Colorado, and Wyoming.
John and his wife Ann reside in the Park City, Utah area.
Ray D. Pickup Bio
President and CEO
WCF
100 West Towne Ridge Parkway
Sandy, UT 84070
Ray Pickup is president and CEO of WCF, Utah’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier, providing insurance to more than 20,000 Utah companies. Established in 1917, WCF is owned by its policyholders and offers customers services to keep insurance costs low and workers safe on the job, including safety control, claims administration, medical case management, and vocational rehabilitation. Mr. Pickup serves on the Board of Directors of the United Way of Salt Lake and as vice president of the American Association of State Compensation Insurance Funds. He is also board chair of Pinnacle Risk Management Services and a director of Advantage Workers Compensation Insurance Company. Ray graduated from Brigham Young University with a Master of Accountancy. Ray and his wife, Janet, are the parents of five children.
Kevin R. Pinegar Bio
President
Durham Jones & Pinegar, P.C.
111 South Main Street, Ste. 2400
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Kevin R. Pinegar is co-founder of the law firm Durham Jones & Pinegar, one of Utah’s largest law firms, where he has been President and Chairman of the firm’s Board of Directors. Kevin is a nationally recognized leading attorney and a member of the firm’s top-ranked Business & Finance Section. His practice emphasizes securities law and corporate governance fields and he has represented public and private issuers in securities offerings, mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs and joint ventures. He routinely advises clients regarding a broad range of corporate, securities and business-related matters, including directors’ duties and responsibilities and other aspects of corporate governance, disclosure issues, corporate compliance matters. Kevin and his partners have anchored their firm in downtown Salt Lake City and also maintain offices in Ogden, Lehi and St. George. Kevin holds a law degree and a bachelors degree from BYU and he and his wife Susan have resided in Salt Lake City since 1984.
Duffy Pingree Bio
President
Bear River Mutual Insurance Company
778 East Winchester Strett
Murray, UT 84157
Duffy Pingree is the President of Bear River Mutual Insurance Company. He joined the Company in 1996 as the Chief Financial Officer and was promoted to Executive Vice President in 2012 and President in 2016. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Utah in Finance and an MBA from Westminster College. He is a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), a licensed insurance agent and served as the President of the Utah Chapter of the Insurance Accounting and Systems Association (IASA). Duffy and his wife Joan have two sons.
Walter Plumb Bio
Manager
Plumb Holdings, LLC
90 South 400 West, Suite 360
Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1365
Walter J. Plumb III has vast experience in both the legal profession and business world. Graduating from the University of Utah, he went on to earn a Juris Doctorate from the University of Utah Law School and a L.L.M. Taxation from New York University Law School. His early legal career included a partnership with Senator Orrin Hatch (Hatch and Plumb) and Fox, Edwards and Plumb. He currently enjoys joint ownership in several companies including Pharmics, Plumb Holdings L.L.C., Western States Ventures, Gardner and Plumb, Integrated Water Management, Summitt Energy Company, and Mineral Rights Leasing.
In addition to serving as our board chairman, Mr. Plumb generously gives his time and support to several foundations and associations in his community, including the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, Salt Lake Board of Education Foundation, and the Utah chapter of the American Diabetes Association, to name a few. He, along with his wife Peggy, recently served a humanitarian mission for their church in Kurdistan, Iraq. Mr. Plumb enjoys spending time with his family (which includes 9 children), playing tennis, skiing, kayaking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and motorcycling. Word has it he’s never one to shy away from a push-up challenge either.
Gary B. Porter Bio
Mr. Gary B. Porter is currently a Senior Vice President at Deseret Management Corporation. His responsibilities include Human Resources, Community Relations, Executive Director of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Foundation, and the President and CEO of Temple Square Hospitality Corporation.
Mr. Gary B. Porter is currently a Senior Vice President at Deseret Management Corporation. His responsibilities include Human Resources, Community Relations, Executive Director of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Foundation, and the President and CEO of Temple Square Hospitality Corporation.
Mr. Porter received a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics in 1978 and a master’s degree in Agri-Business Management from Brigham Young University in 1979. In 1979 he began working in the Welfare Services department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His responsibilities included management of the Church’s bishops’ storehouses, welfare farms, livestock production and processing facilities, and the Church’s Deseret Transportation fleet.
In 1998, he was appointed as Secretary to the Presiding Bishopric and managing director of the Presiding Bishopric Administrative Services department. In that capacity he supported the Presiding Bishopric in day-to-day administrative and operational responsibilities, and also represented them on various boards within the local business community.
Gary was born in Glasgow, Montana on May 10, 1950. He married Debra Lyn Cox in November 1978. They are the parents of five children and two grandchildren. The Porters currently reside in Syracuse, Utah.
Hal J. Pos Bio
Vice-Chairman and President
Parsons Behle & Latimer
P.O. Box 45898
Salt Lake City, UT 84145
Hal J. Pos is a shareholder in Parsons Behle & Latimer’s Environmental, Energy and Natural Resources practice group where he concentrates on environmental and mining matters with particular emphasis on contaminated properties, CERCLA liability, and property acquisition transactions.
His practice experience includes conducting environmental due diligence in connection with mineral and real estate acquisitions and financings; environmental liability reviews and audits; legacy site cleanups and redevelopment; mine and landfill closures with a particular view towards minimizing potential CERCLA liability; negotiating and drafting environmental indemnity agreements; representing potentially responsible parties under CERCLA in negotiations and litigation with other potentially responsible parties, state and federal agencies, and insurance companies concerning site cleanups; defending environmental toxic tort claims; and representing parties in environmental civil and criminal enforcement matters.
Mr. Pos has published and presented numerous papers before state bars and professional organizations on CERCLA, Brownfields, and environmental litigation and insurance topics.
He currently serves as vice chairman and president and has served on the board of directors of Parsons Behle & Latimer since 1996. He formerly chaired the firm’s hiring committee.
Becky Potts Bio
Becky B. Potts is currently the Vice President, Regional Executive, for the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. She is the senior officer of the Salt Lake City Branch and represents the Federal Reserve Bank in the local region.
Prior to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, she was the Vice President of Customer Success and Professional Services for Sorenson Media and was responsible for the management of Broadcast Solutions teams including Client Success and Professional Services teams across the country.
Prior to Sorenson Media, Ms. Potts was President, National Region, for Frontier Communications. Ms. Potts was responsible for delivering annual revenues of $747 million and overseeing field operations, marketing, sales, engineering, finance and local engagement relations, as well as reinforcing the company’s customer-centric culture. Ms. Potts also served as Frontier’s Chief Customer Officer. During her tenure as CCO, where she led over 2,000 employees and managed the full range of customer relations for the company’s 26 residential and business contact centers, credit and collections, and alternate distribution channels. She leveraged her expertise in management and customer relations in support of Frontier’s transformation of its contact centers.
Prior to joining Frontier is 2010, Ms. Potts served in executive positions in several Fortune 500 corporations including AT&T and Xerox Corporation. As a Vice President and General Manager of AT&T Wireless, she was responsible for $1 billion in annual sales and more than one million customers in Colorado, Idaho, Nebraska and Utah. She managed a team of 700 employees and all distribution channels, including retail, business-to-business and indirect distribution. She was also integral in managing the mergers between McCaw Communications and AT&T Wireless, and between AT&T Wireless and Cingular Wireless. In addition, she managed AT&T Wireless’ sponsorship of the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Ms. Potts has served on numerous boards, including the American Express Travel Board, American Red Cross, Boys and Girls Clubs of Salt Lake City, United Way of Salt Lake, Deseret Foundation, Board of Governors for the Salt Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, Utah Higher Education Assistance Authority, and the Board of Trustees of Westminster College.
Ms. Potts has achieved many awards in the Salt Lake community. They include the Top 50 Most Powerful Women, Utah Business (1999), Pathfinder Award Recipient, Salt Lake Area Chamber of Commerce (2000), Top 100 Most Powerful People in Utah, Utah Business (2001), Utah Woman of the Year, Salt Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Athena recipient (2003), and United Way, Outstanding Volunteer of the Year (2008).
She received her B.A in Journalism and Speech Communications from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
Scott Pulsipher Bio
Scott Pulsipher has served as president of nonprofit Western Governors University (WGU), the nation’s first and largest competency-based university, since April 2016, leading all academic, operational, and organizational functions.
Pulsipher blends a personal drive for making a difference in the lives of individuals and families through education and a passion for technology-powered innovation. At WGU, he is driving continuous innovation to improve student outcomes by focusing on rapidly advancing curriculum quality, new faculty models, data-driven learning, and a different cost model.
Before coming to WGU, Pulsipher had more than 20 years of leadership experience in technology-based, customer-focused businesses, including Amazon, Sterling Commerce (now part of IBM), and two successful startups that traverse retail, supply chain, banking, payments, and manufacturing sectors. Pulsipher holds a bachelor’s degree in Management from Brigham Young University and an MBA from Harvard University.
Taylor Randall Bio
Dean
David Eccles School of Business
1645 E Campus Center Dr, #KGB 440
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Taylor R. Randall is the dean of the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business. He has been a faculty member of the University of Utah’s School of Accounting for the past ten years. Randall holds a bachelor’s degree with honors in Accounting, an MBA and a PhD in Operations and Information Management from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Randall’s family has been associated with the University of Utah’s Business School for three generations. His father, Reed Randall, served the School of Accounting as a professor and director. Randall’s grandfather, Clyde Randall, was a professor and dean. Randall and his family are enthusiastic supporters of University of Utah athletics.
Joel Raup Bio
Named as general manager in July 2019, Raup serves as Commercial Airplanes’ senior executive in Utah. He also has oversight responsibilities for Fabrication’s industrial collaboration with Mubadala Investment Company in the United Arab Emirates.
Most recently, Raup served as the leader for the Boeing Insourcing vertical business. In this role, he was responsible for developing Boeing proprietary part designs and strategic sourcing plans to create value for customers and enable growth for Boeing Global Services.
He previously led Boeing South Carolina’s operations for 787 Mid Body and 787 Aft Body. Before that, he was director of Fabrication’s Interiors Responsibility Center South Carolina, which produces and install 787 interiors in support of Boeing South Carolina and production of flat ceiling panels for 787 production in North Charleston, S.C., and Everett, Wash.
Raup also has held management positions in Business Operations, Supplier Management, the Supplier Management Lean office, 777 Manufacturing and the 737 Program Management Office.
Before joining Boeing in 2003, Raup served as an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. He also has a dual Master of Business Administration and Industrial Engineering from the University of Michigan, where he was a member of the Tauber Manufacturing Institute.
Peter Reichard Bio
President
Utah Foundation
150 State St.
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Peter Reichard is president of Utah Foundation. He is also currently president of the Governmental Research Association (GRA), the national organization of governmental research professionals, and he has served as a GRA trustee since 2010. He is a member of multiple civic boards in Utah and the Governor’s Education Excellence Commission. Prior to joining Utah Foundation, Reichard spent 15 years with the Bureau of Governmental Research in New Orleans, where he served as Director of Research and built the research staff into one of the most highly honored in the nation. Earlier in his career, Reichard was managing editor of a business weekly and an editor at a major metropolitan newspaper. He holds degrees from Loyola University in New Orleans (B.A.) and Fordham University in New York (M.A.).
Martin Ritter Bio
CEO
Stadler US Inc.
900 North 500 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Martin is a seasoned business professional who is specializes in developing solutions which embrace his entrepreneurial spirit. After graduating from the University of St. Gallen with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Martin worked as a legal and tax consultant and project manager for PricewaterhouseCoopers. Martin joined the Swiss Army, was promoted to the rank of Captain, and is currently the Commanding Officer of the First Company of the 20th Grenadier Battalion. Martin also obtained his master’s degree in accounting and finance at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. In 2014, Martin joined Stadler as the Assistant to Group CEO Peter Spuhler, where he was responsible for developing business solutions and leading several strategic projects. In 2015, Martin was tasked with directing the development of a new manufacturing factory in the United States and was appointed as CEO & President of Stadler US. In May 2016, Martin relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah to lead Stadler’s US operations.
Reed Forrester Bio
District Sales Manager
Delta Air Lines
18 W Gilbride Ave.
Murray, UT 84107
Reed Forrester is the District Sales Manager for Delta Air Lines in Salt Lake City. He manages a corporate and agency sales with team with coverage of Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Oregon. Previously, Reed worked in New York City in a similar capacity for Delta and American Airlines for 18 years. Prior to the aviation industry, Reed spent time working in the NY Financial Industry with Merrill Lynch, Reuters and Thompson Global Markets. He had the distinction of being on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange when it first reached 10,000. Times have certainly changed. Reed is thrilled to be living in Murray and currently spends his time taking advantage of all the outdoor activities that Utah has to offer.
Matt Sandgren Bio
Matt serves as the executive director of the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on promoting commonsense solutions to the nation’s most pressing problems.
A Capitol Hill veteran with over 15 years of experience, Matt directed the legislative, communications, and political activities as Senator Orrin Hatch’s chief of staff during his final and most effective years as a lawmaker. Previously, Matt served as senior counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which Hatch led as member and chairman.
Beyond intellectual property and technology issues, his legislative portfolio spanned a significant portion of the Judiciary Committee’s jurisdiction, including biotechnology, cybersecurity, immigration, internet governance, and privacy. Matt also served as Senator Hatch’s staff director for the Senate Republican High-Tech Task Force and as lead counsel for the International Creativity and Theft Prevention Caucus.
Both on and off the Hill, Matt is widely regarded as a leading expert on tech policy and intellectual property law. He earned a B.A. from Brigham Young University, a J.D. from The University of Tulsa, and an LL.M. from The George Washington University. Matt is a member of the Utah, District of Columbia, and U.S. Supreme Court bars.
Henry Schwendiman Bio
Henry J Schwendiman has been in the multifamily and commercial real estate industry since 1984. His primary efforts have been in the origination and placement of debt and equity capital in top-quality real estate investments.
After obtaining an MBA with an emphasis in Finance from Brigham Young University, Henry started his career at Richards Woodbury Mortgage Company in Salt Lake City, Utah. In 1994, Henry and two other partners purchased Q10 | Bonneville Real Estate Capital, a commercial mortgage and real estate investment company originally founded in 1975. During his career, Henry has been involved in the placement of over $10 billion of real estate capital investments.
Thayne Shaffer Bio
Thayne Shaffer
Senior VP Accounting/Controller
America First Credit Union
Thayne Shaffer currently serves as the Senior Vice President and Controller of America First Credit Union, where he has worked since 1987. In his capacity, Thayne is responsible for financial and regulatory reporting, analytics information management and mortgage operations for the credit union. He also sits on the Asset and Liability Management, Enterprise Risk Management, Pension and other committees. America First Credit Union has over 939,000 members with $9.6 billion in assets, and 130 branch locations across four states.
Thayne graduated in 1989 from Weber State College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. He also holds a Master’s of Accountancy from Utah State University. Thayne is also a graduate of Western CUNA Management School in Claremont, California. During his time at Western CUNA Management School, he was recognized as the recipient of the prestigious Charles M. Clark Memorial Award, for leadership, service, and dedication to the credit union movement.
Thayne has served since 1994 in numerous capacities as a boy scout leader and currently serves on the Board of Diretors for the Trapper Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
In 2017, Thayne also began service as a member of the board of directors of the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce.
Mikhail Shneyder Bio
Mikhail Shneyder is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Nightingale College, a single-purpose, private institution of higher learning, based in Salt Lake City, Utah and dedicated to advancing the quality of and access to professional nursing education. A registered nurse for more than 20 years, Shneyder has a wealth of management experience in post-secondary education for health professions and health care delivery services. He is a published academic author, conference speaker, and guest lecturer, specializing in strategic planning, forecasting, and management. Shneyder holds a Master of Business Administration degree from University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.
Randy Shumway Bio
Founder and CEO
Cicero Group
515 East 100 South, Suite 300
Salt Lake City, UT 84102
Randy Shumway is the founder and CEO of the Cicero Group (www.cicerogroup.com). The Cicero Group is a premier strategy and market research firm. Its clients include Hewlett Packard, Wells Fargo, AEG, Pfizer, Lending Tree, Symantec, Coventry Health, CLEAR, Dow Chemical, and Republic Services. Prior to starting the Cicero Group, Randy was the managing director of Answerthink (Nasdaq: ANSR), where he ran day-to-day operations and strategic planning for the $230 million marketing and research division of the company. Randy has also worked for Bain & Company (Munich, Germany) and The Dow Chemical Company. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University and obtained his MBA from Harvard Business School, graduating with highest academic honors (Baker Scholar). Randy is married to Maureen Shumway and is the father of five. They live in North Salt Lake, Utah.
James L. Sloan Bio
CFO
Swire Coca-Cola, USA
12634 South 265 West
Draper, UT 84020
James Sloan serves as Chief Financial Officer of Swire Coca-Cola, USA, a position he has held since July 2015. James provides finance and IT strategic leadership for the company. His expertise has been invaluable as of the company is undergoing unprecedented growth.
Over the last three years Swire has quadrupled in size. The company’s territory has expanded to the point where it is the only Coca-Cola bottler in the United States with territory stretching from the Canadian border to the Mexico border. During James’ tenure sales volume has increased 132% and the number of employees grew by 113%, to over 6,000 associates. James led the transformation of the finance and IT functions in support of the company’s growth and to better meet the needs of the business.
Swire Coca-Cola produces, sells, and distributes Coca-Cola and other beverages that include more than 300 brands across 13 states to 19 million people. The company’s territory now includes parts of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. With headquarters in Draper, Utah, Swire Coca-Cola, USA is a subsidiary of Swire Pacific Limited as part of its beverages division.
Dave Smith Bio
Managing Partner
Penna Powers
1760 South Major Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84115
David L. Smith, APR is the current President and Managing Partner for Penna Powers, an integrated communications agency with offices in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. Dave began his career with Penna Powers as an intern; now in his role as President and Managing Partner he is responsible for managing the agency, providing strategic consulting and planning for a wide variety of accounts and guiding the financial performance of Penna Powers.
A native of Utah and a graduate of Weber State University, Dave’s leadership and expertise have been assets on numerous high profile projects for more than 20 years, including winning the highest public relations award in the nation three times in a row… the PRSA Silver Anvil award. Penna Powers was also named by Utah Business, for a fourth year in a row, as one of Utah’s Best Companies to Work For.
Jennifer Somers Bio
Jennifer Somers is the Director of Government Affairs for CenturyLink for the State of Utah. Jennifer oversees all legislative, state and local government, and regulatory issues for the company. She enjoys working with elected officials throughout the state on CenturyLink’s behalf.
Prior to working for CenturyLink, Jennifer served as the Salt Lake Area Director for Congressman Rob Bishop for six years, where she was responsible for community outreach, military academy nominations, intern recruitment, and immigration, veterans, and military affairs casework. Jennifer also worked in Congressman Bishop’s Washington office for nine years. She also served on the staff of former Congressman Jim Hansen.
Jennifer graduated from Brigham Young University where she majored in Political Science. Jennifer also attended the United States Naval War College, where she earned her masters degree in National Security Strategic Studies.
Jennifer is married to Brian Somers, who serves as the President of the Utah Mining Association. They live in Bountiful with their two young daughters. In her free time, Jennifer is a voracious reader and enjoys travel and golf.
Erich Sontag Bio
Banner Bank
10757 South River Front Parkway, Ste 150
South Jordan, UT 84095
Erich serves as President, Utah Division for Banner Bank. With more than 30 years of banking experience—all of it in Utah—he is deeply rooted in Utah’s economic success.
Erich received his bachelor’s degree from Eastern Oregon University and his master’s degree from the University of Utah. His banking experience includes specific expertise in real estate lending as well as traditional commercial lending. His breadth of banking experience is augmented by being a licensed Certified Public Accountant and Real Estate Broker. That combination of expertise adds to his ability to pinpoint the economic indicators in our region and use the collective knowledge to offer exceptionally sound financial advice to area business clients.
Throughout his career, Erich has remained involved in a number of community endeavors. Currently, he serves on the Executive Board of the Northern Utah United Way, board member of the Salt Lake Chamber, board member of the Utah Technology Council, board member of the McKay-Dee Hospital Foundation and as Treasurer/ Executive Board Member of the Davis Applied Technology College Foundation.
Saul Speirs Bio
Saul Speirs is Deputy General Counsel for Young Living Essential Oils where he directs the company’s US legal and government relations efforts. Prior to joining Young Living in 2012, Saul was in private practice at the Utah law firm of Kirton McConkie. Saul received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering Brigham Young University and his juris doctorate from the J. Rueben Clark Law School. He is currently on the boards of the Association of Corporate Counsel and the One Voice Children’s Choir. Originally from California, Saul moved to Utah in 1998, and enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and five children.
Michael Squires Bio
UAMPS Government Affairs Director
155 North 400 West, Ste 480
Salt Lake City, Utah 84103
Mike Squires is the Government Affairs Director for the Utah Associated Municipal Systems (“UAMPS”). UAMPS is a political subdivision of the State of Utah that provides comprehensive wholesale electric energy, on a nonprofit basis, to community owned power systems throughout the Intermountain West. The UAMPS membership represents 46 members from Utah, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and Wyoming. Prior to coming to UAMPS, Mike served as policy advisor to Congresswoman Love. Mike also started his own political and fundraising company in Utah consulting on local, state and federal campaigns and has been very politically active for the past 15 years.
Mike received his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Brigham Young University and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law with a graduate certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law. While in law school, Mike clerked for the Utah Attorney General in the Environment and Health Division and was selected as a Khazeni Environmental Law Fellow. Mike sits on the Alta Community Enrichment (ACE) Board, enjoys spending his free time in Utah’s outdoors and finding any excuse to speak French.
Steve Starks Bio
President
Larry H. Miller Group of Companies
9350 South 150 East, Suite 1000
Sandy, UT 84070
Steve Starks joined the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies in February 2007 and became president of Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment in March 2015. In this capacity, he is also the president of the NBA’s Utah Jazz and is responsible for the NBA’s G League Salt Lake City Stars, MiLB’s Triple-A Salt Lake Bees, Vivint Smart Home Arena, Megaplex Theatres, the Tour of Utah professional cycling race, and the radio stations comprising The Zone Sports Network.
Since joining the organization in 2007, Starks has contributed in a variety of leadership roles. He was executive vice president of Larry H. Miller Management Corporation, where he led mergers and acquisitions. Starks also oversaw Total Care Auto Powered by Land Car from 2009-2014 and Saxton Horne Communications from 2011-2015.
Prior to joining the Larry H. Miller Group, Starks worked for Governor Jon Huntsman where he helped manage the governor’s transition team, and then he led a public-private partnership aimed at improving the efficiency of state government. Starks is very active in the community and currently serves as chair of the Salt Lake Chamber Board of Governors. .
Starks graduated from Weber State University with a bachelor’s degree in 2003. He also completed a study abroad at Cambridge University in England and an executive education program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
Jim Sutton Bio
Director Global Relations
Northrop Grumman Corp.
2340 Dulles Corner Blvd.
Herndon, VA 20171
Jim Sutton is Director, Global Relations for Northrop Grumman’s Technical Services sector, a recognized leader in integrated logistics and modernization, defense and government services and training solutions, with more than 14,000 employees. In this position, Mr. Sutton has overall responsibility for the Sector’s government, customer and industry relations in both domestic and international markets. He was named to this position in October 2014.Jim came to Northrop
Grumman in 2012 as Director of Strategy & Business Development for the Integrated Logistics & Modernization Division of NGC’s Technical Services Sector. In this position, Mr. Sutton had overall responsibility for long-range strategy and new business acquisition efforts to
strategically position the Division in domestic and international markets. Jim came to Northrop Grumman Technical Services from the U. S. Air Force where he was Director, Plans & Programs for the Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. Jim retired from the Air Force after 20 years on active duty as a judge advocate and 12 years of civil service in the logistics and maintenance businesses. In recent years he was responsible for strategy, business development & transformation of the Ogden ALC–setting the vision for 13,000+ people in the Ogden ALC and the 24,000 people of Team Hill. He also lead Hill’s 8000 person depot maintenance organization–managing cost, schedule and quality of depot repair, overhaul and modification for the A-10, F-16, F-22, and C-130 aircraft, the Minuteman III ICBM, a wide range of commodities, as well as software development and sustainment.
Jim holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Florida and a Juris Doctorate from Mercer University. He is a member of the Air Force Association, Logistics Officers Association, Aerospace Industrial Association, Airlift/Tanker Association, Association of the United States Army, Navy League, Association of the United States Army, Air Refueling Systems Advisory Group Board of Directors, Utah Defense Alliance Executive Board, Utah Governor’s UAS Advisory Board, Georgia Bar Association and ENGPAC.
Jim Swayze Bio
President
Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah
2890 East Cottonwood Parkway
Salt Lake City, UT 84121
James Swayze as plan president of BlueCross BlueShield of Utah, and is responsible for strategy development and execution for the company’s operations in the state, which serve a customer base of nearly a half million people. In addition to guiding market performance of the pioneering health insurer, Swayze will also represent and promote Regence in business and civic arenas throughout the state.
Previously, Swayze served as the president and CEO of the state’s largest third party administrator of employee benefit plans. Prior to that, he held key leadership roles with such prominent Colorado health insurance firms as Rocky Mountain Health Plans, Secure Horizons, PacifiCare Health Systems and FHP Health Care. His responsibilities have included policy planning and implementation as well as direction and coordination of departments including production, pricing, sales, distribution of products, operations and clinical activities, and negotiation and approval of contracts and agreements with provider organizations, suppliers and vendors.
Swayze graduated from Ursinus College in Pennsylvania with a degree in economics and business administration.
Craig Thatcher Bio
President
Thatcher Company
1905 Fortune Road
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
Craig Thatcher was born and raised in Salt Lake City. He received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Utah and an MBA from Northwestern University. Immediately after graduation, Craig joined the family chemical company. During his 40-year career with Thatcher Group, he held almost every position in the company. Craig currently serves as company president, overseeing 400 employees at 11 facilities across eight states. Craig is the proud father of three daughters and one son, and the family has grown to include 13 grandchildren—all of whom live in Utah.
Paul Thome Bio
Paul Thome serves as President of Sallie Mae Bank and is the Chief Administrative Officer for Sallie Mae Corporation. He chairs the bank’s Operational Risk Committee and is a voting member of all Bank Governance Committees. His direct functional responsibilities include retail deposit operations, Office of Customer Advocate, procurement, third-party management, and facilities/support services.
Prior to joining Sallie Mae, Paul was a founding partner of Credit One Financial Solutions and served as its Chief Financial Officer. With more than 40 years in the financial services industry, his banking background includes senior executive roles at MBNA America, First Tennessee’s mortgage business, and Maryland National Corporation. A Certified Public Accountant, Paul began his career with Coopers and Lybrand. He serves as a Director on the Boards of Deserve, Inc., Utah Bankers Association, Utah Association of Financial Services, and the National Association of Industrial Bankers.
Paul holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and accounting from Augustana College
Tara Thue Bio
Tara Thue is AT&T’s director for external affairs, covering Idaho, Montana and Utah.
Prior to this role, she served in the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), where she led the State’s broadband initiative and advised the Governor on communications-related policies. Ms. Thue led Utah’s broadband office, from the ground up, developing a comprehensive broadband availability map and addressing issues related to broadband adoption and deployment under the Utah Broadband Project. Before coming to GOED, Ms. Thue worked on federal technology and communications public policy matters at Comcast Corporation in Washington, DC.
Thue earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science and Economics from Utah State University in Logan, Utah. She operates from AT&T’s Salt Lake City office.
Paul Torres Bio
Vice President
Manuel’s Fine Foods
1926 West 2425 South
Woods Cross, UT 84087
Paul L. Torres is vice president of sales, marketing and co-owner with his two brothers of Manuel’s Fine Food Inc. Manuel’s is Utah’s oldest manufacturer of tortillas, tortilla chips and taco shells. The company was founded in 1938 by Paul’s grandfather, Manuel S. Torres. Manuel’s Fine Food Inc. has been serving customers for nearly 70 years in the intermountain west area, specializing in food service, retail, schools, private labeling and branded products. The Father’s Day Council and the American Diabetes Association honored Paul with one of the 2006 “Father of the Year” awards. Paul was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. He and his wife, Irene, are the parents of four children and six grandchildren. Paul is currently serving or has served as a board member of the Deseret Foundation (IHC) Board of Trustees, the Pete Suazo Board, the Salt Lake City Business Advisory Board and the Salt Lake Chamber Board of Governors.
Astrid Tuminez Bio
Dr. Astrid S. Tuminez was appointed the seventh president of Utah Valley University in 2018, and is the institution’s first female president. Tuminez brings to UVU a broad and rich experience in academia, philanthropy, technology, and business. Born in a farming village in the Philippine province of Iloilo, Tuminez moved with her parents and six siblings to the slums of Iloilo City when she was two years old, her parents seeking better educational opportunities for their children.
Her pursuit of education eventually took her to the United States, to Brigham Young University where she graduated summa cum laude in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in international relations and Russian literature. She earned a master’s degree from Harvard University in Soviet Studies (1988) and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in political science (1996).
Before assuming her current position, President Tuminez was a world leader in the fields of technology and political science, most recently serving as an executive at Microsoft, where she led corporate, external and legal affairs in Southeast Asia. Tuminez is also the former vice dean of Research and assistant dean of Executive Education at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, the premier school of public policy in Asia. She and her husband, Jeffrey S. Tolk, have three children. In her spare time, she enjoys running, dancing, and martial arts.
Art Turner Bio
Art Turner
Enterprise Holdings, Inc.
Art Turner is a General Manager / Vice President at Enterprise Holdings. In this role, Art is responsible for the operations of Enterprise, National and Alamo Rent A Car with 70 plus locations and 900 plus employees throughout Utah, Idaho and Jackson, Wyoming. Before joining Enterprise Holdings, Art received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and History from Millersville University. Art also served 8 years in the U.S. Army National Guards. During his career with Enterprise Holdings, Art has held the position of City Rental Manager, Group Rental Manager, Assistant Vice President of West Coast Operations, Regional Vice President of San Diego and General Manager / President of London, Ontario, Canada. Art is married to Christina Turner and they have three kids, Art Jr., Aquay, Zahriah.
Maxine Turner Bio
President
Cuisine Unlimited Catering & Special Events
4641 South Cherry Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84123
Maxine Turner is the President of Cuisine Unlimited Catering and Special Events. Maxine, her husband and two sons are the owners of Cuisine Unlimited Catering & Special Events. Their company has been recognized nationally and internationally receiving the 2014 US Chamber Blue Ribbon Award, OWIT 2014 International Business of the Year, Fortune 5000 Small Business in 2013, Salt Lake Chamber Giant Small Business of the Year Award and 2002 National Caterer of the Year. The US Welcome Pavilion is a project of the Turners that will debut during the Olympic Games set in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and will continue on to World Cup and World Expo. Maxine serves on the board of EDCU, Salt Lake City Convention & Visitors Bureau, Park City Chamber Bureau, Salt Lake Community College Culinary board and numerous community non-profit organizations. Maxine is a Utah native, attended the University of Utah where she majored in business administration. She is married to Marvin Turner and they have three grown children.
Vicki Varela Bio
Managing Director
Utah Office of Tourism, Film and Global Branding
Council Hall/Capitol Hill
300 North State Street
Salt Lake City, UT 841114
Vicki Varela is the director of Tourism, Film and Global Branding for the state of Utah. She is creating an integrated brand for business and tourism marketing to position Utah as a leader in the global economy and quality of life. Vicki has held many public and private sector leadership roles. As vice president of Kennecott Land, she launched the Daybreak brand, marketing and community relations strategies. She was deputy chief of staff and spokesperson for Governor Mike Leavitt, helping position him as one of the most popular governors in the country. As a key founder of Prosperity 2020, she helped organize the largest coalition of business leaders ever assembled to advocate for educational investment, innovation and accountability.
Melanie Vartabedian Bio
Ballard Spahr LLP
One Utah Center, Suite 800
201 South Main Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Melanie J. Vartabedian focuses on complex commercial litigation matters, including commercial contract and real estate disputes, securities litigation, and intellectual property litigation.
Ms. Vartabedian has litigated cases in state and federal courts across the country, and also has experience representing clients in arbitrations and government investigations. She represents real estate developers and private and public companies in business disputes relating to land use decisions, and she defends mortgage lenders and servicers in financial services disputes, including foreclosure-related lawsuits. In addition, she has represented accounting firms and auditors in Securities and Exchange Commission investigations, and has worked on cases involving allegations of trademark infringement, achieving preliminary and permanent injunctive relief, seizure of infringing items, and other remedies.
Craig Wagstaff Bio
President & CEO
Dominion Energy
P.O. Box 45433
Salt Lake City, UT 84145
Craig C. Wagstaff is president of Dominion Questar. Dominion Questar consists of three natural gas-related companies in the Rockies: Questar Gas, a natural gas-distribution company serving more than 1 million homes and businesses in Utah, southwestern Wyoming and southeastern Idaho; Questar Pipeline, an interstate-pipeline company with more than 2,600 miles of pipeline and the largest underground storage reservoir in the region; and Wexpro, a producer and developer of gas supplies for Questar Gas.
Wagstaff joined Questar in 1984 and has held various leadership positions throughout his career. Prior to his current position, he was president of Questar Gas and executive vice president of Questar Corp.
He serves on various industry and community boards, including the Western Energy Institute, the American Gas Association’s leadership council, the Economic Development Corporation of Utah. Utah Symphony and Opera, Utah Energy Advisory Council, Women’s Leadership Institute Advisory Board, University of Utah David Eccles School of Business Advisory Council and the Salt Lake Chamber’s executive board and board of governors. He is board chair of Junior Achievement of Utah.
Linda Wardell Bio
General Manager
City Creek Center – The Taubman Company
48 West 100 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1508
Linda Wardell is the general manager of City Creek Center, the retail portion of City Creek, one of the largest mixed-use downtown redevelopment projects in the nation. With more than 20 years of experience managing and marketing shopping centers, Wardell oversees retail operations for the landmark shopping and dining destination in the heart of Salt Lake City.
A seasoned retail executive, Wardell received her first taste of shopping centers at an Atlanta-based boutique advertising agency. Her clients included Taubman, owner and operator of City Creek Center.
Wardell has played a pivotal role in the grand openings of several high-profile properties, including Polaris Fashion Place, a 1.5-million-square-foot shopping center in Columbus, Ohio. Linda spent nine years with Glimcher Realty Trust, owner of Polaris, and while there opened two shopping centers and earned frequent career promotions, eventually serving as vice president of marketing.
Wardell joined Taubman in January 2007. In Salt Lake City, Wardell is involved in the community including serving as the current Board Chair for the Downtown Alliance, Executive Board of the Salt Lake Chamber, Executive Committee of the Women’s Leadership Institute, Board of Downtown Rising, and Board of Directors for United Way of Salt Lake. In her spare time, Wardell enjoys hiking, biking and baking for those she loves.
Mike Washburn Bio
President & CEO
Thanksgiving Point
3003 North Thanksgiving Way
Lehi, Utah 84043
Mike L. Washburn is from Grand Junction, Colorado. He graduated from Brigham Young University with degrees in Business Management and Spanish and went on to receive an MBA from the Thunderbird American Graduate School of International Management. After working for the Bank of America in Los Angeles, Mike relocated to Salt Lake City to work as the chief financial officer of Sundance Group, the management company of Sundance’s for-profit and non-profit business enterprises including Sundance Channel, Sundance Institute, Sundance Catalog, Sundance Resort, and Sundance Preserve. In 2003, Mike was named president and CEO of Thanksgiving Point Institute, a non-profit farm, garden and museum complex that draws upon the natural world to cultivate transformative family learning. Mike and his wife, Debra, reside in Salt Lake City and are the parents of four children and seven grandchildren.
Bryan Webb Bio
Executive Vice President
Layton Construction Company
9090 South Sandy Parkway
Sandy, UT 84070
Bryan is an Executive Vice President for Layton Construction, where he has worked for the past 13 years. He grew up in Cache Valley and graduated from Utah State University in Finance and received his MBA from USU as well. He and his wife, Lisa, are the parents of 4 children and currently reside in Farmington. In his spare time, Bryan enjoys fly fishing, playing golf and spending time with his family.
LaVarr Webb Bio
Webb Consulting
13985 West 86th Drive
Arvada, CO 80005
LaVarr Webb began a career in communications and politics more than 40 years ago as a reporter for the Deseret News. He became political editor, city editor and managing editor, spending 20 years in journalism. He ran former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt’s first campaign for governor and served with Gov. Leavitt for six years as his policy deputy. LaVarr now is a publisher and public affairs consultant, helping clients meet their communications and government relations objectives. He co-writes a weekly political column for the Deseret News, and publishes a daily political e-mail newsletter, Utah Policy Daily (www.utahpolicy.com) and a business newsletter, Utah Pulse. LaVarr and his wife, Jan, live in downtown Salt Lake City, but also spend time at their farm in northern Box Elder County where they raise a few horses, cows, chickens and sometimes pigs.
Angie Welling Bio
Public Policy and Government Affairs Manager
Google Fiber
250 West Center Street, Ste. 101
Provo, UT 84601
Angie Welling leads communications for Google Fiber, overseeing public relations and internal communications for Fiber in its 12 markets across the United States (including two in Utah!). She was previously the head of public policy and public affairs for Fiber in the Western U.S.
Prior to joining Google, Angie was Director of Public Relations at Salt Lake City-based Love Communications. She has also served as Communications Director to Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert and as public information officer for the Utah Department of Corrections. Angie was also a reporter at the Deseret News for many years.
Angie holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Utah and a bachelor’s degree in communications from Weber State University. She serves on boards/committees for Red Butte Garden and SpyHop, and is a foster dog mom for Community Animal Welfare Society (CAWS).
Chad J. Westover Bio
CEO Health Plans
University of Utah Health Care
127 South 500 East, Ste. 300
Salt Lake City, UT 84102
Chad Westover is the Chief Executive Officer for University of Utah Health Plans and is responsible for the fiscal, operational, legislative, regulatory, and human resources objectives of the health plan and is the leading driver in improving quality and providing services to the members we serve. Chad joined University of Utah Health Care in February 2015. Prior to the University, he was the President of Molina Healthcare of Utah. Chad takes pride in being the inaugural director of the Utah Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and was responsible for health insurance access initiatives for the Utah Department of Health. While Director of Utah’s CHIP program, Chad founded and chaired the National Alliance for State CHIP Directors to coordinate the operations and policy initiatives of this new program nationally. He began his career as a staffer in the U.S. Congress, first as a research analyst for the Senate’s Committee on Labor and Human Resources and then as senior legislative aide to Rep. Michael Huffington of California. Other stops in his career include a 4-year stint as a health policy consultant for Gov. Mike Leavitt and seven years as vice president of Business Development at Anthem, Inc. in Westlake Village, CA.
Chad received his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Public Administration degrees from Brigham Young University.
Grant Whitaker Bio
President and CEO
Utah Housing Corporation
2479 South Lake Park Blvd.
West Valley City, UT 84120
Grant Whitaker is the president and CEO of Utah Housing Corporation. He has been employed with UHC for 30 years and most recently served as the senior vice president. He has managed the issuance of UHC’s bonds since 1983 and is responsible for UHC’s Loan Servicing Division that has serviced $1.8 billion in loans. Grant graduated from the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business, with a BS in Business Management and a minor in Finance (1973). He has completed post-graduate studies, including MBA essentials. Grant is a Utah native and has been married to his wife Connie for 35 years. He is a member of the Salt Lake Chamber Board of Governors and is the vice chair, Board of Trustees for the Utah Community Reinvestment Corporation.
Brent Williams Bio
President and CEO
Dental Select
5373 South Green Street, Suite 400
Salt Lake City, UT 84123
Brent Williams is the President/CEO and founder of Dental Select. Educated as an accountant, he founded Dental Select in 1989, and effectively built the largest dental plan carrier in the State of Utah. Dental Select currently offers dental plans in more than 26 states. Mr. Williams’s involvement in legislative action has become his passion and positively contributes to the success of Dental Select. He is an active member of the National Association of Dental Plans (NADP) and has served on its Board of Directors for 10 years. Fulfilling a commitment to the community, Mr. Williams is Chairman of the Board for the Sealants for Smiles™ program in which Dental Select is the sole administrator covering 100% of the administration costs. Mr. Williams is also a three-time finalist for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, a member of NDEDIC beginning in 1991, and a member of NAHU since 1989.
Jody Williams Bio
Partner
Holland & Hart
222 South Main Street, Suite 2200
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Jody Williams is a partner in the law firm of Holland & Hart, LLP’s Salt Lake City office. She specializes in water rights law and real estate transactions, including purchase and sale agreements and negotiating loans. Jody serves by appointment of the President of the United States as Federal Commissioner and Chair of the Bear River Commission, an interstate Compact Commission created among Utah, Idaho and Wyoming to apportion the Bear River. Ms. Williams is recognized in Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America and Mountain States Super Lawyers. She serves on the Governor’s State Water Strategy Advisory Team and is a member of the Utah State Bar Energy & Natural Resources Committee, from which she received the “Lawyer of the Year” award.
Mayor Jenny Wilson Bio
enny Wilson serves as the Mayor of Salt Lake County, and previously served as a County Council Member for ten years. She took the oath of office as Mayor early in. Mayor Wilson is a 5th Generation Utahn, born and raised in Salt Lake City. She attended the University of Utah and received her master’s degree in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School.
In 2005, Mayor Wilson was the first woman elected to the Salt Lake County Council. As a council member, she championed numerous policy initiatives, including ethics reform, criminal justice reform, open space preservation and government efficiency. Mayor Wilson also helped establish the Jordan River Commission and co-established the Salt Lake County opioid task-force.
Thomas Wright Bio
President & Principal Broker
Summit Sothebys International Realty
2455 East Parleys Way, Ste. 240
Salt Lake City, UT 84109
Thomas Wright was born and raised in Utah. He then graduated from Quince Orchard High School in the Washington D.C. metro area. In 1997, he graduated from the University of Utah with two Bachelor of Art degrees: Marketing and Russian.
In 2008, Thomas was a top-producing real estate sales agent in Utah when he was invited to become an owner of Summit Sotheby’s International Realty based in Park City. Since then, he has served as the President and Principal Broker. Under his leadership, the company has grown its gross yearly sales volume from $135 million in 2008 to $1.7 billion in 2016. 82% of that growth came through aggressive recruiting in the market over a 5-year period. The firm became market share leader in 2013 knocking off competitor’s 40-year run.
Because of what he was able to accomplish, Thomas has become a nationally recognized speaker and advisor on improving profitability, agent recruiting, brokerage management in the Sotheby’s International Realty network, which includes 20,000 sales associates in 800 offices in 65 countries.
Thomas is a civically minded citizen and has been elected and appointed to serve on several key organizations in the community. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for the United Way, Utah Symphony / Utah Opera and Dixie State University Board of Trustees. He is the co-chairman of the Utah Debate Commission and was twice elected to serve as volunteer Chairman of the Utah Republican Party, the Salt Lake County Republican Party and is currently a member of the Republican National Committee (RNC).
Thomas resides in Salt Lake City with his wife and their four children. He enjoys golfing, fishing and traveling the world with his family. His greatest joy comes from attending their many dance, cheerleading and sporting events.
Thomas is innovative, hard working and energetic. When you work with Thomas you can count on his dedication, focus, strategic thinking and expertise to get the job done.
Lee Wright Bio
President
Kirton McConkie
36 South State, Ste. 1900
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Mr. Wright is a member of the International and Corporate sections and affiliated with the Tax section. His practice focuses on franchising, licensing, manufacturing, and distribution, including disclosure and compliance. He also assists with foreign business transactions, foreign leases on property purchases, foreign independent contracts or employment relationships, he deals with foreign governments, locates and manages foreign legal counsel, and handles overseas litigation.
Mr. Wright is a specialist in domestic and international legal data privacy issues, having been certified as a CIPP/US privacy professional. He is recognized as one of Utah’s Legal Elite for International law and as a Mountain States Super Lawyer Rising Star for franchising.