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Utah Works
Get Involved
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- Resources
OUR STORY
- Board
- Team Info
- News

Board

Val HaleBoard Chair

Senator Ann MillnerBoard Vice Chair

Dave Woolstenhulme

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Dan HemmertBoard Chair

Val Hale is the executive director of the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), which promotes state growth in business, tourism and film. Hale was appointed to the position in 2014 by Governor Gary R. Herbert.

Before accepting the position as executive director, Hale served for two years as president and CEO of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce. Prior to the chamber, Hale was vice president for university relations (2010-2012), vice president for advancement (2006-2010) and assistant vice president for external affairs (2005-2006) all at UVU, and he played a key role in transitioning Utah Valley State College into Utah Valley University.

Before his career at UVU, Hale worked 22 years for the Brigham Young University (BYU) Athletic Department, ultimately serving as its director beginning in 1999. He received his bachelor’s degree in public relations in 1981 and a master’s degree in communications in 1987—both from BYU. A successful leader, Hale has made many cherished contributions to the Utah Valley area throughout his noteworthy career.

Most recently, Hale has drawn from his many years of service to author “Living a Life That Matters: 7 Keys for Purposeful Living.” Hale and his wife have three children and 13 grandchildren, and they reside in Orem, UT.

Senator Ann MillnerBoard Vice Chair

Dr F. Ann Millner serves as the State Senator for District 18. She serves in Senate leadership as the Senate Majority Assistant Whip. She serves on several committees including the Executive Appropriations Committee, the Legislative Management Committee, and the appropriations subcommittees for both public and higher education. Additionally, she is a member of the National Conference of State Legislatures Executive Committee. She has sponsored legislation focused on economic development specifically related to commercialization of new technologies and workforce preparation, public and higher education and improving affordable healthcare. Last year she was awarded the Utah Business Legislator of the Year by the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce as well as the Utah Technology Council Legislator of the Year.

She is a Regents Professor of Health Administration and Former President at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. Under Dr. Millner’s leadership as president from 2002 to 2012, Weber State became a multi-campus institution, experienced nearly a 40 percent increase in enrollment, initiated a major facilities revitalization effort, expanded its network of community partnerships, launched WSU-Davis, emerged as a regional center for economic development and earned national recognition for its undergraduate research and community-based learning initiatives.

Andrea Moss

Andrea Moss is the President and CEO of Nelnet Bank (in formation). She is leading a new and exciting venture to be one of the first industrial banks chartered in Utah since 2009. Nelnet Inc. is a diverse company focused on delivering educational products and services and student loan asset management.

Prior to Nelnet Andrea was President of Comenity Capital Bank, a fast growing Utah state-chartered bank with over $8 billion in assets. The Bank issues private label and co-brand credit cards and is a subsidiary of Alliance Data Systems; a leading provider of marketing, loyalty, and credit solutions that supports over 150 credit programs for leading brands with more than 26 million cardholders.

Andrea has more than 28 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining Comenity Capital Bank, she was Executive Vice President of Zions Bank where she was responsible for Bank Operations, Incentive Compensation and Risk Management. Prior to Zions Bank, she was the President and Chief Executive Officer of American Express Centurion Bank where she led an organization of 200+ with assets over $50 billion. Other positions with American Express have included Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Controller and Manager of Financial Administration. Andrea received a bachelor’s degree of accounting from Brigham Young University and is a Certified Public Accountant. Active in the community, Andrea currently serves as an Executive Committee member and Treasurer of the Utah Association of Financial Services and on the Board of Trustees of Intermountain Health Care Central Region and chairs the Quality Committee. She is on the Executive Board of Camp Kostopulos and on the National Advisory Council at Brigham Young University. Andrea is also beginning her first term serving on the Board of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development where she will promote and encourage the economic welfare of the state. She has previously been a board member of the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce, the Utah Bankers Association, the ABA Government Relations Council Administrative Committee, Ballet West Company, and Utah Chapter of Alzheimer’s Association.

In 2011 she was recognized by the American Banker Association as one of the Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Finance. In 2014 she was selected by the Utah Business Magazine as one of the “30 Women to Watch in Business”.

Andrea is married to Mike Moss and they have five children.

Aaron Skonnard

Aaron Skonnard is CEO of Pluralsight, a technology learning platform that empowers developers and CIOs to close critical skills gaps and innovate faster than ever before. Aaron cofounded Pluralsight in 2004 and has since grown the company to 1,000+ employees and 1,500 expert authors.

Aaron’s passion for technology began when his father bought him an Apple Macintosh and one of the first Compaq PCs. His father taught him about the impact and possibilities of technology from an early age, which is why Pluralsight’s mission—to democratize technology skills—is so close to him.

Through his leadership, the company has flourished and made its public market debut on May 17, 2018 (NASDAQ: PS). Pluralsight acquired eight companies in the last several years to widen the scope of its library and add new features to the platform to provide a seamless, robust experience. Aaron also led Pluralsight through two rounds of funding, including a $135 million Series B round in August 2014.

He believes the key to a healthy business is establishing a strong culture and hiring people who believe in its core values. In 2017, Pluralsight landed on the Forbes Cloud 100 List, Entrepreneur 360 Top Company list, and Great Places to Work® Best Workplaces List, among others.

As CEO, Aaron focuses on business strategy, future direction, product development and strategic partnerships. On a day-to-day basis, he works closely with the entire executive team in different capacities, including recruiting, brand management, marketing, sales, feature planning, and content acquisition.

Prior to founding Pluralsight, Aaron earned his degree in computer science at Brigham Young University. After college, he worked at 3M, Intel and Axiom Technologies, and also as a professional instructor at DevelopMentor, where he became passionate about teaching technology.

Aaron is a thought-leader in the industry, speaking at events around the world. He is a founding board member of Silicon Slopes. The nonprofit empowers Utah’s startup and tech community to learn, connect, and serve in an effort to make entrepreneurship and opportunity in Silicon Slopes open and accessible to all. As a result of his efforts in the business world and community, Aaron was inducted into the Utah Technology Council Hall of Fame in 2017. Other accolades include the 2015 Utah CEO of the Year from StartSLC and MountainWest Capital’s 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year.

Believing that technology has the power to create freedom, equality and opportunity around the globe, Aaron launched Pluralsight One in 2017. Pluralsight One is the company’s commitment to serving a larger purpose by equipping nonprofits with the technology skills they need to drive significant, lasting social impact and in turn equipping those they support with access to high-quality learning resources and the technology skills to chart their own futures and strengthen their communities.

Chuck Taylor

Chuck earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Southern Utah University (1991) and was awarded an MBA in 1995 from Utah State University. Chuck has broad, hands on understanding of the aerospace manufacturing business, having worked as a machine operator, quality control inspector, and engineering programmer as well as serving as a manager in materials and purchasing function. As Vice President at Metalcraft Technologies, Inc. he was responsible for marketing and customer service and other manufacturing support services areas.

Chuck has served on numerous community committees, Southern Utah University advisory boards and is a founding member of the Board of Trustee of the Success Academy. Success Academy is an early college high school that emphasizes STEM centric learning in Cedar City with campuses at Southern Utah University and Dixie State University. Chuck has served on the Board of Trustees for the South West Applied Technology College and was recently appointed by Governor Herbert to the Board of Directors of the Utah System of Technical Colleges. He served as Vice President of SyberJet Aircraft beginning in 2011 and was appointed President of SyberJet Aircraft in 2013. Chuck and his wife Michelle have four children and three grandchildren.

Cory Maloy

Representative, Utah House of Representatives, Utah House District 6 (Lehi)

Founder/Principal, Maloy PR

Cory was elected to the Utah House of Representatives in 2016 and runs unopposed for Utah House District 6 this year. As a Representative, he serves on the House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee, Public Utilities, Energy and Technology Committee and the Infrastructure and General Government Appropriations Committee. He also serves on the Talent Ready Board of Directors, part of the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and was appointed by Governor Herbert to the Utah Towing Advisory Board he formed in his first General Session with the passing of HB 393.

Cory is an experienced PR executive and corporate communications strategist who defines strategic vision for companies and C-level executives ranging from small businesses to enterprise-class corporations. He is the founder of Maloy PR and has provided communications strategy for high profile companies such as CenterCal, Travelers, Plantronics, Maxtor, Iomega, Waterford Institute, InsideSales.com, CenturyLink, Legacy Foods and many others. He is passionate about understanding a company’s goals and putting together unique programs to achieve objectives. He serves as a member of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Lehi Chamber of Commerce. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication. He and his wife Linda, and their two big dogs reside in Lehi.

Dave Woolstenhulme

Dr. David R. Woolstenhulme became Interim Commissioner of Higher Education in July 2019. Previously, he served as Vice President of Statewide Campuses for Utah State University, a position he held since 2018. Prior to that, he served as the Utah Commissioner of Technical Education where he was the CEO for the Utah System of Technical Colleges, providing state-level leadership and oversight for the eight technical colleges in Utah. He also served as Executive Vice Provost at USU, as well as the President of Uintah Basin Applied Technology College. Dr. Woolstenhulme received his bachelor and master’s degrees from Utah State University, and his Doctorate of Education from the University of Wyoming.

Derek Miller

Derek Miller is the president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance. The Chamber is the state's oldest business association that "stands as the voice of business." In this role, Derek leads the business community in advocating and leading Utah's continued economic prosperity.

Derek also serves as chairman of the Inland Port Authority, which is leading development of a global trade hub to serve the Western United States.

Previously, Derek served as the president and CEO of the World Trade Center Utah, helping to “Promote prosperity across the state by attracting investment and increasing exports.” He also served as Chief of Staff to Gov. Herbert and as Managing Director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development for Gov. Huntsman.

Recognizing his leadership, Gov. Herbert lauded Derek as, “an architect of economic opportunity and innovation,” and “instrumental in transforming Utah into one of the most competitive and fastest growing economies in the country.”

Derek began his career in Washington, D.C. as a management consultant with Arthur Andersen and as legal counsel in the U.S. House of Representatives.

He is a graduate of the J. Reuben Clark Law School and holds a Master of Public Administration from the Romney Institute of Public Management at Brigham Young University.

Derek and his wife, Laura, live in Salt Lake City with their three children. They enjoy spending time together exploring Utah’s countless natural wonders.

Jeff Nelson

Jeffery R. Nelson is a passionate leader who has dedicated his career to improving the quality of life for people around the world by helping ensure medical products are safe, and sterile and effective, and adhere to the highest quality standards.

Jeffery has worked in the contract testing space for more than 25 years, most recently as President of Nelson Laboratories, a leading provider of full, life-cycle microbiology testing services. As a unique hybrid with a background that blends
business acumen, microbiology expertise, and regulatory savvy, Jeffery has set the course for Nelson Laboratories to become the global leader in laboratory testing services. Jeffery’s strategic focus and motivational skills have steered Nelson Laboratories to its industry-leading position.

Jeffery was recognized as the Utah Technology Council CEO of the Year in 2009. He was also a finalist in the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Competition in 2010. Jeffery is the recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree from Salt Lake Community College, where he has regularly contributed to curriculum design in health and science programs. Jeffery led Nelson Laboratories through a strategic acquisition by Sterigenics International including a reverse integration that now positions Nelson Laboratories to become the global leader in laboratory testing. Jeff has accepted the position of Business Unit President, continuing to lead Nelson Laboratories and an additional 11 laboratory locations worldwide.

Beyond his work at Nelson Laboratories, Jeffery has been an active member of the community, serving on several non-profit boards including BioUtah (Utah’s Life Sciences Industry Association), the Utah Technology Council, and the Utah
Shakespeare Festival. Jeffery was also appointed by Utah Governor Gary Herbert to serve as the chairperson of the STEM Action Center Board. Jeffery also has a long history of giving back to the community through the arts and via formal and informal mentoring relationships.

Jeffery received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Utah in Microbiology and a Master in Business Administration degree from Westminster College. Additionally, he is a Specialist Microbiologist (SM) with the National Registry of Certified Microbiologists (NRCM) and a Certified Scrum Master (Scrum Alliance).

Jeffery currently lives in Salt Lake City with his wife Katie. They are the proud parents of two children, Alex and Riley.

Nate MdDonald

Nate McDonald

Nate McDonald is the assistant deputy and communication director for the Utah Department of Workforce Services. In this role, he oversees all communication activities, employer initiatives and the veterans employment team, and supports the executive director’s office on department-wide issues. Prior to joining Workforce Services, he was the associate communication director for the Utah Governor’s Office. Before state government, Nate worked in the private sector with a strategic communication firm for more than 10 years. He graduated from Southern Utah University with a master’s degree in public administration and the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication.

Mark Huntsman

Mark Huntsman has lived for the past 34 years in Fillmore. He is employed as the senior vice president of operations at Sunrise Engineering, Inc., where he has also worked as regional manager and vice president. Mark currently serves as chairman of the Sunrise Engineering Board. In his 23 years there, the company has grown from 14 employees to being a regional multi-disciplinary firm with 180 employees and 13 offices in Wyoming, Arizona, and Utah.

Mark served from 2004-2012 on the Millard School District Board, including four years as vice president and eight on the Employee Negotiations Committee. He is also the team lead of eight Sunrise Reading Coaches for Fillmore Elementary
School. Additionally, Mark volunteers as the State of Utah Ombudsman Director with the Director of Defense/ESGR and is the 1st Lieutenant and Special Deputy with the Millard County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team.

Mark attended Southern Utah University between 1976 and 1979 and has been trained in U.S. DOT Regulation Compliance for Gas Pipeline Operations Course. He is involved with the Utah League of Cities and Towns, Midwest Energy
Association, Intermountain Municipal Gas Association, and the Board of Directors for National Association of Gas Consumers. Mark enjoys Scouting, ranching, teaching youths to ride horses and work cows, outdoor recreation (including boating, camping, fishing and hunting), and spending time with friends and family. He and his wife, Brenda Imlay Huntsman, have three children and seven grandchildren.

Mark Steinagel

Mark Steinagel was appointed to be Director of the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL) in June 2009. Prior to his appointment he was the Director of the Utah Division of Real Estate and earlier was a policy analyst with the Utah State Legislature. Mark began his career with the Utah State Legislature in 2001 while he was completing his Masters Degree in Public Administration at Brigham Young University. Mark's career passions are public service, public policy, and improving government.

The mission of DOPL is to protect the public and enhance commerce through licensing and regulation. DOPL accomplishes this by licensing more than 250,000 individuals and companies in construction, health care, and other industries. The Division evaluates qualifications for licenses, investigates complaints by consumers, and performs education and other duties related to these industries. DOPL's 116 team members strive to streamline licensing requirements for the vast majority of Utah businesses and employees who simply want to provide good service to Utah's consumers.

Sydnee Dickson

Dr. Sydnee Dickson has been serving the children of Utah as a proud educator for the past 39 years. She joined the Utah State Office of Education in 2007 and was named as State Superintendent of Public Instruction on June 23, 2016. Prior to joining the Utah State Office of Education, Sydnee served in Utah public schools in roles including teaching, school counseling, school administration, and district administration.

Superintendent Dickson began her education in a two-room schoolhouse in rural Utah and went on to earn two master’s degrees in School Counseling and School Administration as well as a doctorate in Education Leadership and Policy at the University of Utah. She earned additional degrees at Dixie State University, Utah State University, and Brigham Young University.

Dr. Dickson is a frequent participant on state and national committees, task forces, and boards, including currently serving on the Board of Trustees for the Council of Chief State School Officers and West Ed Board of Directors. Her professional expertise is grounded in engaging parents as partners, providing educators with evidence-based professional learning, and developing transformative school leadership. Sydnee is passionate about developing equitable school systems to close achievement gaps and ensure students are prepared to have choices for their future.

Tami Pyfer

Tami Pyfer is the Education Advisor to Governor Gary R. Herbert. Appointed in January of 2014, she advises the Governor on education policy and other public and higher education issues and assists the Governor as he leads his Education
Excellence Commission.

Previous to her appointment as Education Advisor, Tami served four years on the Utah State Board of Education representing Cache Valley and other northern communities in the state. For ten years, she worked as a clinical instructor at Utah State University, teaching a variety of courses in the teacher preparation program. She also supervised student teachers studying special education and coordinated research activities.

While raising her family in Logan, Tami was actively engaged in the community, serving on the Logan City Council, the Logan Schools Foundation board, Bear River Mental Health Board of Trustees, and many other organizations. She was
active in her children’s education, working with other parents through the PTA, advocating for teachers, and seeking funding to enhance educational opportunities. She is passionate about education and about improving experiences and outcomes for Utah’s students.

Tami notes that her greatest satisfaction has come from raising five talented and kind children with her husband, Aaron, at her side. Although they are now empty-nesters, Tami and Aaron are adjusting remarkably well and are enjoying being
grandparents to four grandchildren.