Leadership Utah 2024

Ryan Allen is a Commercial Relationship Manager with Wells Fargo's Commercial Banking group.  Ryan has been with Wells Fargo since 2007, working in markets such as Vail, CO; Billings, MT as well as now in Utah.  He focuses on companies that are above $20 million in annual sales, providing financing and depository solutions.  Ryan graduated from Brigham Young University in 2004 with a Bachelor's Degree in Finance.  When not working Ryan enjoys spending time with his wife and children and participating in their events.

David Andersen is Market President for the UMB Bank in Utah, a region that's quickly become one of UMB Bank's most strategic growth markets. David is responsible for growing UMB's footprint in Utah, as well as overseeing the recruiting, hiring and development of the UMB Middle Market Banking team for the region.
David brings a depth of experience to his leadership as Market President with more than 15 years of banking experience. 
David earned a Bachelor of Science from Brigham-Young University-Idaho and a Master of Business Administration from Colorado State University. 
David is an active mentor with American Corporate Partners (ACP), supporting veterans transitioning to a private corporate environment. He is also on the Board of Governors for the Salt Lake Chamber, and is active in his church service. David and his wife are the proud parents of five children and enjoy calling Salt Lake City their home.

Judd Austin was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Banking Officer for Altabank and named to the Executive Management Committee effective January 1, 2020. He has 17 years of banking experience. Prior to his current role he served as the Market Area President for Cache Valley. He has also held the positions of Senior Credit Officer and President for Lewiston State Bank. Judd received his BS in business and agribusiness from Utah State University and is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School.  He lives in Lake Shore, Utah with his wife and four kids where they enjoy all things sports, rodeo, and horses.

Hailey is a senior attorney at WCF Insurance. She has worked with new product and underwriting teams to develop WCF's multiperil insurance products, including commercial general liability, business owner, and commercial auto products. She has also worked with WCF's multiperil claims team to identify and build relationships with outside panel counsel and to address coverage and liability issues. Hailey received a journalism degree from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University before pursuing her law degree at the University of Utah.  She enjoys hiking with friends, listening to podcasts, and practicing yoga.

Melanie is the Member Relations and Program Development Specialist for the Salt Lake Chamber. Having spent most of her career in theater and music, she has worked in an Off-Broadway Theater box office, performed in choral concerts in seven countries, produced a handful of local theatrical productions, and provided customer service to major donors and high-profile theater guests. She graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Mass Communications (Public Relations emphasis) and a minor in Theater. When not in the office, Melanie enjoys traveling the world, learning Korean, listening to music, and spending time with her friends and family.

Liz Butler is the vice-chairperson of Parsons’ litigation practice team and serves as counsel in numerous matters involving complex commercial litigation, employment and labor issues, and shareholder and partnership disputes. Liz received her J.D. from the University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law in 2011 with Highest Honors including 5th highest cumulative G.P.A. in her class. Liz earned a B.A. in psychology and economics from Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. Liz serves on the Utah Bar Association Character and Fitness Committee. In addition, Liz was recently added as a probationary member to Salt Lake County Search and Rescue. Liz previously served on the board of the S.J. Quinney Young Alumni Association, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah, and Utah Rape Recovery Center. In her free time, Liz enjoys gardening, running, and skiing in the Wasatch Mountains with her husband and two dogs. 

John Cannon is the VP of member services at Mountain America Credit Union. He is responsible for managing operations for 36 branches and more than 500 team members. He serves as a mentor and coach to branch and regional managers while providing leadership and executing organizational objectives, helping the credit union deliver on its mission of helping its members define and achieve their financial dreams.  
He began his career at MACU as an assistant branch manage. He was in this role for two years before becoming a branch manager and then a regional manager in Southern Utah where he was instrumental in growing MACU presence in the region. Prior to joining MACU, Cannon was an assistant manager at Wells Fargo and a credit manager at Wells Fargo Financial. 
Cannon graduated from SUU with a degree in finance. He is married and has four children. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family, the outdoors and traveling.

Brendon has been in financial services in Utah for over 10 years and joined Hillcrest Bank in February 2022.  Prior to joining Hillcrest, Brendon was with Goldman Sachs for 10 years.  As a Relationship Manager, Brendon is responsible for acquiring new clients and serving existing clients.  He is also passionate about serving his community, where Brendon has served as a mentor for 3 companies through VentureCapital.org, conducted several Junior Achievement classes and serves on several committees for MountainWest Capital Network.

A native of Britain, Kate came to the United States to pursue graduate education in music performance. Studying at Penn State University and the University of Iowa she completed her terminal degree in 2013. Her side projects included directing a British-style brass band, teaching private music lessons, and even playing over 300 "High School Musical" performances in a single summer. Kate has been with The Salvation Army since 2013 and has led the Salt Lake City Corps (church) for the past year. Together with her husband James, she oversees the ministry, social service programs (including a food pantry, utilities assistance programs, emergency assistance programs, Christmas Angel Tree etc.), community programming, emergency disaster services, and more! She has previously served as a ministry assistant, a youth programs administrator, and a regional music director, in the states of CA, TX, VA, and Washington DC. She is a volunteer coach with People Helping People.

Michelle is the Director of Partner Relations at World Trade Center Utah, a private nonprofit organization that helps Utah businesses grow globally. In this role she works closely with board members and community partners to identify needs their businesses have and find ways to add value, as well as make meaningful connections in the community. This position was a career pivot for Michelle, and prior to joining WTC Utah just over a year ago, her career had focused on social work, refugee resettlement, and higher education. She completed her Master’s of Social Work from the University of Utah, and has her Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work from St. Louis University. Michelle is originally from St. Louis, but has lived in Utah for 12 years and is fully bought into it being the best state in the country. 

Dave works at University of Utah Health as the Finance Manager for Outreach, Network Development & Telehealth. He works with department and organizational leadership on all budget and accounting items as well as facilitating all outreach and telehealth contracts with external affiliates and organizations. He works to ensure all contracts are supported by legal, compliance, privacy, and clinical leadership prior to formal document execution. He graduated from the Professional MBA program at the University of Utah in August of 2016. He graduated from Utah State University in May of 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts dual-major in Accounting and Finance, with minors in Economics, International Business, and Spanish. Away from work, Dave enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, watching and attending sporting events, hiking, and grilling.

Josh works as a Relationship Manager in Wells Fargo's Middle Market division in Salt Lake City. Josh's client consists of middle market customers in excess of $75MM in revenue as well as commercial real estate developers and owners. He helps facilitates his clients needs for lines of credit, equipment finance, treasury, real estate, and other banking products. Josh has been working in the banking industry for 25 years. Josh graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Economics and Spanish and an MBA from Pepperdine University. Josh is active in the community and is currently serving on the board of directors for the Salt Lake Rotary Club. He enjoys the outdoors especially golf and skiing. Josh and his wife, Katie are the proud parents of 5 children and enjoy spending time together.

Andrea is a Technical Business Analyst at the Utah Transit Authority. She moved to USA, Utah in 2015 and has been working in hospitality her entire life until Covid hit and she changed her career path into Transportation. Her passion is events planning which came from finishing  her Master Degree in Hotel Management. She has discovered her technical skills at UTA and has been enjoying her job she currently is in. When she is not working (she is quite a workaholic) she enjoys spending time with her 4 year old daughter Ayeshea, travel as much as she can and attending Zumba Fitness Classes.

Russ Elbel is the Assistant Vice President for Medicaid and has been with SelectHealth since 2011. He oversees the Medicaid and CHIP health plans that serve over 170,000 Utahns. He works with leaders across the organization and in the community to ensure access to care for the most vulnerable individuals and oversees the development and execution of strategies to address equity and the social determinants of health. Russ previously worked in health care roles with the University of Utah Health Plans, UnitedHealth Group, and Johnson & Johnson. Russ earned his Master of Science in Public Health and Health Services Administration from the University of Utah. He currently serves as a Board member at Valley Behavioral Health and is a founding member of the Utah Coalition of Health Plans. He is a past Chair for the Utah Medicaid Medical Care Advisory Committee, and a past member of the Utah Health Data Committee. 

Aspen English serves as the Marketing & Communication Coordinator for the Salt Lake Chamber. She works to organize initiatives like the Clear the Air Challenge and Life in Utah, write content for the Chamber website, and market upcoming events and programming. Aspen graduated as valedictorian from Southern Utah University with degrees in rhetoric and strategic communication. Outside of work, she enjoys rock climbing, traveling the world, and trying as many new restaurants as she can. 

Megan Engstrom is originally from a small Swedish town in California. She moved to Utah to attend college, fell in love with the state and has stayed ever since! She is a lover of trying new places to eat, going thrift shopping, and planning killer parties for her family and friends. She is passionate about helping women business owners succeed and works as the Northern Program Coordinator for the Women's Business Center of Utah.

Alexx is a seasoned nonprofit professional who is currently working as the Director of Philanthropy at the Discovery Gateway Children's Museum. She works with community partners to raise funds which will create unique and inviting exhibits that highlight donor organizations while effectively engaging a young audience. She has worked for healthcare nonprofits, government agencies, and, prior to her current role, she managed a corporate philanthropy program at a local Utah company. In 2018, she graduated with a Masters of Arts in Nonprofit Management and Global Community Leadership. In addition to early childhood STEAM education, Alexx also passionately volunteers in the areas of refugee resettlement, female empowerment, and animal welfare. In her free time, Alexx enjoys spending time hiking, backpacking, and camping outside with her husband, Leo, and their dog Betty White.

Blake has held key leadership roles at Delta across our TechOps and ACS divisions, currently leading the Below Wing Operations team at the Salt Lake City International Airport.

Blake is responsible for the strategy and operational excellence of our Ramp, Baggage, ACC, Deice, and Move Crew teams. Blake's collaborative and people focused approach will help build on the great work our teams are doing in SLC. He will continue positioning our SLC operation for future growth with the opening of our east expansion in November of 2023 along with subsequent phases through 2027.

Blake earned his B.S. in Aviation Management from Embry-Riddle University and is currently pursuing his MBA from LSU.

Blake, his wife Katie and two children Avery (3) and Henry (1) live in Herriman. They love the outdoors and are excited to continue exploring everything Utah has to offer.

John is the SVP of Finance at The Larry H. Miller Company, which manages a portfolio of businesses and investments. He and his team support the portfolio entities’ growth and standardization of accounting, reporting, and finance processes. Previously he was VP of Finance & Accounting at TransPak, a global manufacturing and logistics company out of the Bay Area. He started his career in public accounting with Ernst & Young and has enjoyed working in a variety of financial roles at Deloitte, Schnitzer Steel, Ancestry and NuSkin. He has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting (2004) from Brigham Young University and recently earned an MBA (2019) from BYU as well. John and his wife Heather have five daughters. They enjoy outdoor adventures such as riding ATVs, scuba diving and raising animals (most recently pigs). John is an avid board game player, especially chess, and is always up for a game.

I am the Director of Benefits & Retirement for Clyde Companies, Inc. As the Director, I am responsible for creating a benefits strategy that supports our corporate objectives to attract and retain top talent. Prior to joining Clyde Companies, I served as a business strategy leader at WTW, a global HR consulting firm. I was responsible for developing business strategies to increase new members conversion rates in healthcare plans in the individual Medicare and healthcare marketplace. I have partnered with several fortune 500 C-suite business leaders to create custom solutions to rising healthcare administration costs for retiree employee groups. As a woman and mother, I am passionate about supporting women in the workplace through leadership and development programs. In my spare time I enjoy hiking, cycling, sunshine and spending time with my five children and three grandchildren. 

Ken was recently named the VP of Claims for WCF's new expansion product lines. Prior to his role at WCF Ken spent 15 years with Farmers Insurance in a variety of roles, with his last role being the AVP of New Markets and Strategic Accounts.  While born in Salt Lake, he is part of a Navy family and is no stranger to moving.  Ken graduated from the University of Texas, Austin and has lived in 12 different cities throughout his career.  As a new resident to Utah, Ken has taken up skiing and enjoying the beauty of Utah and hiking with his boxer, Remy.

Laura is a Senior Advisor for the Communities & Social Performance team at Rio Tinto Kennecott. She works with the local communities near Kennecott’s operations and within the broader Salt Lake Valley to build relationships, provide information, and develop partnerships. Prior to joining Kennecott, Laura worked as a Public Involvement Project Manager for local civil engineering firms where she developed and executed communication and public engagement strategies for multi-million-dollar transportation infrastructure projects on behalf of the state and local governments. Laura holds a BA in Communications from the University of Denver and an MBA from the University of Utah

Miranda Jones Cox is the Government Affairs Manager for the Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC), a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and Association of Governments (AOG) for Box Elder, Davis, Morgan, Salt Lake, Tooele, and Weber Counties. In her role, Miranda plays a critical part in furthering the work of WFRC to promote state and federal legislative priorities and implement policies aligned with the Wasatch Choice Vision and Unified and Regional Transportation Plans. Before joining WFRC in 2021, Miranda served as a budget and policy analyst at the Utah Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, specializing in infrastructure policy. Prior to GOMB, Miranda was able to work for various Congressional, State, and Local elected officials. Miranda holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Utah, and a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Southern Utah University.

Hi! My name is Madison Keyser Williams and I am an HR Manager for Utah Paperbox Company.  Utah Paperbox is a high end packaging firm that has been located in Utah for over 100 years.  

I graduated from the University of Utah with a BS in Economics and Boston University with an MS in Project Management.  In 2021, I obtained my SPHR certification.  I enjoy living in Salt Lake City and exploring all the outdoors that our mountains offer.  I look forward to getting to know peers in the business community.  

Greg holds the Preconstruction Manager position at CCI Mechanical for over 3 years. For 15 years prior to that, Greg was a Project Manager and Estimator for CCI. Greg's current role consists of managing the sales of projects, the design of projects, developing new business, maintaining current client relationships and creating new client relationships.  Greg has a BS degree in Environmental Studies from Texas A&M. He is a transplant who moved here from Helena, Montana but originally grew up in San Antonio, Texas. When Greg is not developing new business, he is enjoying all aspects of the outdoors and loves watching his son play baseball and daughter play soccer and basketball.

Jared is the Senior Vice President of Strategy, Marketing and Sustainability at Savage. In this role he leads and facilitates Savage’s strategy development and execution processes, leads all marketing efforts across the enterprise, and leads development of Savage’s sustainability program and reports. Over his 25+ year career Jared has worked in many states for public, private and not-for-profit organizations. Jared has a Master of Public Administration and Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Finance and Economics. Outside of work you can find him vacationing (at locations where his family surprises him) or looking for big mountains and trails to run and hike.

Lydia Levin is senior vice president and channel strategy manager for Zions Bank. She oversees retail operations across Zions Bank’s network of 122 branches, as well as ATM, online and mobile channels.
Levin joined Zions in 2016 as a regional sales manager. Prior to working at Zions Bank, she spent 14 years at Chase Bank.
She holds a master’s degree from Bashkir State University, and an MBA from University of Phoenix.
Active in the banking industry and the community, Levin serves on the board of directors of the Utah Bankers Association’s Emerging Bank Leaders. She has also been involved in United Way, March of Dimes, Junior Achievement, and the American Heart Association.

Abbie Magrane is the Director of Gas Operations for Dominion Energy’s Western natural gas distribution company. She is an attorney by trade, and after graduating from law school spent much of her career working in house for Dominion Energy’s predecessor Questar Gas Company. During her years, she was responsible for providing legal advice on 3rd claims, litigation, employee relations/litigation, worker and pipeline worker safety as well as various other issues. In 2022, she was offered a new position as Director of Gas Operations, and now supervises over 350 employees. Abbie currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah and when she’s not at work enjoys spending time with her amazing fiancé, two fantastic young adult children and three crazy dogs. She also loves to camp, enjoys all the activities Utah has to offer and is a recreational distance runner, participating in several half and full marathons.

Tiffany serves as the Office Administrator for Salt Lake County within Office of Regional Development. She works with a number of different cities and the County organizing events and special projects. She has been with the County for going on 8 years. On Tiffany's free time you can find her spending time with her family, traveling and trying new restaurants in the area.

Lance oversees all general operations for the company across the State of Utah, with over 30+ offices, 525 real estate professionals, and nearly $5B in annual sales.  He offers direct oversight to the Relocation Division, Commercial Division as well as our Builder/Developer Services.  Lance has over 26 years of experience in managing and representing Builders and Developers in over 140+ communities throughout Utah.  His experience often finds him consulting on new projects, coaching, and mentoring high level real estate brokers.  He was most recently asked to be a guest presenter at the CCIM Commercial Broker Awards Gala in May of 2023.  Lance has previously served on the Utah Chapter of Operation Smile, has recently been asked to serve on the USANA Foundation, and routinely spends multiple nights each month serving at the Women's Resource Center in SLC.  

As the General Manager for Mortenson’s Salt Lake City office, Sarah Narjes is responsible for the continued expansion of Mortenson’s presence in Utah and oversees key active development and investment projects. Narjes has successfully led a variety of complex high-profile projects since joining Mortenson in 2007. With her customer-centric and charismatic leadership style, Sarah transitioned to Mortenson’s Sports + Entertainment Group in 2014, serving in a variety of leadership roles for iconic sports stadiums including the Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia and the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Brian Olsen joined Zions Bank in 2006 and currently works in the Salt Lake Middle Market Commercial and Industrial Banking division as a Relationship Manager.  In his role, Brian serves the needs of his portfolio customers through providing commercial real estate loans, lines of credit, equipment leases/loans, treasury products, and by managing the entire banking relationship to assist with whatever needs clients may have.  He is also responsible for growing the portfolio in customers, products, and profitability.  Brian holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Westminster University and prior to that studied engineering and business at Brigham Young University.  His favorite things include spending time with his wife, Britnie, and their four awesome children. 

Greg is the CEO of GROWL Agency. He started this company over 13 years ago and now has grown to be in 3 locations.  Denver, Colorado, Grand Junction, Colorado, and Salt Lake City, UT.   He has been active in various non-profit groups such as Rotary Club, Food Bank of the Rockies, & Guys Giving Club.  His passion is economic development and helping small business owners strive.  Greg decided to start to relocate GROWL to Utah in the beginning of 2023 to be in a more business-friendly state.  When he isn't running GROWL, he enjoys time with his rescue dogs, hiking, biking and going to see live music.

Tameisa is the Branch Manager of the Magna Branch of Zions Bank. She is the primary business development officer that is also responsible for the overall performance and operations of the branch. She's the mother of two amazing sons and one daughter in law. In her free time, she is part of the Salt Lake City Mass Choir, that is a gospel choir established in 2011 that puts on a musical worship event called One Accord, all across the valley. When she's not working or singing you can find her volunteering at The Point Church in Kearns, UT, pursuing her goals on her vision board and traveling as much as possible.

Elsie joined Clyde Companies in 2018 as a founding member of the Desert Color project and has advanced to various roles in the Clyde organization, including the corporate marketing team, Springville Rising project manager, and now manages the community engagement arm of the corporate strategy team. She earned a communications degree from BYU.

Colin is the Vice President, Accounting Services of Intermountain Health, a nonprofit health system including 33 hospitals, 385 clinics, over 1 million health plan members, and more than 60,000 employees with operations is seven states. He joined Intermountain Healthcare in 2006 and oversees accounting, financial reporting, accounts payable, payroll, tax, and Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement. Prior to joining Intermountain Health, Colin spent seven years in the audit and assurance practice of EY in Salt Lake City. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the state of Utah and received undergraduate and Master of Accountancy degrees from Brigham Young University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Utah. He is a past president of the Healthcare Financial Management Association, Utah Chapter. Outside of work Colin enjoys spending time his wife and four children vacationing, playing games or taking an evening walk.

Matt is the Chief Operating Officer for Jacobsen Construction Company. His degree was in Architecture form the University of Utah, and his love is construction. Examples of projects that he has managed are the Utah State University Recital Hall, Riverton Hospital, Utah Valley Hospital Tower, and the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Bachelor Gulch, CO. In his recent role as COO he oversees all of our construction operations, including staffing, training, and safety programs. He currently serves on Jacobsen's Board of Directors, and has participated on not-for-profit boards, as well as participating on the Builders Committee for the AGC of Utah.. He and his wife, Lisa, enjoy managing and supporting many community events for their neighbors in the Daybreak area. They also enjoy traveling, engaging with their children and young grandchildren, and playing with their dog.

Ari Robinson is the Vice President of Exhibit Design and Interpretation at Loveland Living Planet Aquarium. He leads the Aquarium’s Education team which visited over 62,000 students in 913 different Schools last year with its outreach program, and hosted over 52,000 field trip students from 573 different schools at the Aquarium. Ari also leads the Aquarium’s creative team in designing everything from marketing collateral like billboards to new exhibits, and even buildings. Ari started with the Aquarium in 1998 as a volunteer, and became an Education Presenter in 2004. In 2008 Ari began designing exhibits for the Aquarium, and was a member of the core team that designed the 136,000 sq. ft. Aquarium facility which opened in 2014. In his free time Ari enjoys fly fishing, sketching wildlife, playing bass guitar, and spending time with his family.

Daniel Stergios is a part of the Salt Lake County’s Zoo, Arts & Parks (ZAP) program and serves as the Grant and Communications Coordinator. He orchestrates the grant process for arts and cultural organizations, including writing grants, providing applicant assistance, facilitating board meetings, and coordinates contract and payment processes. He also leads communications including social media, newsletters, and press releases.  He graduated in 2018 with his B.A. in Film and Media Arts, Animation from the University of Utah and in 2021 He completed his Parks and Tourism Certificate from Southern Utah University. As a self-identified polymath, he strives to be a lifelong learner with a variety of interests including photography, travel, hiking and reading.

Will serves as the Project Manager for the Salt Lake City  Department of Economic Development. He manages both the Construction Mitigation Grant program and the Economic Development Loan Fund (EDLF) for start up loans and business expansion loans for businesses in Salt Lake City. In addition, Will manages the department's Special Assessment Areas (SAA) and Business Districts. He graduated from the University of Utah with degrees in Economics, Environment & Behavior, and a minor in Ethnic Studies. When Will is not managing Business Districts, loans, grants, and SAAs for Salt Lake City, he offers free ride share services to his two children and their friends and enjoys converting classic cars to fully electric vehicles.