Tiffany Wilson
UT BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIR | SEARCH COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR
Tiffany Larkin Wilson is a proud native of Southern Utah and a graduate of Utah Tech University (formerly Dixie State) and Brigham Young University. She serves as Chair of the Utah Tech Board of Trustees and previously served as the board’s Vice-Chair. She also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Altabank, a regional community bank. For the past two decades, Tiffany has owned and operated Designer Marketplace, an online retail business. She is pursuing a master’s in Organizational Leadership at Concordia University Irvine, specializing in Executive Coaching and Consulting. Her forward-looking plans include leveraging this expertise to teach and facilitate leadership skills for organizations, aiming to make a lasting impact in the realm of professional development.
Danny Ipson
UTAH BOARD OF HIGHER EDUCATION | SEARCH COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR
Danny, a native of St. George, serves on the Utah Board of Higher Education and is a former member of the Utah Tech University Board of Trustees as the board liaison and member of the Board of Trustees at Dixie Technical College. He earned an associate degree from Dixie College and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Southern Utah University. He began working in the family business to put himself through college and ultimately oversaw all aspects of the DATS Trucking Group of Companies. He continues to own and operate an eight-store chain of convenience stores and truck stops. Danny loves the St. George community, serves on multiple advisory boards locally, and has spent the last 13 seasons as the head baseball coach at Dixie High School.
Javier Chavez Jr.
UTAH BOARD OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Born and raised in Ogden, Utah, Javier Chavez, Jr., is an attorney and small business owner with over 20 years of experience in legal services, corporate, and start-ups. After graduating from the University of Utah, he went on to earn both a law degree and MBA from Boston College. Javier practiced law in New York City and California before returning home to Utah to launch his own law practice. He also founded a beverage business, Cerveza Zólupez Beer Company, and counsels his family’s restaurants. Javier serves on the Board of Directors of Give Me a Chance and the Board of Trustees of Ogden Regional Hospital. He and his wife, a medical doctor, have two young children. Together, they enjoy hiking the trails of Utah and watching Ogden Raptors and Utah Jazz.
Colleen Kvetko
UT BOARD OF TRUSTEES VICE CHAIR
Colleen Kvetko is a seasoned banking executive with more than 40 years of experience in the industry. In Naples, Florida, Colleen was President, CEO and Chairman of Fifth Third Bank, President and CEO of Shamrock Bank. She was named by the America Banker Magazine as one of the “Twenty-Five Most Powerful Women in Banking,” ranked tenth in 2004 and fifth in 2005. Colleen has always given her time and talent to community organizations, some of which include the YMCA, Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development, Naples Daily News Advisory Board, Florida Bankers Association, and Ave Maria University Board of Trustees. She serves as vice-president of the Entrada Ladies Golf Association and volunteers at Snow Canyon State Park.
Betty Barnum
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT
Growing up in St. George, Betty was excited to start her college journey in her hometown. At Dixie Junior College, she served as a student body officer and graduated with honors. Betty completed her education with a master’s degree at BYU. Her career as an educator started in Salt Lake City School District, followed by Nebo School District, and ultimately in Washington County School District as an elementary school principal until she retired. During her career, Betty was honored to serve as a State Officer in the Utah Science Teachers Association and also as State President in the Utah Association of Elementary School Principals. Now, she is delighted to serve on the UT Alumni Board as president. Betty has six children and now enjoys sailing, traveling, and spoiling her grandchildren.
Ken Beazer
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
Ken Beazer is the Executive Director of Athletics at Utah Tech University. Prior to his current position, he served as the Executive Director of Development for the University. Ken has served for over 30 years in the USHE system with stops at Snow College, Utah State University, Southern Utah University, and Utah Tech University, the majority of his time working in intercollegiate athletics. Ken is a member of Utah Tech University’s President’s Cabinet and currently serves on a variety of campus, civic boards and NCAA boards and committees.
Darlene Dilley
ASSOCIATE PROVOST FOR ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT
With an extensive 30-year career in higher education, Darlene Dilley currently serves as the Associate Provost for Enrollment Management at Utah Tech University. She oversees the Enrollment Division which includes the offices of Admissions, Financial Aid & Scholarships, International Programs, and Regional Academic Pathways. During her tenure, the University has experienced sizable enrollment growth of nearly 30%. Prior to coming to Utah Tech, Darlene worked in Admissions and Enrollment at Westminster University, where she served as the Director of Admissions and culminating as the Interim Chief Enrollment Officer. Darlene earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah followed by a Master of Education in adult learning from Westminster College.
Eli Bermudez
DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES
Dr. Bermudez serves as the Dean of the College of Health Sciences at Utah Tech University. He earned a bachelor’s in biology from the University of Puerto Rico, a master’s in environmental sciences from University of Puerto Rico, and his Ph.D. in environmental health sciences from UCLA. He served for 22 years as a tenured faculty member, Department Chair of Applied Health Sciences, and Interim Dean of the College of Health and Human Services at Indiana State University.
His scholarship includes 18 peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals, 85 professional presentations, and 29 grants awarded, all in the disciplines of environmental health, and public health.
Ali Threet
ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS AND DEAN OF STUDENTS
Ali Threet is the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Utah Tech University. Throughout her career, Ali has focused on advocating for students. She is often found walking around campus, introducing herself, showing up at events, and being present. She encourages students to ask for help and provide feedback for things that need improvement across campus. Ali has a bachelor’s degree in interpersonal communication, a master’s degree in Educational psychology, and will soon have a Ph.D. in adult organizational learning & leadership. She is researching proactive approaches to improved mental health in college students. Ali is married to James Threet and has three wonderful sons.
Julie Chew
FACULTY SENATE PRESIDENT | PROFESSOR OF NURSING
A tenured professor of nursing, Julie Chew currently serves as the Faculty Senate President at Utah Tech in addition to her teaching load within the College of Health Sciences. Julie’s career in nursing spans more than 40 years in corporate and academic settings. She completed her associate degree in nursing at Weber State University, bachelor’s degree at University of the State of New York, master’s degree at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine, and her Ph.D. at Northcentral University. She is a mother of nine and a grandmother of ten. In her spare time, she enjoys playing piano and harp, reading, crocheting, and giving back to the community and her students.
Stacy Schmidt
STAFF ASSOCIATION PAST PRESIDENT
As the Utah Tech University Staff Association Past President, Stacy Schmidt is committed to enriching the employment experience of the institution’s 1,400 staff members. She also serves as the Assistant Director of Public Relations/Publications for the University’s Marketing & Communication office, where she shapes and shares the Utah Tech story.
Born and raised in Utah, Stacy is a Utah Tech alumna with a bachelor’s degree at Weber State University and a master’s from Southern Utah University. Prior to joining Utah Tech, Stacy served as President & CEO of Children’s Fund, a non-profit organization improving the lives of 30,000+ youth annually.
Bella Estes
UT STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT
Bella is an ambitious and involved student who is currently the Student Body President at Utah Tech. She is passionate about student leadership and believes in the importance of development, which is something she loves to help others achieve while she strives for personal and professional development herself. She is grateful for all the opportunities, connections, and experiences UT provided to her and wants to share those with other students. Bella has also been able to be involved with the St. George community, especially with different organizations and businesses.
Steve Kemp
ST. GEORGE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER | OWNER AND PRINCIPAL BROKER AT VANTAGE REAL ESTATE
Steve has over 20 years of experience in Commercial Real Estate. He is the Owner and Principal Broker of Vantage Real Estate. He is responsible for managing all aspects of commercial real estate including acquisition, disposition, property management and consulting assignments.
Mr. Kemp has served as a member of the St. George City Planning Commission and was recently elected as a member of the St. George City Council.
Derrick Haslem, MD
SENIOR MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF ONCOLOGY CLINICAL PROGRAM INTERMOUNTAIN HEALTH
Dr. Derrick Haslem is the Senior Medical Director of the Oncology Program at Intermountain Health, and a board-certified specialist in Medical Oncology with expertise in targeted therapy, genomics, and breast cancer. He co-founded Intermountain Precision Genomics at Intermountain with the goal of empowering personalized medicine.
Dr. Haslem has been a key leader in expanding cancer services to more rural populations by establishing teleoncology services throughout the mountain west. This program brings high-quality cancer care close to home and reduces complexity, cost, and travel for patients living outside and far away from traditional large cancer centers. He provides care for cancer patients at Intermountain Cancer Center in St. George as well as via teleoncology to various sites throughout the mountain west.