Left to Right: Front Row - TJ Nelson, William Mark Russell, Eric O. Levitt, Renn Zaphiropoulos; Back Row - Gayle L. Pollock, Marshall Erb, Jim Johnson, Nate B. Esplin; Not Pictured - Sherrie Hansen and Nina Barnes
The Higher Education Act of 1969, as amended, created the Board of Trustees as an integral part of the Utah System of Higher Education. As provided in the Act, the State Board of Regents delegates to and vests certain powers in institutional boards of trustees.
Responsibilities and objectives of the Southern Utah University Board of Trustees:
* Facilitate communication between institution and community
* Assist in planning, implementing and executing fundraising and development projects aimed
at supplementing institutional appropriations
* Perpetuate and strengthen alumni and community identification with the University’s tradition and goals
* Select recipients of honorary degrees
Agenda
Gayle L. Pollock is a native of Tropic, Utah, and was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2005. He is a 1988 graduate of Southern Utah University where he received a Bachelor of Science in Physical Science and Geology. Since 1995 he has served as the executive director/CEO of the Bryce Canyon Natural History Association and previously worked for the Public Health Service and U.S. Geological Survey in Denver, CO. During his tenure at Bryce Canyon, Gayle has worked closely with SUU to establish annual scholarship and undergraduate research opportunities for students. The culmination of these efforts includes the 2006 signing of a formal partnership agreement between Bryce Canyon National Park and SUU, known as the Alliance for Education. Gayle currently serves on several community and state boards including the SUU Science Advisory Board and the Cedar Mountain Science Center. He is also a member of the Garfield County High Angle Rescue Team and Tropic Volunteer Fire Department. Gayle and his wife Marie are the parents of four children and currently reside in Tropic.
Jim Johnson has worked as superintendent of the Iron County School District since 2003. Prior to moving to Iron County, Superintendent Johnson served as the assistant superintendent in the Washington County School District for six years. With a total 32 years in education, Jim has been a classroom teacher, a coach, an assistant principal and a high school principal. Jim is currently serving as a member of the Board of Trustees for Southern Utah University, the Utah School Superintendent Association, and the Northwest Accreditation Committee for the Utah State Office of Education. He and his wife, Deb, now call Cedar City home.
Nina R. Barnes is a vital contributor to the Cedar City community. A native of California, she has served on the Cedar City council since 2005 and is a Southern Utah Foundation Board member. Nina is an active member of the Cedar City Rotary Club and serves on the Anne & Dixie Leavitt Foundation Board, the Veteran Park Steering Committee, the Cedar City Parks and Recreation Committee, and the Cedar City Trails Committee. Nina has also served as the Park Discovery general coordinator, president of the American Children's Christmas Festival, and was a board member of the SUU Master Plan Steering Committee. Previously, Nina was a founding member of the Cedar City Children's Justice Center Friends Board and a recipient of the Cedar City Chamber of Commerce Woman of the Year award. Nina holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Brigham Young University, and along with her husband, Keith, is raising five children in Cedar City, Utah.
Marshall Erb, a native of Eugene, Oregon, who now lives in Draper, Utah, has worked in accounting and finance throughout his professional career since completing the accounting program at Portland State University. As the owner of KME Associates, he has also worked at EnergySolutions as treasurer and senior vice president, was the chief financial officer at Enviocare of Utah, and was the western region director for finance and accounting for XO Communications. With a penchant to give back, Marshall has served as an influential member of many corporate and startup company boards and on several community boards and committees on every level, from the political to those within his local neighborhood. When he is not in the office, Marshall enjoys fly fishing, golfing, snow skiing and baseball. He and his wife Debora have been married for the past 28 years, and the couple has raised three daughters. Their youngest, Michelle, is a proud SUU graduate.
Nate B. Esplin is a native of Cedar City and earned his Bachelors of Science and Master's degrees in accountancy at SUU. After graduation, he earned his CPA designation and worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers accounting firm. From there, Nate began working at the Leavitt Group Enterprises in 2000 where he is currently the Chief Financial Officer for various subsidiaries. Other positions Nate has held within the Leavitt Group include cash manager, controller and treasurer. Throughout, Nate has remained active within his community, and is currently president-elect on the governing board for the Foundation of Valley View Medical Center and is also the community representative on the SUU Board of Trustees audit committee. Nate and his wife Lindsay remain in Cedar City with their four children.
Sherrie Hansen runs her own State Farm Insurance business in Cedar City and has worked in the insurance and financial services for 24 years. She is licensed as a Registered Representative for State Farm VP Management and is also a member of The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors where she served as the IFAPAC Chair for the southern Utah organization. Sherrie is no less dedicated to her community and serves on several committees and boards, including the Safety Solutions Coalition, the Veteran Memorial Park Committee, the Chamber of Commerce Board and the Professional Advisory Committee for Planned Gifting at SUU. She is also an active member of the Rotary Club of Cedar City and was the club's first female president. Sherrie enjoys spending time with her husband Scott, hiking, reading, gardening, fishing and spending time with her children and seven grandchildren.
Eric O. Leavitt is the President of Leavitt Group Enterprises, Inc., the parent company of The Leavitt Group — a network of over 115 independent insurance agencies located in 14 states. After attending Southern Utah University, Eric graduated from the University of Utah in 1986 and then in 1988, earned a master's degree from the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Rochester. Before joining The Leavitt Group, Eric worked for five years in the independent power industry developing cogeneration projects in Massachusetts, Vermont, Utah and California. He serves on the Board of Directors of Zions Bank and also on its Trust Committee, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers. Eric resides in Cedar City with his wife Melissa and their six children.
TJ Nelson serves as president of the SUU Student Association (SUUSA) and has been actively involved on campus since first joining the Thunderbird ranks in 2005. Starting out in the SUUSA publicity department, TJ was also a presidential ambassador and served on the SUUSA Executive Council as involvement coordinator for the ambassadors. He was also the marketing chair for the Student Activities Board. A graduate from Layton High School, TJ will be graduating from SUU in May 2012 with a degree in marketing. In his spare time, TJ enjoys participating in sports and outdoor activities, particularly snowboarding. He also loves spending time with family and friends.
William Mark Russell currently serves as president of Southern Utah University’s National Alumni Association. Following high school graduation in Rockford, IL, Mark returned to his native Utah to attend Southern Utah State College (now SUU). He obtained a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1974 and then went on to earn an MBA from the University of Utah in 1975. While attending SUSC, Mark served in student government as attorney general and was the recipient of the Outstanding Student in Business award. Mark currently serves as a member of the SUU Board of Trustees, and has served as a director and trustee on several other boards. He is a financial advisor with MetLife Securities and has earned his firm's Senior Financial Services Executive designation. Mark and his wife Jeri (an SUU alumna) have spent several years representing the University as admissions advisors, sponsoring open houses and assisting in student recruitment in the Salt Lake area. They are the proud parents of four children, all of whom have attended SUU.
Renn Zaphiropoulos is a successful businessman, engaged citizen and longtime friend to SUU. After earning an undergraduate degree in engineering physics and a graduate degree in physics from Lehigh University, Renn co-founded Versatec and pioneered the electrostatic writing technique for the production of hard copy. He has also held executive positions at Xerox Corporation and Varian Associates. A respected leader, Renn is a member of the board of directors for several companies, including SUU's National Advisory Board. Among his many accomplishments, Renn has been honored with honorary doctorate degrees in engineering from Rose-Human Institute of Technology and in humanities from SUU. With a deep affinity for SUU, Renn and his wife Ree established an endowment at SUU which provides scholarship assistance to 12 students each year. Avid livestock caregivers, the couple are also major supporters of the SUU Rodeo Team. In his leisure time, Renn enjoys sailboat racing, working with horses, gourmet cooking, painting, music, philosophy and woodworking.
