Staff
Dr. Steven D. Bennion
Executive Director June 2010-December 2011
Steven D. Bennion was born in Salt Lake City. As a teenager he spent summers working on a farm in Idaho's Teton Valley. He was a student body president and an accomplished three-sport athlete in high school. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in political science at the University of Utah, interrupting his studies for a time to serve a six-month term in the army and a two-year LDS mission to Scotland.
He met Marjorie Hopkins when he was at the University and she was attending Utah State. They moved to Ithaca, New York, where Steve completed work for a master's degree in public administration at Cornell University. The family moved to Madison, Wisconsin where Steven was a budget analyst for the governor of Wisconsin for two years. For the next ten years, Steven served as a budget and academic planner for the University of Wisconsin. During this time he also pursued his studies to earn a doctorate degree in higher education administration.
Returning to the West in 1982, Steven was president of Snow College in Ephraim, Utah for seven years. He was called to serve as president of Ricks College from 1989 to 1997. During this time President Bennion prepared the college for the future. Computer access for students was expanded. The "fast track" program was developed to allow more students to attend Ricks. As a result of that program, student enrollment increased to 8,250 students. The John Taylor Building was constructed, the first new building on campus in 17 years.
In 1997 Steven became the president of Southern Utah University, following his grandfather, Milton Bennion, who served as the institution's first principal in 1897.
Steven then took another three years to serve as President of an LDS mission in New York, New York. Following his mission he graciously accepted the role as Executive Director of the Leavitt Center until he and his wife were called again to serve the LDS church as assistant directors of church hosting. While serving as the director President Bennion revitalized the advisory board and strengthened the student component of the center. He and his wife, Marjorie, are the parents of five children, four of whom are living.