Celebrating Excellence and Safety: Inaugural SUU ERM Summit
Published: February 04, 2026 | Read Time: 4 minutes
Recently, Southern Utah University gathered for the Inaugural Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Summit and Award Breakfast. Hosted by the Office of ERM in partnership with the Center for Teaching and Innovation (CTI), the event was a resounding success, dedicated to recognizing campus leaders and enhancing the University’s collective capabilities in risk, compliance, emergency management, and safety.
The day kicked off with the awards breakfast, where individuals and departments were honored for their exceptional commitment to keeping SUU safe, compliant, and resilient. Each recipient received a commemorative challenge coin, and their department received a $1,000 funding allocation to further risk management, safety and compliance initiatives.
Excellence in Safety
This Excellence in Safety award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to promoting a positive Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) culture, preventing injury/illness, ensuring regulatory compliance, or implementing innovative safety improvements. The following received the Excellence in Safety award:
- Barry Pearson - Director, Grounds and Gardens
- Jeff Tukuafu - Senior, Associate Athletics
- Elizabeth Pierce - Department Chair, Chemistry and Physics
- Chris Ralphs - Executive Director, Campus Life
- Richard Girtain - Production Manager, Utah Shakespeare Festival
Excellence in Compliance
The Excellence in Compliance award recognizes individuals who move beyond basic adherence to compliance obligations. These individuals actively embody proactive risk management and an ethical culture that supports SUU’s core mission and strategic plan. The following received the Excellence in Compliance award:
- Ben Johnson - AVP, Facilities Management
- Jayson Matlock - Director, Financial Aid and Scholarships
- Ken Schmutz - Data Privacy Analyst
- Heather Ogden - AVP, Dean of Students
- Madison Mcbride - Assistant Director, Health and Wellness
Excellence in Risk Management
The Excellence in Risk Management award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding initiative, leadership, or execution in identifying, assessing, mitigating, or monitoring risks that could impact the University's mission, assets, people, or reputation. The following received the Excellence in Risk Management award:
- Shannon Eberhard - Assistant Director, Outdoor Pathways
- James Sage - Associate Provost and Camille Thomas - Assistant Provost (Co-recipients)
- Fred Godevich - Department Chair, Biology
- Jim Shakespear - Chief Information Security Officer/Director, IT Security
Excellence in Emergency Management
The Excellence in Emergency Management award recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to their department or university's ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies, critical incidents, or disasters. The following received the Excellence in Emergency Management award:
- Shelly Roy - Copy Shop & Library Marketing Design Assistant and Chris Younkin - Assistant Professor, Library & Information Science/Scholarly (Co-recipients)
- Lauri Garfield - Manager, Guest Services
- Co-recipients Nikki Koontz - AVP, Marketing Communications and Brooke Heath - Director, Public Relations (Co-recipients)
The Enterprise Risk Management Award
The Enterprise Risk Management award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding vision, leadership, and execution in integrating and managing risks across multiple facets of the University's mission, encompassing compliance, EH&S, emergency preparedness, and strategic risk management. The following received the Enterprise Risk Management award:
- Tessa Anderson - Director, Internal Audit
- Jake Johnson - Assistant Provost
The ERM Hammer of Excellence
The ERM Hammer of Excellence is a “traveling” trophy that recognizes a division/department within the University that embodies the motto of “Everyone a Risk Manager” by demonstrating outstanding accomplishments in compliance, EH&S, emergency preparedness, and strategic risk management. The Division of Campus Operations received the recognition for achieving the highest completion rate (96%) in the University’s required training course for benefited employees.
Session Highlights
Following the awards, attendees participated in a series of specialized learning tracks designed to provide practical, high-impact training for the modern campus environment.
- Mental Health Awareness & De-escalation: Presented by Heather Ogden, focusing on essential communication and support strategies.
- Travel & Field Trip Safety: An expert panel discussion featuring Fred Govedich, Jason Kaiser, Tayah Nelson, and Levi Pendleton.
- Emergency Action Plan (EAP) Training: In-depth guidance for General Communications Officers and Zone Captains, led by Wyatt Robison and Shelly Roy.
- Active Shooter Preparedness: Critical safety training provided by SUU Police Chief Carlos Medina.
- Establishing Safety Committees: Dan Arnoldson (Workers Compensation Fund) shared how non-safety professionals can build effective safety cultures.
- Hazard Recognition: Wesley Whittington (State of Utah Division of Risk Management) provided a deep dive into identifying risks in higher education settings.
The Office of Emergency Risk Management
The Office of ERM would like to thank all the presenters, award winners, and attendees who made this inaugural event a huge success. Our commitment to enterprise risk management principles ensures that SUU remains a safe, resilient, and thriving environment for students, faculty, and staff alike. For more information on the Office of ERM please visit their department website.
Contact Information
Brooke Heath
435-586-5400
brookeheath1@suu.edu