Utah Supreme Court Justice John Pearce swore in all 18 members of the Utah Board of Higher Education at the August 21 Board meeting, including two student members. The Utah State Senate confirmed Governor Herbert’s appointments to the newly-formed Utah Board of Higher Education in May of this year.
Each member of the Utah Board of Higher Education brings years of experience to the Board, continues to lead outstanding work in the community and possesses a passion for higher education. Spencer Cox, Lieutenant Governor of Utah; Brad Wilson, Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives; and Stuart Adams, President of the Utah State Senate, will also give their remarks at the meeting.
“We are profoundly grateful for each board member sworn in today. They begin their service in an unprecedented time, and I have complete confidence in their ability to rise to the challenges they’ll face,” said Spencer J. Cox, Lieutenant Governor of Utah. “Our institutions of higher education will reach new heights because of their thoughtful leadership.”
Members of the new Utah Board of Higher Education include:
- Harris Simmons, Chair
- Nina Barnes, Vice Chair
- Aaron Osmond, Vice Chair
- Jesselie Anderson
- Crystal Maggelet
- Mike Angus
- Arthur Newell
- Jera Bailey
- Shawn Newell
- Stacey Bettridge
- Lisa-Michele Church
- Scott Theurer
- Wilford Clyde
- Sanchaita Datta
- Alan Hall
- Patricia Jones
Student Representatives:
- Glen Rivera (technical education)
- Candyce Damron (academic education)
The Utah Legislature passed S.B. 111, Higher Education Amendments, in January 2020, which combined the Utah System of Higher Education and the Utah System of Technical Colleges into one System. The bill also created the new Utah Board of Higher Education, to better support students with higher education accessibility, affordability and accelerate graduation rates.
The unified Utah System of Higher Education is now made up of 16 public institutions, including eight technical colleges, two community colleges, four regional universities and two research universities.
