School superintendent, former state senator join Utah Tech Board of Trustees

Utah Tech University welcomed three new members to its Board of Trustees this month in the board's inaugural meeting for the 2023-24 academic year.

The newest members of the 10-person board are board Richard Holmes, the Washington County School District Superintendent; Patricia Jones, the CEO of the Women's Leadership Institute; and Jose Toral-Martinez, the UT Student Body President.

These new appointees are filling positions previously held by outgoing trustees whose terms have concluded.

The Board of Trustees oversees vital aspects of the university, including its mission, strategic plans, policies, budgets, and the establishment of new degree programs, including the conferral of degrees, including honorary ones. Eight of the board's 10 members are appointed by the governor, with the approval of the state Senate. The president of the Utah Tech Alumni Association and the president of the UT Student Association serve as ex officio members.

Holmes, an alumnus of Utah State University with both bachelor's and master's degrees in special education, has spent his entire career in the Washington County School District. He began as a special education teacher at Pine View Middle School and progressively assumed administrative roles across elementary and secondary schools. Holmes served for 15 years in district-level leadership, including roles as an executive director and assistant superintendent, before becoming the district's superintendent.

Jones, a notable figure in both business and politics, currently serves as the CEO of the Women's Leadership Institute, an organization devoted to empowering women and fostering female leadership. Jones is also the co-founder and former president of Dan Jones & Associates, a public opinion and market research firm. She was also a member of the Utah House of Representatives from 2000 to 2006 and later in the Utah Senate from 2006 to 2014, where she made history as the first female leader in either legislative branch, a role she held for 12 years.

Toral-Martinez, a senior, was aan assistant director of the Utah Tech Alumni Ambassadors before becoming the Vice President of Advancement within the Alumni Ambassadors. He then joined the UT Student Association's Service Branch, where he served as the director of entertainment, organizing events such as carnivals, college kickbacks, and casino nights.

The three new members join the existing board members, Chair Tiffany Wilson, Vice Chair Colleen Kvetko, Second Vice Chair Deven Macdonald, Alumni Association President Betty Barnum, Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs Ginger Chinn, President of Intermountain Health's Desert Region Mitch Cloward, and XANT Founder David Elkington.

For further information regarding the Utah Tech University Board of Trustees, please visit trustees.utahtech.edu.

This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: Three new members join Utah Tech Board of Trustees