The UVU Foundation operates in support of UVU's current and future needs as a vital component in the community's economic and educational engines. The Foundation is a forward-thinking philanthropic body supporting the vision of the University by contributing expertise, experience, dedication, and financial resources.
Bio coming soon...
With the Wasatch Front becoming known as Silicon Slopes and a preponderance of technology companies springing up in Utah County, Curtis Blair sees the county as an entrepreneurial incubator. And that makes for a perfect partnership with Utah Valley University. UVU has more potential to produce entrepreneurs than any other school in the west, he says.
“Companies are setting up programs specifically to recruit, train, and cater to the UVU student coming out of the College of Technology and Computer Science,” says Blair. “I think you’ll see internships spin out from that.” He sees opportunities for UVU to join forces with the business community in ways that will improve Utah County’s ability to recruit more businesses. “Employers will find a very skilled, ready-to-work workforce coming out of UVU, and 85 percent of UVU alumni stay in Utah after they graduate.”
In addition to businesses, UVU benefits the local community more than any other school because it draws on business techniques to find solutions to social problems, says Blair. “Social entrepreneurism is alive and well at UVU, more so than at other institutions. And the immediate benefit goes to the community where I live, where I’m hiring, and where my kids go to school,” he says.
With his latest venture, Hoodoo Capital, Blair is fostering entrepreneurship himself. The holding company is an incubator for small businesses, but it differs from the traditional model, which takes control of management and places high expectations on returns in exchange for its involvement and funds. “We are not as aggressive on that side because we’re looking at the next generation of leadership and trying to grow them into being business leaders and CEOs of their own firms. It’s an incubator for ideas and for people,” he says.
Blair is invested in running businesses that have a high level of culture. “I believe that a company takes on the attitudes and behaviors of its shareholders, its owners, and its founders. A healthy climate inside a business is tantamount to making that business succeed,” he says. He loves connecting people with one another, and marketing and branding is the currency with which he does it. It’s more than branding, he says; it’s bonding.
“You can tell I’m a humanist, right? Have you taken the Myers Briggs personality profile? I encourage all business associates and partners to find out what their personality profile yields. It can help establish your foundational strengths, discover your most effective team style, and enhance your company culture. What bonding is to marketing, captivation (attracting the right partners, employees, and customers) is to culture,” he says.
Blair has brought his efforts to empower the next generation to his position on the UVU Foundation Board, as well. When he worked with the Foundation ambassadors to plan an activity for the board’s retreat, he left it to them to do much of the planning: “I wanted to paint the vision and let them paint the steps and strokes on how we get there,” he said. “All too often we underwhelm our UVU students, but they’re very capable.”
Additionally, at Blair’s suggestion, each ambassador was assigned to a Foundation committee and now attends committee meetings. “That way they can get a sense of what it’s like to be in a meeting where resolutions are being passed, where they can hear and participate in meaningful discussions and see the direct impact these meetings have on their University.
The Foundation Board considers everyone’s input, including that of the student body president, says Blair. “It’s a very cohesive group. We all want to add value, and I think our hearts are aligned on growing the University. If there are concerns, questions or dissension, it’s brought forward. You don’t have people saying yes in front of everybody and no behind their backs. There’s an open dialogue and transparency. That’s one of the reasons it’s such a successful board,” he says.
The Foundation has demonstrated its vision for the future by acquiring property that will be needed for future expansion in Vineyard, Thanksgiving Point, and potentially Payson, says Blair, who also serves on the UVU Board of Trustees. “One of the things I like about President [Matthew S.] Holland is that he has enough foresight to see the role UVU is going to play in the Valley. He has a long-term view. In 20 years we’re going to be the major educator in the state for students age 18 to 25,” he says. But that’s in addition to the large number of older and nontraditional students. “At UVU our traditional student is everybody. We embrace our diversity.”
Blair stands 110 percent behind the University’s effort to raise money for an arts building. “I know how important STEM is, I know how important critical thinking is, but there has to be a root deep into the fine arts in our community,” he says. As an indication of the depth of his conviction, at the 2014 Feast on the Fairway, which raises funds for UVU Culinary Arts Institute scholarships, Blair was selected to participate in a hole-in-one competition. Just before hitting the ball, he turned to the camera and declared that if he won the million-dollar prize he’d donate the entire amount to UVU’s arts building campaign.
He came close to being able to fulfill that promise. “At Talons Cove, they have a balcony right on the 18th green, where people can watch. And there’s nothing more exhilarating or deflating than to hear your ball hit the green and the whole crowd rise in anticipation and then deflate as the ball goes right past the hole. A great shot—would have won closest to the pin—but not a hole in one,” he says. That didn’t stop him from making a donation for the arts building. “A school curriculum that embraces the arts not only contributes significantly to a student’s education and development but has the power to inspire, motivate, and educate today’s students in ways that no other program can,” says Blair. “And that includes having a football team,” he adds with a laugh.
Although Blair was born in Provo, his father’s job with a food services company took him to a different state every couple of years. But he returned to Provo to earn a degree from the College of Humanities at Brigham Young University. He and his wife, Lisa, who hails from San Francisco, have four boys and one girl. Their oldest boy recentlyreturned from a mission in Brazil, and the second returned from a mission in Tallahassee, Florida. Their third son is still in high school but is taking concurrent enrollment classes at UVU. Curtis describes his teenage daughter as the princess of the house and the most like him—strong willed, entrepreneurial, and a little stubborn.
Blair’s advice to the next generation? First, relationship capital is the most important capital. Second, you’d better know the reasons you’re in business, because they determine not only the destiny of your company but its culture. And third, fill your social circles with people you want to be like, and you’ll find out that, by the law of association, you become like them and they become like you. “The law of association is as real as the law of gravity,” he adds.
As we get a little older, we start thinking less about how we’re going to get ahead and more about how we’re going to pay it forward, says Blair. In planning his legacy, he puts his family first. Next in line are trust relationships, including serving his community, followed by Hoodoo Capital and education, particularly UVU.
Bio coming soon...
Bio coming soon...
Rob Gardner is the vice president of finance and operations at Barebones Living, an outdoor retailer focused on long-term sustainable solutions. Before joining Barebones Living in 2015, he was vice president of finance and accounting at Goal Zero, a renewable energy company for outdoor lifestyles. Prior to that, he served as CFO for Roberts Arts and Crafts as well as manager at Sorenson Capital, a private equity firm. While residing in Colorado, Gardner was employed as a senior associate with CBIZ/Mayer Hoffman McCann, a national public accounting and consulting firm.
Gardner was a managing partner of Cougar Capital, a student-run venture capital and private equity fund which is run by second-year M.B.A. students at the Marriott School at Brigham Young University. The students conducted due diligence on potential investments and co-invested with the industry partners. Rob is also a founder and former board member of Autism Journeys, a nonprofit company that specializes in treatment and therapy for children with autism and other developmental disorders. He also has served since 2012 as a member of the Utah Valley University Foundation's investment committee.
Gardner received a Master of Business Administration from Brigham Young University with an emphasis in finance, strategy and entrepreneurship. He also holds a Master of Accountancy and a B.S. in Accounting from Brigham Young University. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.
Trina Limpert is the CEO & Founder of RizeNext Corporation, a business strategy and education consulting company assisting organizations to successfully execute equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives. Trina is a passionate leader and her company offers a unique blend of experience in driving engagement and operational execution to meet diversity & inclusion objectives. Her prior corporate technology career spans across multiple industries and businesses at Novell, eBay and lastly at Oracle as the Senior Director of CX Consulting. In her prior role as President of Women in IT at eBay she lead an organization of 1500 members across 17 countries. In 2020 Trina co-founded Tech-Moms.org an organization that educates and assists women re-entering or transi-tioning their careers into the technology industry.
Trina is a lifelong learner and higher education advocate. She attended Weber State University receiving an associate degree in Computer Science, bachelor’s degree in Business and Information Systems from the University of Phoenix, an Executive MBA at the University of Utah, and certificate in Driving Corporate Strategy from Harvard University.
Trina currently serves on the Women’s Success Center Board of Advisors at Utah Valley University, Board of Advisors for Weber State University School of Engineering, Applied Science and Technology, and on the National Advisory Committee at Weber State University, and the Salt Lake Chamber Board of Governors.
Brian P. Murphy is a founder and managing member of Portfolio Advisors, a registered investment advisor and Qualified Professional Asset Manager (QPAM) that specialites in delivering customized private equity, real estate, and credit solutions. Additionally, he is a member of the Portfolio Advisors Management Committee, several investment committees, and co-heads the advisory services practice. Brian has served or is serving as a director of nine client portfolio companies and as an advisory board member of twenty-four private equity partnerships. Additionally, he is a member of UVU's WSB National Advisory Board and BYU's Entrepreneurship Founders Advisory Board.
Brian earned a BA from Brigham Young University, an MBA from Columbia University, and completed a CFA program. He and his wife, Louise, are the parents of four children and grandparents to at least twelve grandchildren. They currently reside in Gilbert, AZ.
Bio coming soon...
Founder of Paul Rogers & Associates, Paul Rogers first entered politics in 1978, when he was elected to the Utah House of Representatives. In 1982 he was elected to the Utah State Senate. After 10 years of elected service, Rogers began his lobby practice. For the past 27 years, he has been influential in the outcome of numerous state issues related to developing Utah's technology sector, economic development, tax policy, insurance, education, and health care.
In 1984, Rogers directed the successful Bangerter for Governor Campaign. He served over 12 years as a member of the Utah State Board of Regents. He has received many service awards, including the Distinguished Service Award from the Utah Republican Party in 2009. He and his partner, Jeff Rogers, were recognized by UVU for their volunteer efforts in the creation of Utah Valley University. He also received an honorary degree from UVU in 1987. He and his wife, Susan, are lifelong Utah County residents and have eight children.
Nathan serves as President, CEO, and on the board of EnviroServe, a One Rock Capital company with environmental services locations throughout the United States. Nathan also serves on the board of Savage Companies, a global supply chain services company, where Nathan spent 27 years in a number of leadership roles before retiring from Savage when it sold EnviroServe to One Rock.
Nathan earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from Brigham Young University and an MBA from West Virginia University.
Nathan, and his wife Shannon, have four daughters, three sons-in-law, and nine grandchildren.
Bio coming soon...
Bio coming soon...
Ms. Sunderland is a Portfolio Manager of the Grandeur Peak Global Reach Fund (GPROX) and the Grandeur Peak Global Micro Cap Fund (GPMCX). She is the Guardian Portfolio Manager of the Grandeur Peak Global Opportunities Fund (GPGOX). She is also a Sr. Research Analyst with a specialty focus on the Consumer sector globally.
Ms. Sunderland was a junior and later senior research analyst at Wasatch Advisors from 2003-2011. She was a general analyst on the Wasatch Small Cap Growth Fund (WAAEX) and the Wasatch Micro Cap Fund (WMICX), as well as a consumer sector specialist. Before Wasatch, Ms. Sunderland worked on the Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management Team.
Ms. Sunderland graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Utah where she earned a BS in Finance and Business Information Systems. Ms. Sunderland was selected as the Outstanding Finance Scholar of the Year by the dean, and was a Coca-Cola Scholar. She holds the CFA designation.
Ms. Sunderland was born in China and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese. She moved to Salt Lake City at age 10, bought her first house at age 12, and build aa successful real estate business. Ms. Sunderland began investing in stocks at age 14 and has been a passionate investor ever since.
Amy currently resides in Salt Lake City. She and her husband Seth, have four children. She enjoys reading, kickboxing, basketball, camping, hiking, and traveling to places that are off the beaten path.
Dr. Astrid S. Tuminez (pronounced too-MEE-nez) was appointed the seventh president of Utah Valley University in 2018, and is the institution’s first female president. Tuminez brings to UVU a broad and rich experience in academia, philanthropy, technology, and business. Born in a farming village in the Philippine province of Iloilo, Tuminez moved with her parents and six siblings to the slums of Iloilo City when she was two years old, her parents seeking better educational opportunities for their children.
Her pursuit of education eventually took her to the United States, to Brigham Young University where she graduated summa cum laude in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in international relations and Russian literature. She earned a master’s degree from Harvard University in Soviet Studies (1988) and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in political science (1996).
Before assuming her current position, President Tuminez was a world leader in the fields of technology and political science, most recently serving as an executive at Microsoft, where she led corporate, external and legal affairs in Southeast Asia. Tuminez is also the former vice dean of research and assistant dean of executive education at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, the premier school of public policy in Asia. She and her husband, Jeffrey S. Tolk, have three children. In her spare time, she enjoys running, dancing, and martial arts.
Mimi Barney was born and raised here in Utah and currently majoring in Graphic Design and Marketing. She has loved her time at UVU! Mimi enjoys being around people and learning from their experiences and being at UVU has helped her widen her perspectives and create relationships with people she will forever be grateful for. Mimi’s parents, professors, and mentors have helped shape her into who she is today and inspired her to pursue her goals. Mimi is incredibly ambitious in all aspects of life, and being the Student Body President is no exception. She is here to provide the best possible college experience for the students of UVU and will represent the student body in everything she does. In her free time, you can find Mimi running, reading, or spending time with friends & family. Go Wolverines!
Joshua B. Woodbury is the executive vice president of acquisitions and development at Woodbury Corporation. In this role, he oversees the company's Real Estate Development and Acquisitions Department, which actively sources new investment opportunities and effectuates property business plans and development objectives for Woodbury Corporation and the Woodbury Capital real estate funds. He is a licensed realtor, has served as the State Director of the International Council of Shopping Centers, and is a member of the Urban Land Institute and the J. Reuben Clark Law Society.
Joshua received a B.A. in History from Brigham Young University with a minor in Business, a J.D. from the University of Utah, and an M.S. in Real Estate Development from Columbia University. He and his wife, Melissa, currently reside in Salt Lake City, UT.
