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ASSOCIATIONS
• Bruce Edgar, a researcher at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah and professor of oncological sciences at the UofU, has been elected as a member to the National Academy of Sciences. His work has primarily been conducted on the fruit fly, which is an ideal model for learning about human biology and cancer development. Early in his career, he made fundamental discoveries in the cell cycle, mitosis, and how DNA replication is controlled in cells. He has also helped identify and analyze a variety of genes and oncogenes, genes that can mutate to transform a normal cell into a cancer cell. His work with fruit flies has led to an understanding of the human genes CDC25, which controls cell division, and Rheb, a gene that controls a key signaling pathway that drives cell growth, among other capabilities. Over the past 15 years, Edgar has been researching stem cells, a type of cell essential for tissue maintenance, regeneration, and longevity, in the intestines of fruit flies, mouse models, and humans. Edgar joined the faculty of Huntsman Cancer Institute and the UofU in 2016. He worked for many years at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle before moving to Heidelberg, Germany, where he served as a professor in the Center for Molecular Biology and a division leader at the German Cancer Research Center.
BANKING
• Sunwest Bank, based in Sandy, has announced Donika McKelvie as managing director of national healthcare. She will launch Sunwest’s national health care platform focused on health care providers across the continuum of care, primarily in the middle market. McKelvie has over 30 years of health care finance experience,
most recently serving as managing director/head of health care at HTLF Bank. She also held managing positions in health care financing at Greystone Funding, MB Financial Bank and Opus Bank.
FOOD
• Ogden’s Own Distillery has hired Victoria Titus-Gecsek as national sales director and named Jon Najarian to the company’s board of directors. Titus-Gecsek has over 20 years of experience in beverage sales and distribution leadership, including at E.&J. Gallo Winery. Najarian is a market analyst, investor, entrepreneur and business media anchor on FOX, CNBC, Sirius XM and CBS Radio. Ogden’s Own Distillery produces Five Wives Vodka, Porter’s Whiskeys, Madam Pattirini Gin and other brands.
HEALTH CARE
• Tranont, the Lehi-based healthy lifestyle company, has added Dr. Erin Glynn to its Scientific Advisory Board. Glynn will work closely with Tranont’s leadership and product teams to guide innovation, oversee scientific product development and provide educational support to Tranont associates. Glynn is a metabolic health, nutrition and product development expert with over 20 years of experience in academia and the dietary supplement industry. After more than a decade in academic research, Glynn transitioned into the nutraceutical industry, where she has led research and development teams and developed clinically supported products for multi-million-dollar brands.
HOSPITALITY
• Black Desert Resort in Ivins has announced its executive and culinary teams. They include Nicholas Gold as managing director, Brandon Hendricks as vice president of sales and marketing, Ryker Brown as director of food and beverage, Matthew Krueger as resort executive chef, and Michelle Taylor as executive pastry chef. Gold is responsible for overseeing operations at Black Desert Resort and the Red Mountain Resort, which are now managed by CoralTree Hospitality. He has more than three decades of hospitality experience, most recently serving as managing director. Prior to joining Black Desert Resort, Gold was vice president at 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay in Hawaii. He also held leadership positions at The Club at Kukui’ula in Kauai; Thompson Hotels in Playa del Carmen; Amangiri Resort in Canyon Point, Utah; Tanque Verde Ranch in Tucson, Arizona; and Enchantment Resort & Mii amo Spa in Sedona, Arizona. In his new role, Hendricks leads overall commercial strategy for Black Desert Resort and Red Mountain Resort, including sales, marketing, revenue management, catering/events and reservations. He has more than 30 years of experience in luxury hospitality, most recently as vice president of sales and marketing. He has held leadership roles at properties ranging from small luxury boutique properties to one of the world’s largest casino resorts. Most recently, Hendricks served as vice president of commercial strategy for Kohler Hospitality. Prior to that, he served as director of sales and marketing at Mauna Lani, the St. Regis Deer Valley and the St. Regis Houston. Brown leads the culinary team at Black Desert Resort, including menu creation for the seven dining venues on property: Basalt, Latitude, 20th Hole, Oasis, Club 73, Flo Bar & Lounge and Lava Love. He has more than 25 years of culinary experience, including at Omni Hotels and Resorts and Waldorf Astoria Park City, conference hotels, private clubs, a la carte restaurants, catering companies and an equestrian facility where he was corporate director of culinary. Krueger is tasked with crafting the overall menu concepts, along with planning, organizing and sourcing ingredients through local purveyors for dish development. He has nearly 15 years of experience, most recently leading the culinary sector at World Equestrian Center in Florida as executive chef. He also held positions at Sea Island Resort in Georgia, Hotel Effie in Miramar Beach, and the St. Regis Deer Valley in Park City. Taylor has nearly 20 years of pastry experience, including baking for properties and golf events, including the U.S. Open and the PGA Tour. She previously managed the pastry and baking department for Pinehurst Resort.
LOGISTICS
• The Utah Inland Port Authority has hired Amy Chanthalyxay as financial manager. She will support financial functions, including grant and bond accounting, payroll administration, tax differential reporting, and financial system optimization. She will also help ensure compliance with state and federal regulations, support audits and provide shared services to partner entities. Chanthalyxay has more than a decade of experience in accounting and financial operations. She began her career and spent nearly six years in public accounting at Eide Bailly. During the past five years, she has held financial roles in the nonprofit sector and with companies in the sports and crafts industries. Chanthalyxay earned a master’s degree in accounting from Utah State University.
MANUFACTURING
• Lifetime Products, a Clearfield-based manufacturer of residential basketball hoops, polyethylene folding tables, chairs, outdoor sheds, composters, playsets, kayaks and coolers, has appointed Kevin Romer as chief financial officer He succeeds Brian Slagle, who is departing the company to pursue a new opportunity after nearly 20 years of service. Romer has more than two decades of experience at Lifetime Products, most recently serving as vice president of sales for the Sporting Goods and Coolers divisions. During his career with Lifetime, he has also held roles as sales assistant and sales manager, helped launch three major product categories, and overseen the customer service department.
SERVICES
• Crewe Advisors, an investment advisor with main offices in Salt Lake City and Arizona, has hired Seth Merrill as chief investment officer and partner and appointed Dustin Thackeray as head of portfolio management. Merrill most recently was co-director of portfolio strategy at Ensign Peak Advisors. He previously ran his own investment management firm, Cederian Investments, and worked at Brandes Investment. His background includes asset allocation and systematic equities portfolio management. A founding partner, Thackeray will specialize in the execution and implementation of investment strategies. He will supervise day-to-day portfolio operations, manage tax-aware implementation, and oversee customized client investment strategies.
• FranklinCovey, a Salt Lake City-based company focused on leadership, has named Jessica G. Betjemann as chief financial officer. She succeeds Stephen D. Young, who is retiring after serving as CFO for 23 years. Young will provide consulting services as a senior advisor to the company during the transition. Betjemann has more than 30 years of experience, most recently serving as executive vice president and CFO of Gogo Inc. She previously served as Gogo’s senior vice president of finance, chief accounting officer and treasurer, expanding her role after joining Gogo as vice president of financial planning and analysis in 2016. Before that, she served as vice president of strategic business planning at Nokia and held several senior leadership roles in strategy and business operations at Alcatel-Lucent from 2007 to 2015. Prior to 2007, Betjemann held strategy and finance roles at Lucent Technologies and AT&T.
TECHNOLOGY
• Nusano, a West Valley City-based physics company focused on the production of radioisotopes, has appointed Rachel Culbertson as vice president of supply chain. Culbertson and her team will oversee sourcing, internal operations and implementation of best practices to support production. Culbertson has more than 20 years’ experience in operations and logistics, with a track record in highly regulated and technical environments. Her career includes time at Rolls Royce, Eli Lilly and Novartis, where she served as the head of supply chain for radioligand therapy manufacturing operations.
• Versaterm, a Canada-based public safety technology company, has appointed Corey Roberts of Salt Lake City as vice president of sales, CAD and RMS solutions. Roberts will oversee Versaterm’s go-to-market execution and growth initiatives for the company’s portfolio of platforms across North America. Roberts has over 20 years of experience in the public safety software industry, including as president and CEO of Mindbase, a mental health solution for first responders. Versaterm later acquired Mindbase. Earlier in his career, Roberts held leadership positions at Motorola Solutions and Spillman Technologies, where he oversaw technical sales, client success and implementation initiatives.