Board of Trustees

The 2023 Board of Trustees

Chair

IMG 1896 Tim Houpt

Timothy Houpt, Parsons Behle, Attorney

Why are you involved with Preservation Utah? - I love historic architecture and am dismayed at how much we have lost in recent years. Downtown Salt Lake is a particular focus for me of my passion for preservation.

What is your favorite historical building and why? - So many to choose from but for me it is the Cathedral of the Madeliene

Vice Chair

Photo Patrick Becker

Patrick Becker, University of Utah Health, Volunteer Services Supervisor

Why are you involved with Preservation Utah? - I've always had a passion for architecture, history, and stories. It's not just about preserving buildings but telling the stories that go with it. Through those stories, our history comes to life and teaches future generations the "why" that goes along with it. Seeing our past in context can be a fascinating experience.

What is your favorite historical building and why? - There's an old mansion at the corner of 7th E and 27th S behind a vape shop that is so intriguing to me. Clearly it was once a symbol of wealth and status but today is run down and appears to be apartments. I find the juxtaposition of former elegance and decay to be beautiful.

Treasurer

Open

Secretary

09E415E6 92B4 47FF ACB2 47E86B15431E Randell Hoffman

Randy Hoffman, Canyons School District, Teacher

Why are you involved with Preservation Utah? - Our collective stories and memories are integral to our communities. Preserving, maintaining, and adaptively reusing existing structures not only keeps stories alive for future generations, but it is also the most sustainable choice.

What is your favorite historical building and why? - My favorite building is always changing. At the moment, I love highlighting the IBM Building (420 E South Temple). It was designed by John Clawson in the early 1980s. It is designed in the Brutalist style. I honestly love anything disruptive and contentious; the irony of so many people talking so much about an architectural style they loathe (Brutalism) is genius. Brutalism captures the concept of taking a boring, everyday material - like concrete - and using it to create something so striking and so beautiful, further pushing what we define as beautiful, meaningful, relevant, and sustainable.

Executive Committee

IMG 3489 copy William Pratt

William Pratt, Urban Planning, Self-Employed

Why are you involved with Preservation Utah? - Passionate about preserving historic places and buildings in Utah.

What is your favorite historical building and why? - Cotton Mill in Washington City

IMG 1823 Jack Hodgkins

Jack Hodgkins, Wells Fargo Bank NA, Affordable Housing Tax Credit Asset Management 

Why are you involved with Preservation Utah? - I have a passion for preservation and it is lifelong!

What is your favorite historical building and why? - Beckstrand Lodge, UT, 1950 By Richard Neutra Why? It’s so unknown, current state - preservation by neglect and the only UT house by the internationally famous mid-century architect Richard Neutra

Malarie DeVincent; Real Estate/Helper City Council; Helper

Board of Trustees

DSC 1027 1 John Davis

Jack Davis, Thayne & Davis LLC, Shareholder

Why are you involved with Preservation Utah? - I enjoy preservation advocacy is because I love stories. Our historic built environment and landscapes are touchstones connecting us to stories and fostering our shared community identity.

What is your favorite historical building and why? - It changes with some frequency, but presently I'm quite fond of the Leo Bird house. I can get lost in the waves of its incomparable roof. Ask again next week!

20200827 DSC 1238 2 David Hunter

David Hunter, Eldredge Manor/All City Event Rentals, Owner

Why are you involved with Preservation Utah? - Old buildings tell a story of the community and add character and flavor from different decades.

What is your favorite historical building and why? - The McCune Mansion; it is so well preserved and such a beautiful building

Profile Nathan Miller

Nathan Miller, Rocket Lawyer, Enterprise Account Executive

Why are you involved with Preservation Utah? - My wife and I have always enjoyed exploring through Utah's backroads and taking "the long way" through old mining and farming towns. I started taking pictures of some of the buildings we saw along they way and turned it into an Instagram account. Contacts I eventually made encouraged me to apply for a board opening two years ago and I've enjoyed volunteering ever since. I love being able to now take my kids along to visit these places and they've probably completed more DUP Museum scavenger hunts than any other kids in Utah. I want these and other historic buildings to stick around for their kids to enjoy in the future.

What is your favorite historical building and why? - Beaver County Courthouse. Designed by Utah's most famous architect Richard Kletting, this Courthouse stands out like a beautiful sore thumb and is much more ornate than other historic buildings found south of Provo that isn't an LDS Temple.

IMG 0729 Suzanne Eskenazi

Suzy Eskenazi, SWCA Environmental Consultants, Principal Investigator/Archaeologist

Why are you involved with Preservation Utah? - As an archaeologist, I am directly tied to the importance of historic preservation. I have always been interested in the story behind the story - and I feel we are all responsible for preserving not just historic buildings, but the stories that they can tell us.

What is your favorite historical building and why? - The Judge building in downtown Salt Lake City. The exquisite architectural detail on the outside of the building is delightful. 

IMG 2545 Steven Cornell

Steve Cornell, FFKR Architects, Architect

Why are you involved with Preservation Utah? - I've made a career out of preserving historic buildings and so its been a natural fit to be involved with Preservation Utah and I've been involved since moving to Salt Lake in 2005 in one way or another. I'm passionate about preservation and so is Preservation Utah!

What is your favorite historical building and why? -  Currently, my favorite historic building is the old First Security Bank Building on Fourth South and Main Street. It's a fine example of International Style architecture in Utah and it's on the National Register of Historic Places.

me Dalton Gackle

Dalton Gackle, Park City Museum, Research, Digital Services, and Social Media Coordinator

Why are you involved with Preservation Utah? - It's important to recognize our built history, but the buildings we protect and save are no only meaningful, but useful, to the communities in which they sit. They provide character, affordable housing options, glimpses of the past, beauty, and so much more. I am here to help make sure these structures continue to impact communities.

What is your favorite historical building and why? -  The art-deco Dog N' Suds drive-in in my hometown. It holds good memories for many generations, including mine, and I find 1950s-1960s car culture buildings fascinating.

Traceatlewisfalls Tracey Smith

Tracey Smith, Weber State University, Director and Adjunct Professor of History and Honors

Why are you involved with Preservation Utah? - I have intense interest in valuing the incredible historic identity of our state.

What is your favorite historical building and why? -  Old Main at Utah State University because of the way it represents educational heritage at a land grant institution in Utah.

IMG 9684 Paula Harline 

Paula Kelly Harline, Language Arts Educator (34 years, retired)

Why are you involved with Preservation Utah? - After working to create local historic districts in the Yalecrest neighborhood of Salt Lake City, I hope to help preserve other neighborhoods in Salt Lake City and beyond.

What is your favorite historical building and why? -  Reed Smooth House, 183 East 100 South, Provo

me2 Christopher Jensen

Christopher Jensen, Self Employed Realtor and Historic Preservation Consultant

Why are you involved with Preservation Utah? - I'm involved with PU because of my love of place, its a cornerstone of why we practice preservation. I have a deep love our state, the built environment, and the historic landscapes of Utah. Love of place, and emotional attachment to place, directly affects our wellbeing - I believe by promoting preservation we can improve the wellbeing of the residents of Utah and build more cohesive communities.

What is your favorite historical building and why? -  Kearns Mansion - its unmatched in architectural excellence in Utah and tells the story of mining/philanthropy/politics in Utah.

PXL 20230928 173454984 EDIT James Cocks

James Cocks, Bentham LLC, Managing Member

Why are you involved with Preservation Utah? - To provide a real estate developer's perspective on historic buildings--how they can be reused, adapted, and showcased, while making the numbers work.

What is your favorite historical building and why? -  One of my favorite spaces is the tunnel at the top of Snowbird, which showcases the area's history of mining and skiing, in addition to the military and avalanche control presence. It is a different way of showcasing history, but one that is memorable and unique.

Photo on 3 8 23 at 1.38 PM 3 Brenda Scheer

Brenda (Bree) Scheer, University of Utah, Professor and Dean Emeritus

Why are you involved with Preservation Utah? - I believe in the value of preserving buildings, open spaces and streets as a physical manifestation of the past life of the people who lived here. Many building are very special public monuments that have meaning. Even the street layout is an historic record.

What is your favorite historical building and why? -  The City-County building - it makes me proud to be in it when I attend a meeting there. Beautiful interior that is maintained appropriately.

Richard

Richard Westnedge, Retired from The Hanover Company, COO/CFO/Partner

Why are you involved with Preservation Utah? - To help preserve the historical heritage that is unique to this State.

What is your favorite historical building and why? -  All the old homes along S Temple, the Avenues and Federal Heights. Rarely does one see such quality craftsmanship and diverse architectural design. And they are still standing!

Ex-Officio Board Members

IMG 9840 Amber Anderson

Amber Anderson, State Historic Preservation Office, Technical Preservation Manager

Why are you involved with Preservation Utah? - Preservation Utah is one of SHPO's main partners and helps us to advance the message that the historic built environment is the most tangible connection to our past.

What is your favorite historical building and why? -  Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater. It pushes the limits of what a building can and should be and is located in a beautiful setting.

More in this category: « Our Mission Organization Documents »