Board of Trustees
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
Preservation Utah is an organization dedicated to preserving and promoting Utah's architectural and cultural heritage. The Board of Trustees plays a crucial role in supporting the organization’s mission through active participation, guidance, and advocacy. Comprised of individuals passionate about historic preservation, the board contributes diverse skills and knowledge to further the organization’s goals.
Chair
Patrick Becker
University of Utah
Salt Lake
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.
Vice Chair
James Cocks
Bentham LLC
Salt Lake
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.
Treasurer
Richard Westnedge
Retired from The Hanover Company
Salt Lake
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!
Secretary
Bree Scheer
University of Utah
Salt Lake
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.
Past Board Chair
Timothy Houpt
Parsons Behle & Latimar
Salt Lake
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.
EC Member at Large
Malarie DeVincent
DeVco Leasing
Carbon
Why are you involved with Preservation Utah?
What is your favorite historical building and why?
EC Member at Large
Paula Harline
Retired
Salt Lake
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
Trustee
Dalton Gackle
Park City Museum
Summit
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.
Trustee
Tracey Smith
Weber State University
Weber
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.
Trustee
Randy Hoffman
Salt Lake
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.
Trustee
Jenny Lund
Independent Historian & Museum Consultant
Salt Lake
Why are you involved with Preservation Utah?
Preservation Utah has been a significant player in creating an ethos of heritage appreciation and preservation of the very best Utah has to offer for longer than I've been involved in public history. It is an honor to be asked to join the team that has made such a difference for me and for all Utahans.
What is your favorite historical building and why?
My favorite building is the Manti Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is a stunning work of architecture that exhibits beautiful craftsmanship throughout. And it was built by people who had little means and faced significant political opposition.
Trustee
Shalae Larsen
Io Landarch
Weber
Why are you involved with Preservation Utah?
For me, historic preservation goes beyond merely conserving old structures; it's about preserving the soul of our communities. Historic buildings and landscapes enrich our lives with meaning and context, forging connections to our surroundings and to one another. In today's digital age, where virtual connections often replace genuine human interactions, maintaining these tangible links to our past is crucial, grounding us in a sense of place and belonging.
What is your favorite historical building and why?
It's impossible to pick one - so I'll say the Ogden Stock Exchange building at the former Ogden Union Stockyards (now Ogden Business Exchange). I was fortunate to help document the stockyards through a Historic American Landscape Survey in 2018. The Art Deco Stock Exchange building was designed by prominent Ogden Architect Leslie Hodgson, and features cast concrete livestock heads on the exterior of the building (the cow head was the actually the inspiration for my company logo). Today the building is rapidly deteriorating an in need of immediate stabilization.
Council Liaison
Ruth Morgan
Volunteer Council President
Salt Lake
Why are you involved with Preservation Utah?
What is your favorite historical building and why?
SHPO Liaison
Amber Anderson
Utah State Historic Preservation Office
Salt Lake
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.