The Board of Directors took action to approve the nomination of Mr. Cook at its February 22 meeting.

Cameron Cook is a project manager for The Boyer Company at Business Depot Ogden (BDO) where he is responsible for leasing existing buildings and developing new building projects. He completed his undergraduate degree in finance at Brigham Young University and a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame. His growing role at BDO helps fill a critical need in new and expanding businesses across a wide spectrum of industries.

When the new year rolls around, some people resolve to lose the 10 pounds that mysteriously appeared between October and December the previous year (yes, chocolate chip cookies, we’re looking at you). Others resolve to hit the gym with renewed fervor (at least for the next three months).

And then there are those who have resolved to change another person’s life for the better. Visionary donors who invest in scholarships. Supporting students who need funds for a full year of training and others who just need a few hundred dollars to complete their programs.

None of this would be possible without our donors’ firm resolve to help students. The college’s donors supported 275 scholarship students in 2017.

Many thanks to the following individuals, companies, and foundations who contributed to scholarships in the fourth quarter of 2017:

• Cross Charitable Foundation – $25,000

• George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation – $20,000

• Richard K. and Shirley S. Hemingway Foundation – $11,200

• Innovative Precision LLC – $1,500

• JTT Investments – $1,000

• Kimberly-Clark – $900

• Samuel C. and Myra G. Powell Foundation – $20,000

• Ralph Nye Charitable Foundation – $6,000

• F.F. and C.C. Sawyer Foundation – $6,000

• Sigma Delta Pi SAE – $9,000

For questions regarding any of these contributions or interest in investing in success, please contact Monica Schwenk, development director, monica.schwenk@otech.edu, 801.395.3781.

The Rocky Mountain NASA Space Grant Consortium offered a $500 cash stipend to assist students enrolled in programs that support the aerospace industry.  We are pleased that we offer programs here at the Ogden-Weber Tech College which relate to the work that goes on in aerospace.

Criteria was based on a student’s attendance, progress and career objective. I am pleased to award this scholarship to:

Andrea Hughes: Andrea spent her early twenties in the USAF. After her military service, she spent an enormous amount of time overseas since her husband is also in the military. She said that although she had attended college, she wasn’t fully committed. Her “aha” moment came when she was driving down the street and saw the Ogden-Weber Technical College sign shouting at her: “NDI Program – Enroll now”! So the very next day, she visited the college and enrolled.
She said she had a novice understanding of the scope of work involved with NDI, but she was excited and determined this would be her future career path. Over the last three months, her confidence has skyrocketed, and she is looking forward to receiving her certificate and finding a job in the industry. She said it is a perfect fit!
As a student, her overall progress is 143% and her attendance is 89%. She is excelling in the program and looks forward to using her skills in the industry.

Jan Burton, Financial Aid Manager; James Taggart, president; Andrea Hughes, award recipient

Pamela Titensor: Pamela is a single mom with two children. She wants to get the training in a field that she know will support her family. She is struggling to make ends meet. She is attending school full-time and working doing odd jobs so she can get through the program.
She wants to complete her certificate in the NDI program and is doing well. Her overall progress is 100% and her attendance is 89% overall. She is looking forward to using her skills in a job working on a military base or in the aerospace industry.
She said she is excited to be able to use her skills to no longer live in poverty and prove to her children that you can succeed and make your dreams come true!

Jan Burton, Financial Aid Manager; Pamela Titensor, award recipient; and Andrea Hughes, award recipient.

Dillon O’Dell: Dillon has excelled in the Software Development program. Since he was young, he has always wanted to become a programmer. He has fought hard to find a way to get an education. Last year, he had hit a financial rough patch, and decided to try and return to school when he found out he qualified for some grant money to assist him financially.
Dillon started in the summer of 2017, and he because he loves it so much and “it makes sense to him”, he will be completing this program in half the time! His attendance is overall 96% and his progress is at 198%.
This stipend will help Dillon take some additional courses when he completes his certificate so he will be ready to go out in the workforce.

David Everton, Software Development Instructor; Roger Snow, Vice President for Instructional Services; Jan Burton, Financial Aid Manager; James Taggart, President; Dillon O’Dell, Award Recipient; Tyler Call, Vice President for College Services; Jennifer Streker, Program Director; Chad Burchell, Vice President for Student Services.

Autumn is in full force everywhere you look, painting the mountainsides with vibrant color as Mother Nature prepares for the change of season. Farmers get ready for the slow slide of fall into winter by reaping what was sown in the spring, celebrating the bounty of their fields.

We, too, at the college celebrate our own basket of blessings provided by our generous friends, foundations, partners, and employees, not just at this time of year, but all year long. Much like a spring planting, donations supporting our students help them grow, bloom, and ultimately prosper and hopefully sow the seeds of success in their community.

Thank you to the following donors who contributed to scholarships during the third quarter of 2017:

• Rocky Mountain Power Foundation – $4,000

• Jessie Jean’s Homestyle Café – $2,000

For questions regarding any of these contributions or interest in investing in success, please contact Monica Schwenk, development director, schwenkm@owatc.edu, 801.395.3781.

If you’ve ever visited Jessie Jean’s Homestyle Café in Roy, you may have seen Martin. Sitting at a table, wearing his bandana and Carhartt jacket, quietly sipping his drink.

Anna Whitnack-Davidson, café owner and Martin’s sister, describes her brother as one the greatest men alive. He was an avid craftsman, loved forging knives, and had a passion for guns.

Although he was stubborn beyond measure, Martin was a selfless, fix-it guy, with more knowledge than most people his age. Anna’s parents, Amber and Larry Whitnack, said their son was honest, trustworthy, loyal, and touched many lives.

Martin passed away unexpectedly on January 16, 2017. He was only 39 years old, leaving his family shocked, heartbroken, and struggling to cover the funeral expenses. Generous customers and friends rallied to help the family with the funeral expenses. In the end, $1,000 remained in the bank account set up in Martin’s name. Anna and her family vowed to do something in Martin’s honor.

Anna Whitnack-Davidson

Less than one month after Martin passed, Anna and her parents lovingly contributed $1,000 to establish the Martin J. Whitnack scholarship, dedicated for students in the Welding program at the Ogden-Weber Technical College.

Anna didn’t stop there. On July 8, 2017—one of the hottest days in July—Anna held a fundraiser. She earned a nasty case of heat exhaustion, along with enough proceeds to contribute $2,000 to the tech college’s scholarship program, and enroll one of her employees into the college’s Baking and Pastry program.

Anna’s love for her brother and efforts to honor him continues to inspire us. In a world that’s often too busy and too selfish, at a time when her family is still grieving and heartsick, she continues to push forward. We are humbled that Anna and her family chose the tech college for her brother’s legacy scholarship gift.

Roger Snow was selected as the college’s new Vice President for Instructional Services. He has 14 years of career and technical education experience as an instructor and administrator. His instructional background includes teaching drafting and engineering courses for NUAMES and the Ogden-Weber Technical College. For five years, Roger taught Ogden-Weber Tech courses at Ogden High School.

As an educational leader, Roger has been an assistant principal at Ben Lomond High School, and most recently, the STEM Curriculum Administrator for Ogden School District. In this capacity, he worked closely with Ogden-Weber Tech in developing and implementing the very successful Utah Aerospace Program (UAP). UAP is a joint partnership between the school district, employers, and Ogden-Weber Tech in providing post-secondary composites training to high school students.

Roger holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology education and a master’s degree in engineering technology education. Both degrees are from Utah State University (USU). In addition, he completed the Utah State Administrative Certificate program at USU and holds both teaching and administrative endorsements from the Utah State Board of Education.

Roger is a strong advocate for providing high-quality technical education for all students. To this end, he has supported faculty in implementing project-based learning at the school district and has been instrumental in developing strong partnerships with area employers, universities, and statewide civic and governmental leaders. Roger is committed to the success of instructors, area employers, and our students.

He will assume his new duties at Ogden-Weber Tech on September 25.

As summer winds down, what will you remember most?

The ocean breeze ruffling your hair while on family vacation?

The sharp crack of a bat and the smell of hot dogs at a baseball game?

Chasing fireflies during that magical moment between dusk and full dark?

Our students will remember the generous people that donated to their scholarship fund this summer. Large or small, every single donation is important to the people we serve.

Summer warmth will fade to fall, but memories of your support and encouragement will last forever.

Thank you to the following donors contributing to scholarships during the second quarter of 2017:

• Chamber Women in Business – $1,000

• Child Culture Club – $20

• Lawrence T. and Janet T. Dee Foundation – $10,000

• McCarthey Family Foundation – $5,000

• Northern Wasatch Home Builders Association – $1,000

• Sigma Delta Pi SAE – $7,500

• Stewart Charitable Foundations – $7,000

• Wells Fargo Bank – Community Relations – $3,000

For questions regarding any of these contributions or interest in investing in success, please contact Monica Schwenk, development director, schwenkm@owatc.edu, 801.395.3781.

The Utah NASA Space Grant Consortium received funding to support scholarships for students pursuing a degree or certificate in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) field. As part of this program, the college is pleased to announce that it awarded a $500 cash stipend to Colette Henderson, a student currently enrolled in its Composites program.

Colette had always wanted to work in education and planned to pursue a degree in an institution of higher education. Unfortunately, due to changes in her life circumstances—including the passing of her husband—her dreams were put on hold for a time. Fast forward a few years, and she was awarded an AmeriCorps education grant that she could use at a university or the tech college.

As Colette noted,“This was a very hard decision to make–get a job in an amazing, growing field or start on my long term goal and struggle for a job which would sustain my schooling. I could not have made a better decision with starting with Composites.”

President James Taggart presents Colette Henderson with her stipend and special certificate.

Ogden-Weber is fortunate that Colette selected this institution as her college of choice. She is dedicated and driven, and with attendance of 92 percent and progress of 115 percent, she is a model student.

On August 30, members of college administration and the Office of Financial Aid visited
the Composites program to present Colette with her stipend in front of her instructors
and peers.

We wish her the best of luck in completing her program and have no doubt that she will
continue to achieve great success in her field.

President Collette Mercier (left) retires after 32 years of dedicated service with the Ogden-Weber Tech College. Jim Taggart (right) has been chosen to take her place, as announced by the Utah College of Applied Technology’s Board of Trustees.

Mr. Taggart has over two decades of experience as a technical educator and leader at Ogden-Weber Tech College. He began his career as a health sciences instructor and helped support the development and growth of the college’s health programs. He has also held positions at the college as program development and institutional effectiveness manager, and vice president for student services.

Prior to being named president, Mr. Taggart has been the vice president for instructional services. As the chief instructional officer, he was responsible for the college’s instructional programs, institutional accreditation, employer engagement, Custom Fit training and workforce development. Mr. Taggart has been actively engaged in the development of seamless educational pathways between school district programs, Ogden-Weber Tech College and Weber State University.

Mr. Taggart holds a bachelor’s degree in health services training and promotion from Weber State University and a master’s degree in instructional technology from Utah State University (USU). At USU he received an Outstanding Scholar award from the Department of Instructional Technology and was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi honor society. He is also the 1999 recipient of the Ogden-Weber Tech College Outstanding Instructor Award.

An active member of community, economic and workforce development organizations, Mr. Taggart sits on the board of directors for Utah’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Initiative (UAMMI). He is also a member of Weber County Production Managers, Top of Utah Military Affairs Committee, Northern Utah Workforce Development Alliance, and IMAGE de Northern Utah.

For more on this story, view the Standard-Examiner article.

The Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College Board of Directors approved the appointment of four new members at its June 22, 2017, meeting:

Kearston Cutrubus, Customer and Community Relations Director, Cutrubus Automotive Team (representing Weber State University Board of Trustees):  Ms. Cutrubus was born and raised in Ogden, Utah, where she attended Weber State University. She is the customer and community relations director for her family’s automotive dealerships (Cutrubus Cadillac, Wasatch Front Kia, Freeway Mazda, Cutrubus Mitsubishi, and Layton Hills Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram). She also owns a gift basket business (Kearston’s Basket Case) which she has operated since 1991. Ms. Cutrubus is heavily involved in community activities and serves on the Junior League of Ogden, B.P.O.E., Davis Chamber Women in Business, Ogden-Weber Chamber Spikers, Military Affairs Executive Committee, George S. Eccles Ogden Dinosaur Park and Museum Board of Directors, Weber State University Wildcat Club, YCC Family Crisis Center, Weber State University Board of Trustees, and United Way of Northern Utah to name a few.

Mark Jenkins, CEO, Petersen Incorporated (representing business/industry):  Mr. Jenkins holds a B.A. degree in Accounting from Weber State University and a MBA degree from the University of Phoenix. He was promoted to chief executive officer of Petersen Inc. in 2013. He joined the Petersen Inc. team in 2006 as chief financial officer. Mr. Jenkins has over three decades of manufacturing and management experience. Prior to joining the Petersen Inc. team, he spent 23 years in the automotive industry with Autoliv Inc. and Volvo White Truck Corporation. He held several positions while at Autoliv Inc., including plant controller, production control manager, operations manager, plant manager, and director of finance. Mr. Jenkins was part of a select group of managers that for three years received individual training and coaching from Toyota on the Toyota Production System. This training and lean manufacturing experience was instrumental in leading the plan to receive the Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing Award.

Slade Opheikens, President and CEO, R&O Construction (representing business/industry:  Mr. Opheikens earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Construction Management from Brigham Young University and is a LEED Accredited Professional.  R&O Construction is a family-established business, and Mr. Opheikens began working there as a teenager in 1977, working his way up through nearly every operations position including laborer, superintendent, project manager, chief operating office, and president/CEO. As president, he directs a team of eight vice presidents and approximately 180 employees building projects in 18 states. He is involved in the community and serves on the Ogden-Weber Chamber Board of Governors, Ogden Industrial Development Corporation Board of Trustees, Economic Development Corporation of Utah Board of Directors, Weber State University Construction Management Advisory Board, and American Cancer Society – Utah Region Board.

Toni Ure, Senior Manager of Human Resources, Chromalox Utah (representing business/industry):  Ms. Ure earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Sociology and Social Work from Utah State University and is currently employed with Chromalox Utah as its senior manager of human resources. She is responsible for managing the human resource function for a diverse group of employees including design and development engineers, purchasing, quality, and highly-skilled and technical production workers. She has served on several boards and chaired multiple human resources associations and committees.  Currently she is serving on the Board of Governors with the Ogden Weber Chamber of Commerce where she represents small to medium size manufacturing companies.  Previously she served as chair, Executive Board of Directors for the Ogden Weber Spikers (a community business liaison group for the Chamber of Commerce), chair, Wasatch North Regional Council – Division of Workforce Services, Director College Relations – Utah State Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Council, and president, Northern Utah Human Resources Association. Nationally, her expertise and participative leadership style earned her an invitation to serve on the National School to Work Committee with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Ms. Ure frequently participates in the Hill Air Force Base TAPs (Transitional Assistance Program) helping veterans transition out of the military.

These individuals replace outgoing members Troy Bullard (first appointed in 2014), Frank Ruiz (first appointed in 2009), and Kevin Sullivan (first appointed in 2011). Also stepping down is Steve Moore who was first appointed to the board in 2008 and has served as chair since 2011.

We thank each of these members for their dedicated service to the college and look forward to working with our new members.