Parent or Non-Parent
Parent
Skills and Talents
I am easy to get a long with. I care about people. I am perceptive. I am reliable. I attend meetings, but outside of meetings I spend many additional hours working to support Vista. When I became board chair I learned about running an effective board. I organized board committees, I started monthly board trainings, and I organized a board retreat with administration and department heads.
Experience and/or Employment
Vice chair for legislative district 74, where I ran caucus meetings and participated in important elections. (2018-2022) Young Women President – organized meetings and weekly activities, taught classes, and participated in camps for 12-18 girls in my neighborhood. (2017-2020) Vista Foundation Board – I organized the Strings Scholarship Program which is still being offered to our strings students. (2018-2019) Vista Board member and current Board President – during my time on the board I sat before the state charter school board and vied for our expansion and new building. I vied for better terms and rates on our bond, ultimately resulting in hundreds of thousands of saved dollars (2019-2023). Real Estate Professional and Designer – My husband and I own real estate companies in four states. Locally, I help meet the needs of clients through home buying and selling. I am a good listener. I care about people and work hard to help them make the best decision for them. (2019-current)
Why I am interested in serving as a board member for Vista School
To continue to serve Vista families. I want to be involved in decisions regarding additional funds that will be allocated to our school from the state this upcoming school year. I want to support teachers and students so our school can be number one!
Area(s) of Expertise/Contributions I feel I can make to the Vista School Board
I have served on the board for four years. I have learned so much about boards and oversight and there is always more to learn. I believe we need to do a better job of onboarding new board members so they understand their roles and responsibilities. I believe I can help do that.
BIO
Michelle has been a resident of Santa Clara for the last 16 years. She attended Vista’s groundbreaking more than a decade ago and her family has been a passionate supporter of the school ever since. Michelle’s husband, Neil, served on the Vista governing board during a challenging time for the school (2011-2017), successfully negotiating a municipal bond to acquire the school facilities, and increased enrollment through a focused marketing strategy and change in leadership. Michelle actively supported her husband during his six year term on the board, and joined the board herself in 2019.
Neil and Michelle’s six children have all been students at Vista. The knowledge, growth and confidence their children have acquired through Vista’s dance, theater, strings, art, and technology programs is what continues to motivate Neil and Michelle to serve the Vista community. They feel a deep sense of gratitude to the faculty, staff and administration for teaching and loving their children.
Neil and Michelle spend much of their free time maintaining their six acre farm in Santa Clara and their family ranch in Garfield County. They own seven horses and enjoy riding the trails and mountains of Southern Utah. They run bison and cattle on their ranch and appreciate the work ethic this life has instilled in their children.
Neil and Michelle own eleven residential and commercial real estate brokerages in Utah and Nevada. Michelle is a licensed agent and enjoys helping individuals buy and sell homes locally. Michelle’s greatest joy and achievement has come from raising a family. She loves to bake, quilt and garden and she enjoys passing those skills on to her children.