Players

DAVID W. PERSHING was selected by the State Board of Regents as the 15th president of the University of Utah. Pershing was previously senior vice president of academic affairs for the university; he joined the U as an assistant professor of chemical engineering in 1977.

Merrill Lynch advisors CARL L. LAURELLA and JEFF ROUNDY have been nationally recognized among the top advisors in Utah by Barron’s magazine in its annual “America’s Top 1,000 Advisors: State-by-State” list, based on 2011 information.

TONY SCHNURR became partner and general manager of Larry H. Miller Ford Salt Lake City. Schnurr previously served as president and COO of Larry H. Miller Automotive. DEAN FITZPATRICK was promoted to president and COO of Larry H. Miller Automotive. Fitzpatrick will oversee the company’s 45 dealerships in seven Western states.

MountainStar Healthcare appointed MARK MEADOWS to CEO of its newest hospital in Draper. Meadows was instrumental in the development of the Lone Peak Medical Campus, and he will now head the 30-bed hospital.

Dunn Associates promoted CHRISTOPHER OLSON to principal engineer. Olson is currently working on the Salt Lake Public Safety Building, which will be the first public safety building in the nation to approach a “net zero” energy use building. The firm also promoted DAVID DUNN to associate. Dunn’s portfolio includes a number of large complicated projects with multiple design firms in collaboration, most recently the Utah Museum of Natural History.

MARC PROBST, Intermountain Healthcare vice president and CIO, is among the top leaders in healthcare information technology honored by Healthcare IT News’ third annual H.I.T. Men and Women Awards. The awards were presented at the annual Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference.   

RICHARD D. HANKS retired as president of Mindshare Technologies. Hanks will remain chairman of the board and continue to be involved in strategic planning and business development as a senior advisor to the company.

Roseman University of Health Sciences appointed MARK A. PENN as chancellor of the University’s South Jordan campus and special assistant to the president for program planning. He will assume the positions on July 1, 2012.

Prime Insurance Company promoted MARK FISHER from vice president and general counsel to president and general counsel of Prime’s parent company.

Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah appointed DAVID LEMPERLE as sales vice president. Lemperle is responsible for overseeing sales strategies and moving Regence into emerging areas of opportunity.

Weber State University music professor YU-JANE YANG was named the 2012 John S. Hinckley Fellow. Yang joined the WSU music faculty in 1992. Known for her ability to train award-winning performers, she not only has grown WSU’s piano program, she has elevated its renown on the national and international stage.

Park City Mountain Resort promoted BRIAN SUHADOLC, a 20-year veteran at the Utah ski and snowboard resort, to director of mountain and base operations. In his new position, Suhadolc oversees the day-to-day operations of the resort including slope maintenance, lift operations and maintenance, buildings, mountain patrol, terrain parks and race departments.

Talisker Corporation Executive Chef JOHN MURCKO was named a semifinalist for the prestigious James Beard Foundation Awards, honoring excellence among culinary professionals.

Gov. Gary R. Herbert appointed JOEL RACKER as chairman of the board of tourism development. NATHAN RAFFERTY was appointed as the vice-chairman of the board. Board members oversee the state’s $7 million Tourism Marketing Performance Fund, which is used to promote the Utah Life Elevated brand to out-of-state visitors.

TERI WHITNEY, the treasurer of the Park City Area Lodging Association and general manager of Snow Flower Condominiums, was recognized as one of the top lodging executives in Park City and Utah with a scholarship created in her name.

Durham Jones & Pinegar Shareholder MICHAEL F. LEAVITT was elected as the new Utah State Bar commissioner for the fifth division, representing attorneys in all of Southern and most of Eastern Utah.  His term begins July 1, 2012. Leavitt is a litigator in Durham Jones & Pinegar’s St. George office, specializing in construction and real estate disputes, and representing creditors in bankruptcy.