Salt Lake City — The Salt Lake Chamber announced today that Utah’s heroic essential workers will be honored with the 3rd annual Lane Beattie Utah Community Builder Award. The award traditionally recognizes an inspirational individual who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to address critical community needs. Given the unique challenges of the past year, Utah’s essential workers were the clear selection, including the following organizations and individuals who will accept the award on behalf of all:

  • Marvella Cuch, bus operator, Utah Transit Authority
  • Louis Donovan, store director, Harmons Grocery
  • Keri Graybill, teacher, Granite Park Junior High
  • Alexis Rose, registered nurse, Intermountain Medical Center
  • Tiffany Silver, assistant manager, Sunshine Academy Childcare Center
  • Jesse du Toit, respiratory therapist, Intermountain Medical Center

The recipients were selected in coordination with their respective organizations and the Utah Community Builders Advisory Board, co-chaired by Clark Ivory, CEO of Ivory Homes, and Lisa Eccles, president and COO of the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation.

“These selfless individuals and so many like them kept our communities and economy going, often at great risk to themselves and their families,” says Eccles. “We are grateful for their heroic efforts, and we are so pleased to honor them with this award. These individuals, and the many Utahns they represent, truly live up to the spirit of being a Utah Community Builder."

Utah Community Builders addresses our state’s most pressing challenges by providing a platform for the business community to engage on social issues. This strengthens partnerships between business leaders, service providers, academic experts, and government agencies on social issues affecting Utah’s business community.

“While there were many people who stepped up and stood out in our community this past year, no one more so than our essential workers,” says Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance, upon announcing the award. “They were there when Utahns needed them most, providing essential services that helped keep our state safe and functioning. Their hard work, dedication, and sacrifice will not be forgotten.”

The group will be formally recognized during the Giant in our City event on June 24, 2021, at the Grand America Hotel where Katharine and the late Robert Garff will be honored as the 42nd Giant in our City.

For more information about the event: click here.

Honoree bios below:

Marvella Cuch, bus operator, Utah Transit Authority

Marvella Cuch has served as a Bus Operator with Utah Transit Authority at Timpanogos Division in Orem, Utah since 2019. A member of the Northern Ute Tribe from Fort Duchesne, Utah, and the Ogalala Sioux Tribe from Pine Ridge, South Dakota.

Marvella relocated from Vernal, Utah to attend college at Utah Valley University, then began working for UTA as a full-time bus operator, helping the community by providing safe and reliable transportation to customers. Marvella enjoys working with UTA’s wonderful team and making a difference in everyday lives.

Louis Donovan, store director, Harmons Grocery

Louis Donovan is a goal-driven store director with more than 20 years of leadership experience. An action-oriented leader with a proven track record of raising sales and profitability, he oversees operations at the Harmons store in Roy. During the pandemic, his skills as a problem solver and multitasker helped protect the health of both associates and customers while also directing a team of 14 managers and 195 associates to maintain the highest standards of customer service.

Keri Graybill, teacher, Granite Park Junior High

Keri Graybill is an AVID teacher at Granite Park Junior High, one of Utah’s most diverse schools. Inspiring and preparing students for college and beyond is her passion. She believes that effective strategies paired with students’ individual determination is where the magic happens. One of her greatest joys is watching her students overcome obstacles as they realize their dreams through grit and determination. Her other “kids" call her Auntie Keri, a title she treasures most!

Alexis Rose, registered nurse, Intermountain Medical Center

Alexis has worked as a Registered Nurse for the Intermountain Medical Center since January

of 2018. In 2016 she graduated from nursing school at Salt Lake Community College.

During her last year of high school, in 2009, she attended Salt Lake Community College in a program to become a Certified Nursing Assistant. She knew then that the field of nursing was where she needed and wanted to be. She has worked in an Assisted Living, Alzheimer’s Unit, and with a Home health and Hospice company on her journey to becoming a nurse. When she started at IMC, her floor was Medical Telemetry. An inpatient medical floor and heart monitoring.

She is a charge nurse and part of an amazing leadership team that has learned and transitioned throughout the year of 2020, and continued to adapt to COVID-19.

Her team became the Covid unit without knowing what was to come. She took this opportunity to support her floor and team members by staying positive and doing anything to help get the team through the rough days and short-staffed days. She helped with ideas and protocols developed in being safe with controlling the infection and spread of Covid. She continues to be positive each day at work, knowing she’s a part of this amazing unit that has been through so much. She loves her team and her job as a Registered Nurse.

Tiffany Silver, assistant manager, Sunshine Academy Childcare Center

Tiffany Silver has worked at Sunshine Academy for 10 years, and childcare for 17 years. Working with children and the community has always been a huge part of her life and something that she cherishes. Tiffany truly enjoys watching the children learn and grow. She loves spending her free time with family and friends, as well as enjoying the outdoors, traveling and crafting. Tiffany is a wife and mother of two

Jesse du Toit, respiratory therapist, Intermountain Medical Center

Jesse du Toit, BS, RRT, is a registered respiratory therapist at Intermountain medical center and is privileged to be a member of Intermountain Life Flight. He works with an extremely dedicated team that constantly fights for patients’ lives. Jesse’s role as a respiratory therapist is taking care of patients’ lungs whether it be helping them breathe a little better or managing very critical patients in the back of a helicopter.