ST. GEORGE – Dixie State University announced the recent change in leadership for its Board of Trustees July 17, as Dr. Christina Juarez Durham was elected as the new Board Chair as of Aug. 1. David L. Clark, who has served as Vice Chair since last November, will remain in his current position on the institution’s governing board.

In addition to the change of leadership, DSU will begin the 2014-15 academic year with two new board members. Thomas Wright was appointed by Gov. Gary R. Herbert in July to replace outgoing Chair Steven G. Caplin, whose two-term board appointment ended on July 31. The board will also be joined by 2014-15 DSU Student Association President Gregory J. Layton.

Christina Juarez Durham

Durham, who was appointed to the DSU Board last year, is the first ethnic minority to serve as trustee chair and is the first female chair since the 1990s. She is a licensed psychologist and trained mediator, and has a private clinical and forensic practice in St. George. She was primarily a homemaker until her youngest child started kindergarten – after which, with significant family support, she pursued her education. Durham earned an associate degree in human services from the University of Alaska, Anchorage, a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a doctorate in clinical psychology from Brigham Young University, as well as a post-doctoral Master’s degree in clinical psychopharmacology from Alliant International University.

Durham was born and raised in Southern California, but as a child lived for a period of time in Mexico where her father was born and raise. She traveled frequently between the United States and Mexico during her youth. She and her family moved to Southern Utah in 1999. Her children attended Dixie State and intermittently she has taken the opportunity to teach as adjunct faculty. She has volunteered and served in various capacities within the community.

David L. Clark

Clark, who has served on the DSU Board since 2012, is currently the Southern Utah Regional Vice President for Zions Bank, for which he has worked for over 35 years. In addition, he represented Utah’s 74th District – Washington County – in the state House of Representatives from 2001-2012. In 2006, Clark was elected to serve as majority leader and in November of 2008, he was voted Speaker of the House. He has also been an active member of the St. George Rotary Club and was recognized as a Rotarian of the Year in 1998.

A resident of Santa Clara, Clark received his Bachelor of Science from Brigham Young University where he played football under legendary coach LaVell Edwards. In addition, he also holds degrees from the National Commercial Lenders Graduate School and the Pacific Coast School of Banking. In 2010, Clark served as DSU’s 99th Commencement speaker and was awarded an honorary doctorate in humanities as part of the ceremony.

Thomas Wright

A native of Park City, Wright is a graduate of the University of Utah with two bachelor’s degrees in marketing and Russian. Wright currently serves as president and principal broker of Summit Sotheby’s International Realty. He was also a top-producing sales agent with Prudential Utah Real Estate and marketing director for Coldwell Banker Premier Realty prior to joining Summit Sotheby’s. Wright has been a national speaker in the real estate industry, speaking to large and small groups on all facets of the business.

Wright is active in many civic organizations, including serving on the board of directors for the United Way, which serves Salt Lake, Summit and Davis counties, and was recently recognized with one of the organization’s highest honors for its efforts to dramatically change the delivery of early education in Utah. He also serves as chairman of the Utah Republican Party and was a member of the Republican National Committee.

Gregory J. Layton

Layton enrolled at DSU during the 2010 fall semester. He has served on the DSU Student Association since 2012 as a committee member, and was the vice president of academics last year prior to his election as DSU Student Association president last spring. In addition, Layton served as a staff writer for DSU’s Dixie Sun newspaper.

Layton hails from Holladay, and is a 2007 graduate of Cottonwood High School. He is an English major with an emphasis on professional and technical writing. Layton plans to attend law school following his graduation from DSU.

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Dixie State University’s board of trustees is the institution’s governing board, appointed by the governor and approved by the state Senate, and acts as a liaison between the institution and the community. In addition, the board of trustees assists and approves the university’s mission, traditions, strategic planning, policies, budgets, new degree programs and honorary degrees. The trustees are also involved in alumni relations and fundraising.

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