Chief Justice Christine M. Durham
Utah Supreme Court and Coalition Chair
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Along with teaching state constitutional law at the University of Utah College of Law, Justice Durham has also taught at Duke University and Brigham Young University. She has received honorary degrees from the University of Utah, Weber State University, and Salt Lake Community College and has been recognized nationally for her work in judicial education and efforts to improve the administration of justice.
Karen Hale Communications Director and Coalition Vice Chair
Salt Lake City Mayor's Office
As a respected member of the Utah State Senate (1998-2006), Karen Hale served as a member of the Transportation and Public Safety Committee, Education Committee and the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee. Karen is a co-founder of the Coalition for Quality Public Education (COPE), a nonpartisan group of legislators, educators, parents, business and community leaders committed to finding solutions to the critical funding needs of Utah's education system. Throughout her two terms, Karen was a passionate voice on Capitol Hill for public and higher education and the safety and health of Utah families. She has been a strong advocate for arts education in the public schools and adequate funding for tobacco prevention programs. Karen is the 2007 recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Award, a tradition that bestows an honor in the name of a legendary Democrat and humanitarian. A native Utahn, Karen graduated from the University of Utah with a BS in Mass Communication. She has been actively involved in public schools, environmental education, church and community affairs, and is the former editor and publisher of Parent Express, a news and resource magazine for Utah families. Karen and her husband Jon are the parents of five children.
Martha Hales Ball
Former Director, Utah 3 Rs Project
Martha Hales Ball taught Social Studies for twenty-six years in the public schools of Utah and California ages twelve to adult. She is listed in Who’s Who among American Teachers. She is the past Director of the Utah 3Rs Project. It is a national program designed to train teachers about the importance of the Religious Liberty Clauses of the First Amendment and how it promotes citizenship.
Ms. Ball graduated magna cum laude from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Science in History and secondary education and later earned a Master’s degree in Educational Studies. At the time of graduation she was selected to be a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Beehive Honor Society, and participate in the Experiment in International Living, Poland.
She received a Hays Fulbright award to study in India and two National Endowments for the Humanities awards. One was in Greece and the other at the National Humanities Center in North Carolina. In 2000 she was chosen the outstanding teacher of United States History in the nation by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Kim R. BurninghamCommunications Consultant
Franklin Covey and member of the State Board of Education
Kim R. Burningham is a communications consultant for Franklin Covey. In this role he trains business and government employees in writing and presentation skills. He taught at Bountiful High School from 1960 to 1988 and at the University of Arizona .
He was elected to the Utah State Legislature in 1979 where he served for 15 years until he was appointed by Governor Leavitt as the executive director of the Utah Statehood Centennial Commission. In 1998 he was elected as a member of the State Board of Education, and in 1999 he was elected vice chairman of that Board. In 2000, Burningham was elected chair of the State Board of Education, a position in which he served until January 1 2007. He is also served as the president of the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) during the 2005 year.
Educationally, he is a graduate of an undergraduate degree from the University of Utah in 1960, and since then has completed two master’s degrees at the University of Arizona (1967) and the University of Southern California (l977).
Kim has received numerous recognitions for his service. Among them, the Utah PTA gave him their “Friend of Children” Award in 2008; the Utah School Boards Association in 2008 presented Kim with the “Hero of Education Award”; the National Association of Career and Technical Education in 2002 named him the Carl Perkins “Humanitarian of the Year” recipient; and in 2007 the Utah Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development named him "Educator of the Year."
Kim’s hobbies include writing, gardening, historical research and scrapbook records. His happiest times are spent at home with his family, wife Susan, sons Chris and his wife Suzi, Tyler and Ty’s wife Ann, and 7 grandchildren.
Linda P. DunnExecutive Director
Lowell Bennion Community Service Center at the University of Utah
Linda Dunn, M.S. Educational Administration, has been a K-12 educator for over twenty years, developing service-learning programs and community partnerships. Linda is also the past Director of Utah Campus Compact, a coalition of all thirteen colleges and universities in the State of Utah, where she advocated for civic and service-learning among college presidents, faculty, community partners and students. She is a member of the Utah Commission on Volunteers, the Friends for Sight Board and on the Executive Board for the Coalition for Civic, Character and Service-Learning.
Kathy D. Dryer Executive Director
Utah Law-Related Education Project
Kathy D. Dryer is currently the director of the Utah Law-Related Education Project where interactive educational programs and curricula are designed to give Utah’s youth and communities an understanding of the law, the legal system, and their rights and responsibilities as engaged citizens. She received her law degree from the University of Utah College of Law in 1979 and a master's degree in Immunohematology in 1972. Kathy has taught at the S. J. Quinney College of Law as an adjunct professor. She is a founding member of the Utah Coalition for Civic, Character and Service Learning and a member of the Commission on Civic and Character Education, the Utah 3 R's Advisory Board and the Standing Committee on Judicial Outreach. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Utah Nonprofits Association, Prevent Child Abuse Utah, and the Children's Dance Theater as well as on the Salt Lake School District Task Force on Character Education Development and the Extended Learning Program Advisory Board.
John T. Kesler Executive Director
Salt Lake Center for Engaging Community
John T. Kesler received his law degree from Columbia University Law School. He has practiced international commercial law, and now limits his practice to real estate.
John also acts as a consultant and lecturer with regard to community building. John served as the executive director of the US healthy community coalition, the Coalition for Healthy Cities and Communities. He has a broad background with various approaches to community flourishing and has worked with all the major community building movements. John founded and leads the Salt Lake Center for Engaging Community (SLCEC), a non-profit organization which models, educates and mentors best practices for community flourishing, particularly including complementary integral alternatives to existing political processes and institutions.
Senator Karen W. MorganUtah State Legislature – District 46
Representative Karen W. Morgan was first elected to the Utah State Legislature in 1998 from the Cottonwood Heights/Granite area of Salt Lake County. She is currently serving her fifth term. She was born and raised in Utah. She is a homemaker and former high school teacher. Representative Morgan graduated with honors from the University of Utah with a composite degree in Family/Consumer Studies and Secondary Education. She also studied Business on scholarship at Weber State University. She and her husband, Baird, are the parents of five sons (one deceased), three daughters-in-law and the grandparents of one granddaughter.
Legislative Committee Assignments: National Conference of State Legislators Education Committee; Public Education Appropriations; Economic Development & Workforce Services; Transportation; Retirement; Business & Labor Interim; Ethics; Local Issues
Task Force.
Affiliations: National Chair of the Women in Government Foundation based in Washington, DC; Vice-President and Co-Founder-Utah Children’s Reading Foundation; Governor’s Commission on Literacy; Utah Jump$tart Coalition Board; Utah Coalition for Civic, Character and Service Learning Board; 3Rs Advisory Board; University of Utah Alumni Association; Daughters of Utah Pioneers; American Mothers, Inc.; PTA.
Awards: 2007 “Presidential Leadership Award” – Women in Government Foundation; 2007Jeanette Misaka Outstanding Service Award” – University of Utah Department of Special Education; 2007 “Distinguished Alumnae Award” – Girl Scouts of Utah; 2006 “Hall of Fame Award” – Skyline High School; 2005 “Pacesetter Award” - Women’s Legislative Lobby; 2004 “Friend of the Children Award” – Utah PTA;2002 “Distinguished Service Award” - University of Utah College of Education; 2001“Special Recognition Award” -Utah Public Health Association; 2001 “Recognition Award” - Coalition for Tobacco Free Utah;
2001 “Friend of the Taxpayer Award” – Utah Taxpayers Association; 2001“Honor Roll Award” - Utah Education Association; 2000 “Great Educator Advocate Award” – Granite Education Association.
Representative Morgan founded the University of Utah Reading Clinic through legislation she passed in 1999. This statewide Clinic provides assessments and tutoring for students, as well as professional development for teachers. She also passed legislation that requires elementary schools to form Reading Achievement Plans in grades K-3 and establish periodic measures to track and report reading progress. Rep. Morgan was appointed to the Governor’s Commission on Literacy and worked with former Governor Olene Walker to craft and promote the message, “Read With a Child 20 Minutes a Day.”
Representative Morgan helped to spearhead the creation of Cottonwood Heights City. She co-founded “Neighbors for Cottonwood Heights” and served as an original member of the Board of Trustees, co-sponsoring a feasibility study to protect the area from annexation while the viability of a new city was determined. She worked to secure city boundaries, and her efforts paid off with the eventual creation of Cottonwood Heights City.
Michelle M. Roybal ADR Administrator and Staff Attorney
U.S. District Court for the District of Utah
Michelle is an attorney and mediator with particular expertise in designing dispute resolution processes for large-group and interpersonal conflicts. She is currently the ADR Administrator for the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, as such she mediates complex litigation and employment matters for the Court. In addition to her ADR responsibilities, Michelle created and develops the community outreach and public education program for students and community members to learn more about and be more involved in our court system in Utah. In 2002, Michelle co-authored an article in the Symposium Edition of the Utah Law Review, entitled “Restoration: A Component of Justice,” on mediation in criminal cases and restorative justice. Michelle currently is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Utah Council on Conflict Resolution, as well as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Utah Law Related Education. In addition, Michelle proudly serves her alma mater as President of the Young Alumni Board for the University of Utah. In 2004, Michelle was named the Utah Council on Conflict Resolution Peacekeeper for her work in mediation in Utah. Michelle was included on the 2006 inaugural list of Utah’s Legal Elite for the practice of arbitration and mediation, as compiled by Utah Business. Recently, the Utah State Bar and Governor Scott M. Matheson Family presented Michelle with the Scott M. Matheson Award for 2007, acknowledging her contributions to law-related education in Utah.