Board of Trustees

Greg Warnock, Ph.D. is a founding Managing Director of Mercato Partners, a growth equity investment fund that blends financial capital with world class sales execution.  Dr. Warnock was a co-founder of vSpring Capital, a regional venture capital firm now managing over $300 for early-stage investment where he served as Coordinating Managing Director during critical formative years. He is recognized as one of the most prolific regional angel investors, and is the creator of Junto Partners, which provides younger entrepreneurs with relevant training, experience and ongoing assistance for new business launches.  In 2006, he was honored with the Supporter of Entrepreneurship Award at the Ernst & Young Special 20th Anniversary Gala Event, and has received Utah Business Magazine’s Outstanding Director Award.  He holds a degree in Computer Science, a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a PhD in Entrepreneurship and Venture Finance from the University of Utah.

John Barabino most recently served in Google's Policy and Government Affairs office in Washington DC, and previously built and led Google's worldwide syndication and distribution team that signed partners such as AOL, Amazon, Apple, Dell and eBay. With a keen insight for strong business models, he was a key, early executive at several pioneering Internet companies including Google, DoubleClick and Firefly (acquired by Microsoft). Currently John is consulting with Environmental Defense Fund to help drive their policy and programmatic work around the smart grid. One part of the project is the Pecan Street Project, a public-private initiative to develop a local clean-energy power system for the city of Austin, where EDF is working with the City of Austin and Austin Energy on becoming the "utility of the future". John also serves on the board of the Gill Foundation and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). John started his career in London with The Boston Consulting Group. He is a graduate of Cambridge University in the UK and Harvard Business School, where he was a Fulbright and Baker scholar. His studies also include graduate studies at UC Berkeley's School of City & Regional Planning.

Patrick de Freitas has a background in management, with organizational and entrepreneurial experience with both profit and nonprofit groups. He has been intimately involved in the initiation and startup of several organizations including a bookstore, two philanthropic foundations, a summer-stock theater company, an archival and record keeping service, a citywide volunteer tree care program, and a biotechnology company. In most of these ventures, he was principal, founder, or co-founder. He is a director of Western Resource Advocates and recently retired as chair of the boards of directors of both the Institute for Conservation Leadership in Washington D.C. and the Laird Norton Family Foundation in Seattle. Patrick was born and raised in England, received his Masters degree in Public Administration from the University of Utah and, for reasons that are sometimes unclear to him, lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Stephanie Harpst started her banking career as the CRA Officer for First Interstate Bank in 1993, where she also managed charitable contributions and community outreach. She continued her work within the community through two bank mergers, with Wells Fargo in 1996 and First Security Bank in 2001. She has since expanded her responsibilities in the areas of corporate giving and government relations. A native of Minneapolis, she has a B.A. in Psychology from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN and a Masters Degree in Social Work with an emphasis in community planning from the University of Utah. Before joining Wells Fargo, Stephanie worked for Salt Lake City managing its Community Development Block Grant, HOME and other federal programs. She has over 25 years experience working in the community arena including urban planning, affordable housing, technical assistance for nonprofits, corporate responsibility and meeting facilitation. Stephanie is married to Tim Harpst, Director of Transportation for Salt Lake City government and enjoys traveling the world but always coming home to Utah to golf and hike in the beautiful mountains.

Hunter Jackson, Ph.D., is Chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Navigen, Inc.  He is also Associate Vice President and Executive Director, Technology Venture Development at the University of Utah, and serves as Executive Chairman of NeuroAdjuvants, Inc..  He is a member of the Governing Authority of the Utah Science, Technology, and Research Economic Development Initiative (USTAR). Dr. Jackson was a co-founder and served as Chairman and CEO of NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: NPSP) from 1986 to 2006.  He received the 1998 Utah Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the 2002 Utah Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology.  Dr. Jackson has a B.A. from the University of Illinois, a Ph.D. in Psychobiology from Yale University, and did his postdoctoral work in the Neurosurgery Department at the University of Virginia Medical Center.

Kimberley Jones founded Vérité based upon a vision for taking media to a digital communications platform.  After over twelve years in Silicon Valley marketing and selling everything from high-end file servers and workstations to programmable chips, Kim Jones moved to Utah for a change.  Upon arriving she immediately began working in the Broadcast Film and Video production market selling Sony Broadcast for a reseller based in Salt Lake City.  Now as CEO of Vérité she is focused on digital production for sales, marketing and training communications as well as web-based business applications.  For over twelve years she has been the driving force behind the company's growth and project accomplishments.   She is also the Chairman of the Board for the Utah Women Technology Council and a Trustee on Westminster College's MBA Advisory Board.

Jeramy Lund is the Manager for XIII, LLC a diversified family holding company. He is also the Treasurer of the Lund Foundation, a founding member of the Community Foundation of Utah, serves as Board Chairman for Recycle Utah, on the David Eccles School of Business UUBAA and The Nature Conservency -Utah Gen C boards. Prior to his current employment, Mr. Lund worked for JP Morgan (New York), DLJ International (London) and American Stores Company (Salt Lake City, UT). He graduated from the U of Utah Magna Cum Laude and received his MBA from Harvard Business School. On a personal level, Jeramy is an active participant in triathlon and completed an Ironman in 2008 and enjoys travel and time with his family.

Scott McQuarrie is the president and majority shareholder of BTS Investments, Inc.  Scott has over 25 years of experience in real estate development, project management and business management and is respected in the development community for project quality and advanced building techniques.  He is involved with several private foundations and has a particular focus on education. Scott received his BS degree in Finance from Brigham Young University.  He and his wife and four children reside in Provo, Utah.

Investment Committee

Sterling Jenson, Committee Chair, is the Regional Managing Director of Wells Capital Management, a unit of Wells Fargo & Company. Mr. Jenson is responsible for separate account portfolio management in the mountain region states from Idaho to Texas with combined assets of over $4 billion. Mr. Jenson has extensive experience in both investment management and financial services. Mr. Jenson is a member of the Board of the Hale Theater and an actor.  He is the chairman of the National Advisory Council of the Marriott School of Management at BYU and a member of the Investment Advisory Committee of the Utah Permanent School and Institutional Funds. Mr. Jenson received a Bachelor's degree in Economics and an M.B.A. from Brigham Young University.

Elizabeth Tashjian, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Finance at the University of Utah. She is Director of the Garn Institute of Finance and a David Eccles Fellow. Dr Tashjian received her Ph.D. in Finance from Purdue University and her B.A. in Mathematics from Boston College. Her primary research interests are in corporate financial distress and futures contract design. She serves on the Academic Advisory Council of the Turnaround Management Association, She won the Marvin J. Ashton Teaching Excellence award in 1999 for her work in developing the University of Utah Student Investment Fund. Dr. Tashjian is Vice President for Education and Youth at Congregation Kol Ami.

Kent Misener is the CIO and treasurer of Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators and president and director of research for Crossroads Investment Advisors. Deseret Mutual Benefits Administrators is the employee benefits arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its affiliated organizations and manages its assets.  Mr. Misener received his bachelor’s degree in finance and economics and his MBA from USU and serves on the Investment Committees of many organizations including the Foundation for Education and Self Reliance and Intermountain Healthcare.

Professional Advisors Committee

L. S. (Lee) McCullough, Chair,  is Chairman of the law firm Callister Nebeker & McCullough, which law firm specializes in banking, corporate, tax and commercial law. Lee's areas of practice include tax, estate and asset protection planning. Lee is a Fellow and State Chair in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), a member of the Utah State Bar and the American Bar Association and past President of the Estate Planning Section of the Utah Bar Association.

Brent Andrewsen is a shareholder with Kirton & McConkie's Corporate and Tax Section. His practice includes estate planning, probate and trust administration, gift taxation, tax exempt organizations, charitable trusts and foundations.

Stephen D. Swindle is a Shareholder and Managing Partner of VanCott whose practice is focused on estate planning, probate, real estate development, professional corporations, non-profit corporations, acquisitions, tax planning, and general corporate matters. Mr. Swindle is listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in the areas of Corporate Law, Tax Law, and Trust and Estates and he was selected by his peers and recognized in Utah Business Magazine as one of the 2007 and 2008 Utah Legal Elite in the areas of Wills, Trusts and Estates Law.

Staff

Fraser Nelson has held positions of leadership in nonprofit organizations for 25 years, from grassroots organizations to large nonprofits and state government, and has a deep understanding of the role they play in improving civic welfare. She is best known in Utah for her ten-year leadership of the Disability Law Center. Fraser consults with nonprofit organizations and their leaders in Utah and across the country in the areas of leadership and strategy.  She is adjunct faculty at the University of Utah, a published author, accomplished speaker. She is serving as the President of the Board of the Utah Nonprofits Association and is Vice Chair of the Utah Health Policy Project. Ms. Nelson holds degrees in History and Political Science from Duke University; a Master’s in Human Development from St. Mary’s University and was a Social Innovation Fellow at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.