Fab40: Zach Sundwall
Zach’s native language is symphony. A graduate of BYU’s Commercial Music program, Zach pays homage to his alma mater by composing music for the Young Ambassadors. On a larger scale (pun intended!) Zach has written theme songs for NBC News in Los Angeles and New York City, CBS, and has for TV/radio networks worldwide as […]
Fab40: Kent Loosle
Kent has never seen an emergency he didn’t have a calm approach for. His current life prescription includes being CEO at Mountain Point Medical Center in Lehi. He has built two hospitals and employs a grassroots approach in his leadership style and community involvement. Kent is also known for his volunteer service as director of […]
Fab40: Shelaine Maxfield
Shelaine and her husband, Derek Maxfield, have a gorgeous success story with the makeup company Younique. But the accomplishment that is the prettiest to Shelaine is the nonprofit foundation that the makeup company was created in order to fund. Originally called the Younique Foundation, Saprea exists to liberate individuals and society at large from child […]
Fab40: Gene Nelson
Gene was a J.C. All American in track and field before switching to the sport of books, where he has been “at this library stuff” for 44 years. The Provo City Library Director has served on the John Newbery Award selection committee and twice on the Randolph Caldecott Award committee (think metallic foil circle). He’s […]
Fab40: Tia Bee Stokes
A cancer thriver, Tia dances to her own beat as she beats her illness. She has danced with Beyoncé in the Billboard Music Awards Show, and has performed for many NBA and NFL halftime shows. Tia started a non profit called Kalamity Inc, which focuses on dancing for a cause. Kalamity has raised more than […]
Fab40: Lt. Tom Hodgson
Lieutenant Tom Hodgson has been serving in the Utah County Sheriff’s Office for more than 35 years. When he walked into the Utah Valley Magazine offices for his photo shoot, two staff members recognized him and shared stories of his heroic acts they had witnessed first hand. Although others call him a hero, he says […]
Fab40: Jenney Rees
As Executive Director of the Department of Government Operations in Gov. Cox’s Cabinet, Jenney oversees 1,300 employees in nine divisions. Prior to being appointed to her downtown SLC gig in January 2021, Jenney was mayor of Cedar Hills — in fact, she won Best of State for her role as mayor in 2020. But Jenney […]
Fab40: Norm Wright
Hawaii, Dubai, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia — Norm has “been there, done that.” After many years working abroad, Norm settled in Utah as the dean of UVU’s Woodbury School of Business for 12 years. (Fun fact! Thanks to Norm, UVU will soon offer free feminine hygiene products throughout the campus!) In 2022, Norm’s career added […]
Fab40: Summerisa Bell Stevens
After graduating from BYU and the Young Ambassadors program, Summerisa and her husband moved to New York where they performed on Broadway for seven years- — she was named “Best Actress in a Musical” for her portrayal of Doralee in “9 to 5.” The couple felt compelled to move back to Utah and start Harrington […]
Fab40: Spencer Fluhman
Spencer says everything in his life is a footnote to meeting and falling in love with his wife, Hollie (who was in our Fab 40 two years ago). Together, the duo-author couple spreads love, acceptance and research. Spencer’s “footnotes” include a PhD in history from the University of Wisconsin (#GoBadgers), and publishing a history book […]
Fab40: Chase Ramsey
Chase has been around the world in 32 years. As a full-time actor, Chase wears many hats — and wigs, costumes and microphones. Chase graduated from UVU in theater and has graced Broadway stages and TV/movie sets. Chase recently filmed the Netflix movie “Christmas in Wonderland,” where he plays Lindsay Lohan’s assistant. (“Get in loser, […]
Fab40: Rachelle Rutherford
Rachelle is the CEO of Kids on the Move, owner of Elevated 1031, and was crowned Mrs. Utah United States in 2016. She’s also the mother of six and has three degrees. (She took a limo to the airport immediately following her MBA graduation to celebrate at Disneyland.) But Rachelle’s life didn’t start with crowns […]
Fab40: Greg Wrubell
As BYU’s “Voice of the Cougars,” Greg has been announcing play-by-plays for the university’s sports teams since 1996. Greg began his journey in radio when he stepped into the role of an unpaid, night-shift intern at KSL. That gig led to being the most famous voice for BYU. When not on the sidelines of a […]
Fab40: Krista Andersen
Krista has taken almost 30k instagram followers on her journey fighting breast cancer by dressing up in a new costume for every treatment. From superheroes to boxing, Krista brings laughter and surprise to somber settings. By trade, she is a master mediator in high conflict, health care and domestic disputes. She is working on her […]
Fab40: Karen McCandless
As CEO of Community Action Services and Food Bank in Provo, Karen fosters self-reliance. She served on the Orem City Council for 13 years and was given the Walter C. Orem Award for outstanding service. She is the mother of two daughters and the proud grandma of “the world’s cutest grandchild.” When Karen is not […]
Fab40: Carmen Rasmussen Herbert
Carmen became a household name when she was Top 6 in Season 2 of American Idol. This led to signing a record deal, getting over 1 million downloads on her music video, “Nothin’ Like the Summer,” winning a New Music Weekly award for “Best New Artist” and writing a column for the Deseret News. Today, […]
Fab40: Daniel Spencer
As a white student from South Africa who moved to the states, Daniel is our own version of Cady in Mean Girls — IYKYK. You might have seen @danbanbam on TikTok or instagram (along with millions of other viewers) where Daniel shares inner monologue while wearing a sticky rubber ball as a wig. Daniel was […]
Fab40: Pyper America
Pyper shot her first magazine cover for Harper’s Bazaar in New York City on her 18th birthday. Her life has continued to be a mix of personal milestones and “pinch me” modeling opportunities. In 2015, she traveled to Iceland with her dad and brother (Lucky Blue Smith) to be in the Moncler Fall Campaign, photographed […]
Fab40: Tristen Ikaika
Tristen’s fame skyrocketed when he signed a deal with “Mr. Wonderful” on Shark Tank earlier this year, but his story began when he stole a spoon from his parents’ kitchen and made a ring out of it. Later, he used the proceeds of his successful ring company to pay off his parents house where the […]
Fab40: Leonard Bagalwa
As a child in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Leonard was kidnapped and used as a child soldier. Leonard escaped and found himself in a refugee camp in Malawi. After seven years, Leonard resettled to the United States in 2004. Leonard took the lessons he learned and became the founder and director of Utah Valley […]
Fab40: Michael Carter
In 2007, Michael and his partners at Vital Smarts won Ernst & Young Entrepreneurs of the Year. Life was busy and accolades were accruing. A few years later, Michael was moved by a familiar Bible passage about feeding the poor. Soon, Michael had a picture come in his mind of a sign in Pleasant Grove […]
Fab40: Julie Fullmer
At age 32, Julie was appointed as the first female mayor in the fastest growing city in the nation — Vineyard! She was nine months pregnant during her first mayoral debates and has continued to break stereotypes. Julie was re-elected to her post with the highest percentage in Utah County, capturing 86.8 percent of the […]
Fab40: Michelle Moore
Local film is synonymous with Michelle Moore. As a film publicist, she’s worked on 30+ film releases with local and nationwide distribution, including “Saturday’s Warrior” and “Lamb of God.” She and her husband, Marshall, became the owners and co-directors of the LDS Film Festival in 2021 and have renamed it to the Zion International Film […]
Fab40: Jojea Kwizera
Jojea’s UVU highlight reel led to him being selected 15th overall in the MLS draft by CF Montreal. Score! A native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jojea played high school soccer at West Jordan High School and then two seasons of college soccer at USU Eastern in Price. Jojea started all seven games […]
Fab40: Natasha Thomas
While raising four children, Natasha is building Ivy City Co., a Utah dress company that has girls and women twirling worldwide — matching “mini” dresses are popular for wedding parties and family photos. Natasha and her team design original dresses, manufacture, sell and mail tens of thousands of dresses a month. Ivy City has been […]
Fab40: Illens Dort
Illens Dort was the first Haitian to attend BYU and graduate in electronic engineering technology. Now he’s a certified trainer and coach, adjunct BYU faculty, has worked for three tech companies in Utah, is the founder of three organizations and author of two books: “The Five Secret Fears of Failing in Business” and “Thinking and […]
Fab40: Chelsea Sloan Carroll
Chelsea watched her parents grow the Kid to Kid brand while she was a kid herself. Chelsea combined inspiration from her parents and her own entrepreneurial spirit and started Uptown Cheapskate — the grownup version of Kid to Kid! After a church mission to Alaska, Chelsea was at BYU and dating her husband for 10 […]
Fab40: Makenna Smith Myler
True to character, Makenna came to this photoshoot straight from a “short” 10-mile run. Makenna’s claim to fame is running a 5:25 mile while 9 months pregnant. At six months post partum, she ran a 15:35 5k and a 32:03 10k. And just 7 months after giving birth, Makenna competed in the 2020 United States […]
Fab40: Rick Nielsen
If our children are the future, then Rick is the co-author of the next decade. The 2020 Utah Superintendent of the year has received countless awards for his dedication to Nebo School District. While his days are filled with meetings (both scheduled and unscheduled), Rick believes each hour in a meeting can be invigorating, collaborative, […]
Fab40: Michele Reyes
Michele grew up on a Navajo reservation in Arizona. Together with her husband, UVU Vice President Kyle Reyes, she is raising 7 children with a heritage of Navajo, Hawaiian, Japanese, Filipino and Spanish. She’s also been raising herself and her career. For 10 years, Michele had a photography business. After she closed her home studio, […]