Gary Richard Herbert is Utah's 17th Governor, taking the Oath of Office on Aug. 11, 2009. Governor Herbert was born in American Fork, Utah, and raised in Orem, Utah. After graduating from Orem High School, Mr. Herbert served a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Eastern Atlantic States Mission.
While attending BYU, the Governor met and married Jeanette Snelson, from Springville,Utah. Shortly after their marriage, the Governor joined the Utah National Guard and served for six years as a staff sergeant working with target acquisition, artillery and ground survey.
After his military service, the Governor began a career in the real estate industry, founding Herbert & Associates Realtors, an Orem-based brokerage firm. He and Jeanette also began a child care service, The Kids Connection, which they operated for 23 years.
In 1990, the Governor was appointed to the Utah County Commission. Soon thereafter, he was later elected to the body, which he served for 14 years. During his time as county commissioner, he served as presidents of the Utah Association of Counties and the Utah Association of Realtors, and as a board member of the Provo Orem Chamber of Commerce and Utah Water Conservancy District. Prior to becoming governor, he served as Lieutenant Governor under Governor Jon M. Huntsman Jr. for nearly five years.
Governor Herbert has outlined his four cornerstones to strengthen Utah's economy as education, energy, jobs and the ability of the state to solve its own problems, like those in the area of healthcare.
Governor and Mrs. Herbert have six children and 13 grandchildren.
James R. Young is chairman, president and chief executive officer of Union Pacific Corporation and a member of the board of directors. Young began his railroad career with Union Pacific in 1978 and has held a variety of professional, managerial and senior management positions.
Young is a member and past chairman of the board for both the Association of American Railroads and the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. Young is on the boards of the FXE Railroad in Mexico, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Joslyn Art Museum Foundation, Creighton University, and Boys Town.
Young is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha.