WSU Salutes 2019 Honorees

Weber State University honored alumni and community members who have lived distinguished lives, made a difference, or have contributed to the university’s success and reputation at the WSU Salutes Awards ceremony in October.

Student Homecoming Royalty

Rachel Creer AS ’19 and Matthew “Matt” Thorpe 

Rachel and Matthew exemplify the Weber State ideals of scholarship, leadership and service. 

Rachel, who earned an associate’s degree, summa cum laude, is an honors student studying public relations, advertising, business administration and Spanish. She has held multiple leadership roles at WSU, including Honors Aletheia Student Advisory Board vice president, Suicide Awareness Walk community outreach coordinator and First Year Experience peer mentor. Rachel speaks fluent Spanish and volunteers at a Title 1 school. 

Matt has a 4.0 GPA and is working toward a degree in professional sales as well as outdoor and community recreation education. He is a member of the Honors Aletheia club and serves as the WSU Student Alumni Association’s vice president of traditions. For two years, Matt organized the “Destruction Zone” student spectator section at WSU athletic events. The former student admissions ambassador helps run his family’s nonprofit organization, which serves cancer patients and their families. 

Emeriti Homecoming Royalty

Nancy Boyington Wade AA ’69 and Glen L. Wade BS ’72

As Weber State students, Glen and Nancy discovered a common interest in chemistry — and each other. Nancy joined Ta Theta Nu social club and was active in student government.After graduating, she completed a medical technology internship at McKay-Dee Hospital and was named Utah State Medical Technology Student of the Year. Glen joined Delta Phi fraternity and the U.S. Army Reserve. After earning a degree in chemistry and math, he attended Georgetown University School of Dentistry. Following Glen’s dental residency at UCLA and the Veterans Hospital, the couple returned to Utah, and Glen established a practice in Roy. Throughout his 40-year dental career, Glen also ran a 300-acre farm and a 130-head cattle ranch. Proud Wildcats, the couple named a room at Tracy Hall Science Center in honor of former professors E. Park Guymon and Diane Pugmire. Glen was a valued member of the university’s National Advisory Council. After many years of service to the community and university, Glen passed away in December 2019. He is survived by Nancy, their children and grandchildren, and his siblings.

Distinguished Service

Kym Buttschardt

Kym moved to Washington, D.C., to begin her “dream job” as an auditor with Price Waterhouse after earning her accounting degree at the University of Utah, but destiny had other plans. Kym returned to Utah after her then-boyfriend and now-husband, Pete Buttschardt, opened Union Grill restaurant. Five years later, the couple opened Rooster’s Brewing Co. The eatery’s instant popularity gave other merchants and restaurateurs the confidence to set up shop on 25th Street, which sparked the revitalization of a historically significant business district. The Buttschardts are deeply involved in the ongoing effort to revive the Ogden Union Stockyard area. They support numerous local events, like the annual Harvest Moon celebration. 

Lewis W. Shurtliff Award for Contributions to Education

Marlin K. Jensen

A studious, first-generation college student, Marlin earned a bachelor’s degree in German from Brigham Young University and later attended the University of Utah College of Law, graduating first in his class. While practicing law, Marlin still helped operate his family farm in Huntsville, Utah. He served as a General Authority Seventy in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 24 years, and was the church’s official historian and recorder from 2005 to 2012. Marlin’s outstanding contributions to education include service on the Weber County Library Board of Trustees, the Weber School District Board, the Utah State Board of Education and the Utah State Board of Regents. He is especially interested in ensuring that underserved college-age students can afford to attend college and pursue any desired career. For the past three years, Marlin has chaired Weber County’s Intergenerational Poverty Advisory Committee, a volunteer organization dedicated to helping young people break the cycle of poverty through education and opportunity. 

Outstanding Young Alumnus

Damian Lillard BS ’15 

Just as the four-time NBA All-Star has carved out an identity as one of the most prolific scorers in the 49-year history of the Portland Trail Blazers, so, too, has Damian carved out a permanent place in the hearts of Wildcat basketball fans. Damian, voted 2012–13 NBA Rookie of the Year, is a Weber State legend not only for his remarkable athletic ability, but also for his loyalty and dedication to pursuing a college degree. When the NBA drafted him in 2012, Damian was six credits shy of graduation, so he returned to WSU in the offseasons to complete his coursework. He graduated in 2015, fulfilling the promise he had made to his mother years earlier. When Weber State retired Lillard’s famous No. 1 jersey in 2017, Damian used the occasion to publically thank Dee Events Center staffers for unlocking the facility after hours so he could squeeze in extra practices. When he’s not on the court dazzling fans with mind-boggling three-pointers or touting his alma mater on social media, Damian may be in a recording studio. He recently released his third, full-length album under his nom de rap, “Dame D.O.L.L.A.” 

Distinguished Alumna

Lori Belnap Pehrson BS ’87

As a director at Northrop Grumman, a leading global security company, Lori oversees a large engineering and systems integration organization, and manages a portfolio of programs that provide support to national security objectives. Lori has always felt compelled to help others personally and professionally. She is an ardent STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) advocate who frequently speaks at conferences and schools. She has taught English and computer skills to local refugee groups and has mentored veterans who are reentering the workplace. Lori chairs her division’s diversity and inclusion board, and currently serves on Weber State’s Engineering Advisory Board. She is a member of the Safe Harbor Crisis Center’s board of directors, and was recently appointed to the Governor’s Economic Council. 

Distinguished Alumnus

Keith Titus BS ’02

Growing up in Smithfield, Utah, Keith’s passion for learning was kindled by his Grandpa Peterson, who frequently extolled the virtues of education. Today, he challenges himself and others to acquire new knowledge and consider different perspectives. Keith graduated from Weber State with a degree in professional sales; he later earned an MBA at the University of Utah. His academic background and dynamic work ethic serve him well in his role as president and CEO of MarketStar, a global outsourcing company that designs and develops sales and marketing solutions for hundreds of companies. Keith joined MarketStar after spending 11 years at Motorola Solutions in a number of leadership capacities, including head of strategy for global sales and field operations. He champions community initiatives through MarketStar Cares, his company’s community outreach program. He also serves on a number of local community boards and is an avid dirt biker, fly-fisher, amateur chef and golfer. 

Emeriti Lifetime Achievement

John B. Lund BS ’78

In 1975, John accepted a job at America First Credit Union — and never left. The former clerk is now the Riverdale, Utah-based organization’s president and CEO. America First is among the nation’s top 10 credit unions, with $11.2 billion in assets and over 1 million members. Described by professional colleagues as “a person of high-integrity” and “an excellent motivator of people,” John has received numerous honors and accolades, including Utah Business magazine’s 2018 CEO of the Year: Lifetime Achievement award. Under John’s leadership, America First has been lauded by Forbes, Consumer Reports and Money magazine. John sits on numerous boards, including the 100% For Kids Education Foundation, Utah Credit Union Association and CU Direct Corp. He’s also a loyal Weber State Wildcat, a member of the Goddard School of Business & Economics Advisory Council and a Ralph Nye Lecture Series guest speaker. John generously provides personal and corporate financial support for WSU event sponsorships, scholarships and Walker Institute internships. 

WSU Presidents Awards

Stewart Education Foundation

Richard Stromberg BS ’72, chair, Kristen Hurst-Hyde BA ’74, co-vice chair, Jamie Lampros-Shenefelt BS ’86, co-vice chair, Jack D. Lampros, emeriti chair, Dean W. Hurst CC ’48, emeriti vice chair, Karin Hurst AS ’79, associate,  Jacklyn Lampros-Hunt BS ’81, associate and Sean Stromberg BS ’93, associate 

Elizabeth Dee Shaw Stewart was the granddaughter of Ogden pioneer industrialist and community leader Thomas D. Dee and his wife, Annie. Honoring the Dee family’s tradition of charitable giving, Elizabeth and her husband, Donnell B. Stewart, established the Stewart Education Foundation (SEF) in 1977 to support educational, cultural and life-enhancing programs, particularly in Weber County. Since its inception, SEF has administered millions of dollars in gifts and grants to numerous programs and organizations with an emphasis on Weber State, where Elizabeth and Donnell were classmates in the 1920s. The foundation has financed or endowed campus landmarks, buildings, scholarships, professional development programs, library acquisitions and many other vital projects. In addition to its support of WSU, the foundation provides crucial funding to the Ogden, Weber and Davis school district foundations, Onstage Ogden, Elizabeth Stewart Treehouse Museum and Eccles Dinosaur Park. The foundation was a major contributor to the Ogden High School restoration project.