ST. GEORGE –Dixie State College of Utah officially welcomed new leadership for its Board of Trustees at a special meeting Aug. 10.
Steven G. Caplin, who has been a member of the DSC Board of Trustees since 2005 and most recently served as the board’s vice chair for the past two years, was elected as the new chair. Caplin replaces outgoing trustee chair Dr. Shandon D. Gubler, who served as the board’s chair since 2007 and completed his term on the board last June.
At the meeting, trustees welcomed Lon E. Henderson as a new member to the board, replacing Gubler. Henderson was appointed to the board by Governor Gary Herbert.
Additionally, DSC’s newly elected student body president Mike Sheffield began his year term as a voting member on the board.
The DSC Board of Trustees, at the quorum’s next meeting in September, will announce who will serve as vice chair and who will serve as an additional member, along with finalizing board committee assignments and responsibilities.
“I appreciate the support of our fellow trustees and look forward to this academic year,” Caplin said. “There is much work that has gone into it on the part of the faculty, the administration and the staff, and the trustees very much look forward to supporting them in their efforts.”
Caplin currently serves as president and CEO of St. George-based Steton Technology, the leading provider of application software leveraged by professionals responsible for public health, consumer safety and quality assurance. He holds a masters in business administration from the University of Texas, where he focused on high technology entrepreneurship and competitive corporate strategy. He graduated summa cum laude in accounting from Southern Utah University. Prior to forming Steton, he was successful in sales and business management at IBM, as well as in corporate accounting and finance at Southland Financial Corporation. He was born in Miami, Fla., and attended secondary schools in St. George. Caplin and his wife Toni, who both are 1981 graduates of DSC, live in Santa Clara, Utah, and are the parents of four children.
“Great things are happening at Dixie,” said Caplin, “and we’re excited to be a part of it.”
Henderson is the founder and principal partner of Soltis Investment Advisors in St. George. A graduate of Brigham Young University, Henderson’s business experience is rooted in the financial services industry, where he was employed variously by Foster & Marshall, Inc., Shearson American Express, and Shearson Lehman Brothers. He served as a member of the President’s Council, Chairman’s Council, Select Consultants Member, and provided leadership to the western division of Shearson Lehman Brothers.
“I appreciate the opportunity to serve this great institution that has an incredible legacy,” Henderson said. “I hold in high esteem President Nadauld, my fellow trustees and the dedicated faculty and staff of the college.”
A native of Idaho, Henderson and his family relocated to St. George in 1984. He is involved in and serves on numerous boards for business, community and humanitarian organizations, including his involvement as a board member of the Dixie College Foundation. He and his wife, Carrie, are the parents of six children.
DSC’s board of trustees is the institution’s governing board, appointed by the governor and approved by the Utah State Senate, and acts as a liaison between the college and the community. In addition, the board of trustees assists and approves the college’s mission, traditions, strategic planning, policies, budgets, new degree programs and honorary degrees. The trustees are also involved in alumni relations and fundraising.