About Our School
UTVA Board
Board Meetings
The governing board follows the Utah Open Meetings Act and all meetings are open to the public. Board meetings are posted at least 24 hours in advance on the Utah Public Notice website along with meeting minutes and recordings. Meeting minutes and recordings are also available by emailing mmerideth@utahvirtual.org, and additional meeting documents are available for review in the archive.
Meetings are tentatively scheduled for the first Wednesday monthly based on the proposed 2023–2024 annual meeting calendar [PDF]. Please visit the Utah Public Notice website to view upcoming meeting agendas.
Policies, Procedures, and Chartering Documents
The board has a responsibility to oversee policies and the school charter. Policies are reviewed periodically and adopted at public meetings.
Administrative Procedures Manual
Chartering Documents: UTVA was approved by the Utah State Charter School Board and the State Board of Education in 2008. Please note, the content of the original charter application (including policies) is subject to change and several amendment requests have been submitted and approved.
Financial Oversight
The board oversees the financial health of Utah Virtual Academy and reviews budgets on a regular basis. All budgets are approved by the board and publicly available on the Utah Public Finance website. Monthly budget reports are available upon request to mmerideth@utahvirtual.org.
Members of the audit committee include Amberly Keeler and Dallin Drescher.
Stakeholders may report concerns of fraud, waste, abuse, or non-compliance directly to school administration or the governing board. Alternatively, stakeholders may report such concerns directly to the Utah State Board of Education through the Public Education Hotline at 801.538.7813 and full contact information may be found on the Internal Audit website. To see monthly budget reports click HERE.
Board of Directors
Board President | Dallin Drescher
Dallin Drescher has a bachelor’s degree in commercial Spanish and is currently in law school. He has experience as an assistant manager at America First Credit Union and is the director of publishing for eAssist Dental Solutions.
Email: drescher@utahvirtual.org
Vice President | Kristen Davidson
Kristen Davidson works as career and technical education coordinator at Northridge High School in Layton, Utah. She is a graduate of Weber State University and the University of Utah. She taught health science classes and has previous experience as an operating room nurse. Kristen served as the National Board Chair for HOSA Future Health Professionals, President of the Utah Association for Career and Technical Education and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Health Professions Network.
Email: kdavidson@utahvirtual.org
Financial Chair | Douglas DeVore
Doug DeVore is an attorney-advisor for the 75th Air Base Wing’s Office of the Staff Judge Advocate at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. He provides legal advice on environmental matters, including air, real estate, noise, encroachment, hazardous waste disposal and cleanup, toxic substances, and occupational health and safety. He also advises the Air Force’s largest enhanced use lease project on environmental matters. Before he took this position, Doug was an assistant attorney general and an active-duty Air Force judge advocate. As an assistant attorney general, his client administered and enforced over 20 consumer protection laws. In 2007, he joined the United States Air Force where his assignments included staff judge advocate for two Reserve wings, home-station and deployed deputy staff judge advocate, environmental law branch chief, environmental law attorney, area defense counsel, and assistant staff judge advocate. While on active duty, he earned a master of laws in environmental law from The George Washington University Law School, and he deployed in support of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE and Operation FREEDOM’S SENTINEL. He was honorably discharged in 2019 and immediately joined the Utah Air National Guard. He is currently a lieutenant colonel and deputy staff judge advocate at the 151st Wing in Salt Lake City. A native Utahn A seventh-generation Utahn, Doug and his wife, Janna, are parents of five children and one grandchild.
Parent Representative | Amberly Keeler
Amberly Keeler is a former employee of UTVA who worked as an elementary teacher, a lead teacher, and as the Director of Family Academic Support Team (FAST). As a parent, Amberly has witnessed how UTVA can support individual student needs.
Email: ambkeeler@utahvirtual.org
Member | Marty Carpenter
Marty Carpenter has a demonstrated expertise in public policy and strategic communications and worked on the executive team of Utah’s largest and longest-serving non-profit business association, the Salt Lake Chamber, as well as other nonprofit boards. Currently, Marty is a managing partner of 24NINE, a public policy firm located in Salt Lake City. Marty served as the senior advisor to Governor Herbert and has worked closely with education advisors, such as the Utah Education Association and various elected officials who support and oversee education.
Email: mcarpenter@utahvirtual.org
Member | Kellie Openshaw
Member | Brian Maxwell
Email: bmaxwell@utavirtual.org
Brian Maxwell has a degree in political science from the University of Utah. His experience includes working as a deputy campaign manager, a senior policy advisor, and a senior account executive.
Member | Armante Gordon
Email: agordon@utahvirtual.org
Armante Gordon is a finance professional who got his start as the controller of a small business. He currently works in the controllers division of Goldman Sachs in Fixed Income, Currency & Commodities (FICC) Product Control. He is a Weber State graduate and a veteran who served in the United States Marine Corps.