Francis Gibson, MSW, MBA, Board Chair
Francis Gibson, MSW, MBA serves as CEO of Spanish Fork Hospital for Intermountain Health. He received his MBA in Business and Health Care from Utah State University and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Houston after completing his undergraduate work at Brigham Young University.
Francis has served in the Utah State Legislature for 13 years and a city councilman in Mapleton city for one term or four years. Francis has been committed to helping children in need by serving on the Children’s Justice Center Board for 12 years, and the United Way of Utah Board. “I believe everyone should get the chance to be their best as defined by them”. Francis loves to serve in a number of areas that will assist others to become what they want to become.
Francis and his wife Sheila have four children, a son and daughter-in-law, and one granddaughter. He coaches high school football and loves to compete at just about anything, so golf is his current competitor that often times beats him.
Morris D. Linton, J.D., Board Vice Chair
Mr. Linton served as Senior Counsel at Intermountain Healthcare from 1982 until 2016. His career at Intermountain Healthcare focused on corporate law, computer law, bioethics, and HIPAA regulation. Mr. Linton completed his undergraduate studies at Yale and Brigham Young University and earned his Juris Doctorate degree from BYU’s J. Reuben Clark Law School in 1978. After law school, he clerked for the Honorable Frank Q. Nebeker, a judge on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, and then for the Honorable Ralph R. Mabey, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Utah.
Mr. Linton was a member of the Utah Constitutional Revision Commission from 1994 to 2006. He also served on the Health Information and Technology Committee of the American Health Lawyers Association. For the past two years, Mr. Linton has advised and been appointed to be the chief legal officer of a biotech company based in Provo. Mr. Linton has been an adjunct professor at BYU’s law school, teaching legal drafting since 2008. He also serves on the Alumni Advisory Board of the law school and on the Religious Freedom Committee of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society. He is a member of Scribes, the American Society of Legal Writers.
Sean R. Curzon, D.O., Board Secretary
Dr. Curzon specializes in Internal Medicine and is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Curzon received his D.O. degree from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1999. He completed his internship and residency at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
Dr. Curzon is affiliated with Utah Valley Hospital, Timpanogos Regional Hospital, and American Fork Hospital as a physician with Revere Health. He functions also as a medical director of both a Skilled Nursing Facility and Hospice and Palliative Care team. Dr. Curzon is a member of the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons. He supports MAP International, a nonprofit organization providing life-changing medicines and health supplies to people in need around the world.
Linda Makin, Board Treasurer
Linda Makin recently retired from Utah Valley University having most recently served as Vice President for Planning, Budget & Finance/CFO. She brings 43 years of higher education experience and leadership in the areas of administration, budget, finance, planning, program development, policy, compliance, Title IX/EEO, institutional research, accreditation, and human resources. She continues to serve as a peer evaluator for the Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities. She earned her Master of Public Administration from Brigham Young University and her Bachelor of Accounting from Utah Valley University.
Reflective of her commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, Linda served as UVU’s Utah Women in Higher Education Network chapter executive liaison, founding co-chair of UVU’s Women’s Council, an ambassador for the Utah Women’s Leadership Project, and mentor for the Utah Women’s Leadership Exchange. She is committed to student success and has received numerous recognitions for her leadership in higher education.
She is active in the community serving as Chair of the Board of Directors for Utah Community Credit Union and as a member of the United Way of Utah County Board.
Andrea E. Clarke, Board Member
Andrea E. Clarke holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business and a Master’s Degree in Non-Profit Management from Columbia University. Andrea’s early career included working in computer electronics for some of the world’s fastest-growing organizations—Megahertz, US Robotics, and 3COM. Years later, she transitioned her sales career to the pharmaceutical industry where she was recognized as a top sales representative.
Andrea has dedicated her life to her family and makes time to support a number of causes in her community and abroad. She is a member of the board of the Stella H. Oaks Foundation, CharityVision, Bridle Up Hope—the Rachel Covey Foundation, The Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine, and serves as a Governor-appointed Trustee for Utah Valley University, as well as Past-Chair of the UVU’s Women’s Success Center Advisory Board.
With her exceptional background in nonprofits, Andrea closely oversees the affairs of The Labor and Honor Foundation, the Clarke family charity, which focuses on poverty alleviation, education, and the arts. The name of the foundation is derived from the Clarkes’ English family crest dating back centuries, which instills that whether a task be great or small, ALL work should be done with honor. The Clarkes’ hope is that through their efforts, they might improve the lives of others by giving back with humble thanksgiving for life’s many blessings.
Jennifer Danielson, Board Member
Jennifer Danielson is a healthcare executive who is passionate about harnessing the power of technology and data to serve people while never losing sight of the critical human element. Over the course of two and a half decades, she has held many leadership positions focused on helping healthcare work better for people. She currently serves as Chief Health Plan Officer of HealthPartners, an eight-hospital health system offering medical and dental insurance to 1.8 million members across six states. Jennifer is passionate about helping young women leaders understand and develop their potential and opportunities, and has served as the Chair of the Board of Friends of the Children, Utah, an organization committed to ending intergenerational poverty through a data-driven professional mentorship model. She and her husband live in the Twin Cities area and are the parents of five children, and five step-grandchildren.
Vanessa Halvorsen, D.O., Board Member
Dr. Halvorsen was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dr. Halvorsen graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Exercise Physiology. She then continued her education at the Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine as the salutatorian, earning her D.O. degree in 2018 and serving as Student Body President of the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Halvorsen also served as the only third-year student representative on the American Osteopathic Association’s Bureau of Emerging Leaders.
Dr. Halvorsen was elected to serve on the executive board of the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents (COSGP), a student division of AACOM. Dr. Halvorsen was then elected to be the American Osteopathic Association’s sole student member on its Board of Trustees. She received the American Osteopathic Foundation’s “Golden Ticket” award for excellence in academic performance and leadership. Dr. Halvorsen is an Otolaryngology/Facial Plastics resident at Freeman Hospital in Missouri through KCUCOM, with expected graduation in 2023.
Gary Herbert, Board Member
Gary R. Herbert served as the 17th governor of Utah from 2009 to 2021 and was the nation’s longest-serving governor when he left office. During his tenure, his focus was on economic development, education, energy, and efficiency in government. As a result, Utah is recognized as a premier business destination and a great place to live and raise families, with an unsurpassed quality of life.
Herbert has long been a strong advocate for excellence in public and higher education in Utah. He is currently dedicating his time and resources to benefit the students at Utah Valley University, launching UVU’s Herbert Public Policy Institute. The Institute develops future policy leaders, gathers the community, and builds trust in civic institutions.
Brent Israelsen, JD, Board Member
D. Brent Israelsen is a lawyer licensed in Utah (active) and in Washington DC (inactive). He co-founded Thunder Biotech, Inc. He also serves as President and CEO of GEDIH, Inc. and GENISES, Inc. and on the boards of directors of Soar.com, Inc. and Citizens Portal Inc.
Mr. Israelsen graduated from Brigham Young University, J Rueben Clark School of Law, with a Juris Doctorate degree in 1982. Previously he graduated from Utah State University with a bachelor’s degrees in University Studies with an emphasis in economics, accounting, history, political science, English and Spanish.
Mr. Israelsen practiced law in Washington, DC with positions in the federal government, the United States Courts, and the private law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. Mr. Israelsen worked in Boston, MA as President of Jurisoft, a division of Lexis Nexis.
Mr. Israelsen led software technology companies developing innovation projects that introduced digital signatures into the education, finance, government, insurance, mortgage and real estate markets. His team completed the world’s first fully electronic mortgage transaction under new digital and electronic signature laws in June 2000. He served as President of the Utah Chapter of Maverick Angels with chapters in California, in Utah and in Milan, Italy.
Mr. Israelsen is an experienced lawyer, serial entrepreneur and businessman with deep roots in the legal, government and regulatory markets, as well as business, education, finance, government, healthcare, insurance, real estate, software and technology markets. He holds four patents.
Kent Loosle, Board Member
Mr. Loosle has served 26 years in healthcare in the State of Utah, and 10 year in the State of Idaho. Mr. Loosle served as President / CEO of Mountain Point Medical Center, Regional COO for IASIS Healthcare, and various leadership positions with Intermountain Healthcare. His commitment to the community has included various leadership roles with chambers of commerce, civic, and church organizations.
Mr. Loosle is very active in supporting healthcare in Utah County. He enjoys working with other community leaders in fostering cooperation in benefiting the community, and growing health services to match community growth.
Mr. Loosle earned a master’s degree in Business Administration from Utah State University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University. Most importantly, he is husband to Wendi, father of six children, and grandfather of nine.
John F. Nemelka, MBA, Board Member
John F. Nemelka, MBA, was raised in Mapleton, Utah. He earned his MBA degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1994, and his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Brigham Young University in 1990. Mr. Nemelka founded NightWatch Capital Advisors, LLC in 2001 and served as Chief Executive Officer of the public company SWK Holdings. Previously, he was a partner at Graham Partners, a private equity firm focused on investing in technology-driven companies.
While at Graham Partners, he also managed the Graham Group’s alternative investment portfolio. Prior to Graham Partners, he worked for Smith Barney in the Industrial and Transaction Development Groups and worked for the Head of the Investment Banking Division, working on strategic planning and operational issues.
Mr. Nemelka currently serves on the Board of Directors of SANUWAVE Health, Inc., a medical technology company, and is a strategic partner at TractusMed, LLC, which is developing the largest diagnostic cancer database in the U.S. Mr. Nemelka is also a co-founder of the Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine.
BRENT NOORDA, BOARD MEMBER
Brent Noorda is a slow thinker who practices charity, entrepreneurship, humor, music, nursing, parenting, software engineering, studying, and writing. As a Trustee of the Ray & Tye Noorda Foundation, Brent has been involved with Noorda-COM since its conception.
In 2014, Brent returned to school for a career change from software startups to nursing. That initiation into current education and healthcare practices made Brent hopeful that innovations in teaching methods will lead to more doctors providing more care to more people in more locations, and optimistic that Noorda-COM will play an important part in making that happen.
Dr. Sandra Pennington, Board Member
Dr. Sandra Pennington has a forty-five-year career as a registered nurse where she served in diverse roles in the clinical and academic settings. She holds a PhD in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Kentucky. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Eastern Kentucky University.
Dr. Pennington functions as NWCCU peer evaluator and served as an observation visitor for the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. In addition, she served on the Physical Therapy Panel of the Commission on Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) and was a peer evaluator for the Commission. She serves on the Board of Trustees of Neumont College and currently participates on the Board of Directors of Wasatch Educational, Inc.
She was awarded the title of Administrator Emeritus after nearly 20 years of executive leadership at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. During her tenure, she served in many roles including the Academic Dean, the Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs/Provost, the Executive Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness and Strategic Initiatives, and the Chief of Staff for the Office of the President. Prior to RMU, she had a distinguished career at Berea College where she held an Endowed Chair in Nursing position. On retirement from Berea College, she was appointed Professor Emerita.
Dr. Pennington has a passion for institutional accreditation, governance, assessment, and strategic planning and has focused much of her career on data-driven decision-making at the point-of-care and in navigating the future of the professoriate. She currently co-authors the nursing pharmacology text, Abrams’ Clinical Drug Therapy, and has also co-authored a critical care and emergency nursing text. She has written multiple book chapters and articles in peer-reviewed journals and has extensive experience as an expert nurse witness in medical malpractice cases. She resides in Largo, Florida.
Rebeccah Rodriguez Regner, D.O., FACOFP, FAOASM, Board Member
Dr. Becca Rodriguez Regner, Team USA Physician, graduated from KCOM and is board-certified in Family Medicine and has a CAQ in Sports Medicine.
Dr. Rodriguez served the USOPC as a Team USA physician and was on the medical staff at the Olympic Training Site in Chula Vista, CA as team physician for 10 years. She served on the USOPC Physician Advisory Board and USA President’s Council Science Board. Dr. Rodriguez served as the Medical Director for the high performance center for Team USA at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. She was part of the medical staff as Team USA physician at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima. Peru.
Dr. Rodriguez currently is a team physician for USA Women’s Waterpolo and USOPC, and has supported the performing arts as company physician for the San Diego Ballet for 11 years.
Dr. Rodríguez Regner participates as a medical commission board member for USA Deaf Olympics, stays involved with national ACOFP committees, and is an AOASM past president. She is in private practice in Encinitas, CA and is the Assistant Program Director for Southwest Healthcare, Temecula Sports Medicine Fellowship.
Dr. Rodriguez Regner is passionate about connecting with students, residents, and fellows to continue osteopathic education and training, and advancing sports medicine and women’s healthcare education.
Jonora Searles, RN, Board Member
Ms. Searles graduated from Linfield College, where she served as Student Body President. Ms. Searles has served as a Registered Nurse since 1991, working in Triage, High Risk Labor and Delivery, Post-Anesthesia Recovery and Critical Care. She has also served as a Director of Nursing for a home health agency in Dallas, Texas. In 1995, Ms. Searles earned her Advanced Certification, specializing in Obstetrics.
While still working as a labor and delivery nurse, Ms. Searles became a Licensed Realtor in 2002. She has been a Realtor with Keller Williams since 2003, focusing on commercial development and residential sales. She continues to represent clients and manages residential lease properties. Ms. Searles currently serves as Vice President of Operations for EltonCo, a private investment company. She resides in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas.
Greg Stuart, Board Member
Mr. Stuart is founder and CEO for Strategic Partners Group based in Bountiful, Utah. Mr. Stuart started his real estate career in 1977, specializing in industrial real estate brokerage. In 1979, he co-founded Commerce Properties, which grew to become the largest commercial real estate brokerage company in the Intermountain area. During his time at Commerce, Mr. Stuart served as President and CEO, as well as the chairman of the industrial committee overseeing all industrial activity at Commerce.
In 2012, Mr. Stuart exited Commerce to pursue the full-time development of commercial and retail properties throughout the United States. This has resulted in developments exceeding 1,000,000 square feet in 16 states. Strategic Partners Group has developed properties for Walgreens, Tractor Supply, O’Reilly Auto, Dollar General, Family Dollar and Shopko. Mr. Stuart is also a co-founder of the Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Mitch Wasden, Board Member
Mitch Wasden has over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry and has served as CEO of multi-hospital systems, academic medical centers, medical groups and health insurance plans. He is currently the CEO of Iowa Total Care with responsibility for over 1 million covered lives in Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.
Mitch has served on the boards of hospitals, health plans, a medical device company and hospital associations in multiple states. He is passionate about organizational culture, innovation and impacting the social drivers of health (SDOH) and health equity through the use of technology.
He holds a BA from Brigham Young University, a Master’s of Health Administration from The University of Michigan and a Doctorate in Human & Organizational Learning from George Washington University. Mitch is married and has three adult children and one amazing granddaughter.
Dr. Norman Wright, PhD, Ex-Officio Board Member, President and CEO
President & Chief Executive OfficerDr. Norman Wright was appointed as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine effective February 1, 2022 following a national search. Prior to his position at the Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine, he served as the Dean of the Woodbury School of Business at Utah Valley University for eleven years, leading that institution through the introduction of several new undergraduate and graduate programs, two accreditation renewals, significant fundraising, a doubling of the student body and faculty team, creation of a world-class advisory board, and building a new 200,000 square foot business building.
Dr. Wright holds a Ph.D. in Management from Wharton as well as an M.A. degree in Management from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Public Administration degree and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Brigham Young University. Prior to joining the Woodbury School of Business, Dr. Wright served in academic administration for nine years in the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, and Hawaii.
In addition to his academic work, Dr. Wright maintains close connection with industry through consulting and board service including with organizations such as Kahuku Community Hospital, the Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine, Academy for Creating Enterprise, and Provo City Power.
