Mark Johnson

The Vaping Ordinance That Started in Lehi and Moved the Nation

After attending a Utah County Health meeting about youth vaping addiction, Mayor Johnson passed a local ordinance — then personally worked Utah legislators to get 42 House co-sponsors, pass both chambers, and spark national legislative attention.

Mark Johnson

From Losing Two Elections to Winning More Votes Than Anyone in Lehi History

Mark Johnson ran for City Council twice and lost both times. Through persistence and a Planning Commission appointment, he built credibility, eventually joined the Council, served 12+ years, then won the mayor's race by an 18-point swing after finishing second in the primary.

Phil Hanks

Called as Mission President at 28 — Before He Even Knew

Phil and Donna were in Samoa teaching at a Church school when congratulatory telegrams began arriving. First his mother, then a cousin: 'Congratulations, President.' He had no idea what they meant. After six weeks of delayed mail due to a Pan-American Airlines strike, letters finally arrived including a call from the First Presidency to preside over the Samoa Mission. Phil was 28. Donna was 27. They came home for ten weeks, attended the mission presidents' seminar with all 61 mission presidents in the world at the time, were set apart, and returned July 1 to lead the mission. Phil said simply: 'We should have been afraid, but I wasn’t.'

Andy Hadfield

The Coach Who Never Planned to Coach

Andy Hadfield's coaching journey began almost by accident. A friend — the head basketball coach at Lehi — asked if Andy would casually help out. What he thought would be 'popping in once or twice a week' turned into leading the sophomore basketball team. When that coach retired after one year, Andy thought his brief coaching chapter was over. Football players on his team introduced him to Coach Larson, who invited Andy onto the football staff after learning he'd played college ball. Andy said yes. He ended up coaching both basketball and football simultaneously for six years before committing fully to football — and eventually inheriting the head coaching role when Coach Larson retired.

Doug Webb

Does Anybody Like You?

At a basketball game, Doug's son Ryan watched parents approach his dad with concerns about their kids not making teams or getting opportunities. Young Ryan turned to his father and asked, simply, 'Dad, does anybody like you?' Doug used the moment as a teaching opportunity. He explained: in a school of 1,800 students, only five from each grade would start. Every student is awesome and equal — they just are. But the system can't give every student every opportunity, and absorbing that gap between what students deserve and what systems can provide is one of the hidden burdens of school leadership.

Doug Webb

Everything But a Backpack Day

Students at Lehi High approached Principal Webb and proposed an 'Everything But a Backpack Day.' Doug approved it without fully imagining the creative possibilities. The night before, his own kids asked to borrow the old microwave and crockpot. He didn't connect the dots. The next morning, students arrived with garbage cans, crockpots, microwaves, dogs, and younger siblings to carry their books. Administration huddled and reached a unanimous conclusion: the students had won. At graduation, Doug acknowledged it publicly: 'Chalk one up for the students — they beat us that day.'

Jennifer describes her professional transition from working within major international real estate firms to leading Presidio Real Estate. She realized that the 'big box' model often lacked the specialized marketing and personal touch required for local markets. This led her to develop a business model that combines high-level professional standards with local expertise.

Paul pulls back the curtain on the difficult process of balancing the city budget. He describes 'gory' meetings where he had to weigh the needs of departments against the 'sacred' nature of tax dollars. Initially, he proposed a $1.7 million increase to maintain service levels, but the city council rejected any tax increase. Instead of a political stalemate, Paul describes a process of 'massaging' the numbers, returning to the table to find efficiencies, and working through differences. He emphasizes that despite seeing things 'a smidge differently,' the goal is to act as 'adults in the room' to serve the city without cutting essential services.

Brent’s nearly decade-long service on the Lehi Planning Commission began with a surprise phone call from then-Mayor Bert Wilson. Brent didn't even know the mayor personally and was confused as to why his name had come up. Despite his initial lack of experience in municipal planning, he accepted the appointment to the Board of Adjustment and later the Planning Commission. This led to nine and a half years of deliberating on the growth and development of Lehi during one of its most transformative eras.

Brent was approached to run for the presidency of a national organization representing environmental leaders from all 50 states. Initially, he didn't want the extra responsibility, noting it wasn't on his 'dance card.' However, a colleague from New Jersey challenged him by saying, 'Brent, sometimes you need to think beyond yourself.' This simple nudge convinced him to step up, eventually becoming the first Utahn to serve in that capacity and influencing national policy during both the Trump and Biden administrations.

Jean discusses the origins of Lehi's unique 'miniature' parade, which evolved from simple neighborhood walks led by local residents playing accordions. In the early days, floats were nothing more than wagons with plywood and sparse decorations. However, by the 1980s, the parade was losing its identity as wealthier LDS wards began building massive, professional-looking floats. Jean stepped onto the committee and established strict regulations for dimensions and budgets to ensure an 'equal playing field.' This intervention preserved the 'miniature' charm and allowed wards with fewer resources to remain competitive for the coveted annual awards.

Rick describes a pivotal moment in Lehi's municipal history when the city decided to merge the ambulance and fire departments, which had previously been entirely separate entities operating from different buildings. He recalls the City Manager, Ed Collins, metaphorically 'racking a shotgun' and declaring the two departments 'married.' This forced firemen to become EMTs and vice-versa, a move met with some resistance but one that ultimately modernized the city's emergency response.

Rick reflects on a major turning point in his leadership style. He tells a story of a younger firefighter suggesting a different approach to a large fire. Initially, Rick's instinct as a Battalion Chief was to dismiss him, but he stopped and listened, realizing the suggestion was superior. This led to a career-long philosophy of asking 'Why?'—not as a challenge to authority, but as a search for truth and improvement. He cites the elimination of useless medical practices, like backboards, as a result of this kind of questioning.

Dave recalls a memory of Rhonda’s father, Mike Senior, who was the president of the Civic Improvement Association. Dave found himself working alone on the rodeo grounds and went searching for the rest of the crew, only to find a large group of men huddled together, 'hooting' with laughter. Mike Senior was in the center, telling jokes. This memory highlights Mike's leadership style—he wasn't a 'goody two-shoes' or unapproachable; he was a magnetic figure who used humor to bind the committee together and make the hard work of the rodeo enjoyable.

Nathan discusses the changing face of the FFA in Lehi. As the town moved from 'big agriculture' (large-scale farming) to smaller scale suburban homesteading, the curriculum shifted. He explains that FFA today isn't just about cows; it's about parliamentary procedure, public speaking, marketing, and social media. He notes that while a kid might not be able to buy a farm in today's economy, they can use the skills learned in FFA to run corporations, market products, or manage logistics.

Donna recalls the extreme inequality she faced while serving on the school board. While an Orem board member was responsible for only nine schools, Donna was tasked with representing 29 schools due to the massive growth in Lehi, Eagle Mountain, and Saratoga Springs. This disparity highlighted a systemic failure to adapt to growth, fueling her long-term advocacy for a district split to ensure fair representation for Lehi's families.

Shortly after moving to Lehi, Phil was walking on the track at the Lehi Legacy Center when he was approached by Police Chief Darren Paul. The Chief told Phil that after observing him, the department's executive meeting had concluded he would make an 'ideal chaplain.' Phil, who had not sought the position, insisted on researching the requirements to ensure he could truly fulfill the role before accepting, eventually seeking formal endorsement in Salt Lake City.

Facing a maxed-out Pioneer Crossing and gridlock in Northern Utah County, Kay describes his efforts to bring the mayors of Eagle Mountain, Saratoga Springs, Lehi, and American Fork together. By acting as a facilitator between these cities and state agencies like UDOT and MAG, he is pushing for a unified study of long-term solutions, including a potential mid-lake crossing across Utah Lake.

Jeanne-Marie reflects on the dysfunction of the current school board that led to the district split. Realizing she was complaining about the breakdown in collaboration, she felt a personal 'inspiration' to stop criticizing from the sidelines and run for a seat herself. She decided that if the current system was broken, she was willing to jump in and help fix it.

When a Planning Commission vacancy opened, Heather was encouraged to apply despite her history of publicly disagreeing with the Mayor. She feared the interview would be contentious, but instead, it became a moment of profound connection. The Mayor appreciated her willingness to stand up for her beliefs, and they found a shared commitment to the city. This led to her appointment and eventual role as the first female chair of the Planning Commission in recent memory.

Chief Craft discusses the 'Call to Courage' camp, a two-day program for young women aged 14 to 18. The program, which costs the participants nothing, puts them through firefighter drills including repelling, cutting cars open with the Jaws of Life, and dragging hoses. While it has successfully recruited new firefighters, Jeremy notes that the real goal is seeing the transformation in the girls' confidence, watching them realize they are capable of anything.

During his twelve-year tenure on the Lehi City Council, Mike faced the difficult reality that leadership often requires disappointing those closest to you. He describes the 'spotlight' of a small town where friends and associates expect special favors or lenient decisions because of their personal ties. Mike emphasizes that the hardest part of the job is making the 'best decision for the city' even when it risks a personal relationship or makes half the population unhappy.

After years of focusing on his career and family, Quinn Allred rejoined the American Legion, initially through the Legion Riders motorcycle group. In 2010, the Lehi Post faced a leadership crisis when the commander suffered a stroke and no one would volunteer to lead. Allred, noticing he was the only Lehi resident in the meeting at the time, stood up and offered to conduct the meetings. What started as a temporary fix turned into fifteen years of service as the Post Commander, a role he is finally retiring from.

While living in Poway, California, Merrilee experienced two major wildfires. Frustrated by the total lack of response from the city council during the first disaster, she volunteered to run the evacuation center and fire relief. This experience compelled her to run for office herself. Over eight years on the city council, she revolutionized community preparedness by training every city employee as a disaster service worker, placing supply 'sea-tainers' throughout the city, and establishing cross-agency communication. When the second wildfire hit, the community was radically better prepared, moving from chaos to structured safety.

Doug reflects on the hardest part of being a principal: the reality that there are only a limited number of 'starters' in sports, seats in AP classes, or high scores on tests. He shares a poignant conversation with his son who asked, 'Does anybody like you?' after seeing parents complain. Doug explained to him that in a school of 1,800, only a few can start the game, and as a leader, you have to care for all students equally, even when you can't give them all what they want.

During a power conference, economist Natalie Gochnour made a startling revelation to Mayor Johnson and his team. She explained that when she presented on the financial strength of the State of Utah, she often had to 'pull Lehi out' of the calculations to show how the rest of the state was doing, because Lehi's growth was so explosive it skewed the data. She declared Lehi the 'economic engine of the state of Utah,' a realization that gave Johnson a new perspective on the weight and global importance of the city he was leading.