Stake Leadership

Steven R. Griffiths – Stake President 

Family: 

Six Children: Tyler (36), Shannon (34), Stephanie (30), Melanie (27), Brandon (24), Katie (20) and 15 grandchildren

Some of the Church Callings I’ve held:

Bishop, Bishop’s counselor, Stake Executive Secretary, Elders Quorum counselor & president, Stake Young Men’s President, Scoutmaster. 

I am employed by:

Brigham Young University

My job responsibility is: 

Managing Director of Campus Planning overseeing architectural and engineering design of on-campus construction projects.

My favorite quote is:

“We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”  - Aristotle

My dream car is:

Tesla Roadster

My favorite TV show growing up was/is: 

Gilligan’s Island.

When I have 30 minutes of free time, you can find me:

Eating :-), riding my bicycle, talking with my sweetheart, or roughhousing with the grandkids. I also enjoy weightlifting, SCUBA diving, going on cruises, reading scripture stories, and 4-wheeling.

I am currently reading:

The Uncanonized Revelations of Joseph Smith

Brian Mead - First Counselor  - Our family moved to Salem in 2013. It was our 8th move in 12 years of marriage, and we thought that Salem may just be another stop along the way. However, we fell in love with Salem and everyone around us, and I don’t think we could ever convince our family to move.

Annie and I are a BYU success story. Where else would a girl from California meet and marry a boy from small town Utah? Our versions of the story of how we met, fell in love and married are pretty different. We agree that we met, married, and fell in love. In Annie’s version, however, Brian is a little crazy, and she took pity on him. Brian’s version is a little more boring but also more accurate. We have four wonderful children, one boy and three girls.

For my career, I am part of the Religious Education faculty at BYU. It is the last career I could ever see myself doing, and I love it. We love travelling, reading, and playing games, that Annie mostly wins.

Mike Larsen - Second Counselor - I am one of 14 children born to Ferrus and Beth Larsen. I grew up in Mapleton, on a small farm, and have many cherished memories of my childhood.

I had the privilege of marrying Cindy Burningham in 1993, after serving a mission to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and we have enjoyed a wonderful life together with our five children and soon to be five grandchildren. We love spending time together as a family riding motorcycles, enjoying water activities at the lake, and traveling to new places. 

I work for Nebo School District and am the human resources director and just beginning my 29th year with Nebo having been a teacher, an elementary principal, and an administrator at the district office. 

Cindy and I have been so grateful to have ended up calling Salem our home to raise our family amongst the most remarkable, kind & loving, and hard-working people. 

We love our neighbors. We love the Lord. I love my membership in His church, and I’m grateful to be a member of the Salem Utah State

Mark Cope – Stake Executive Secretary  - Mark Cope is a skilled Systems Engineer with years of experience designing, implementing, and maintaining complex IT infrastructures. Mark holds a BS in Information Technology. Throughout his career, Mark has contributed to numerous projects involving the integration of hardware and software to optimize system performance and ensure seamless operation. Recent projects have included the modernization of cloud computing and migrating to public cloud infrastructures.

Mark enjoys spending time with his wife and kids. Mark is married to Amberlee, and they have 4 children, and 1 grandchild. Their 2 oldest children are married, one is living in Green Bay, Wisconsin and the other lives in Ephraim, Utah. Mark grew up in Salem and Amberlee grew up in Spanish Fork. They have both lived in Salem now for over 20 years. Some of the activities they enjoy include anything outdoors from hiking, to riding ATV and UTV’s, motorcycles, road trips, and spending time in the beautiful Utah mountains.

Brian Torgersen – Stake Clerk - The youngest of five children and was raised in Koosharem, Utah.  My childhood was filled with everything a small town boy dreams of.  My father was a dairy farmer and my mother was the school lunch manager at the local elementary school.  I learned the value of hard work from parents who did not have a lot, but gave everything they had to their children. 

I graduated from Piute High School and served a mission in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  I loved my mission and the foundation of faith that it gave me to continue on the covenant path.  I was set up with my wife, Amelia, while attending UVU. Amelia grew up in Springville.  We were married after just 4 months of dating on New Year ’s Eve, 2004. We now have five beautiful children - all of which play soccer year-round. As a family, we love fishing, hunting, and spending time together in the outdoors.  I graduated from the University of Utah in Civil Engineering and began my professional career with a private engineering consulting firm before taking a position with Provo City in 2010.  Since then I have been responsible for the design and construction oversight on many utility and transportation infrastructure projects, which I absolutely love!  I was the project manager for the design and construction of the new Provo Airport Terminal, which led to my appointment as the Director of the Provo Airport in 2021. 

We moved to Salem in 2014 and love this Stake.  I love the Lord and feel so blessed to be a part of His Kingdom on Earth! 

Vince Hunt – Stake Assistant Clerk – Finance - I am currently Serving as the Salem Stake Financial Clerk. My wife’s name is Jenafer, and I have four children, Mikayla age 28 is living in Marble Springs Texas, Jacob age 22 is going to School at Utah State, Andrew age 20 is serving a Mission in the Lima Peru South Mission but will be home in November 2024 and Jessie age 17 is a high school senior this year. I have lived in Salem for 26 years and worked for NuSkin for 21 years before transitioning to BYU for the last four years.  I served a mission in Brisbane Australia.  I am a member of the South Valley View ward where I held the calling as a financial clerk but also worked many years with the young men in the ward.

Simon Hales – Stake Assistant Clerk – Membership - I’m 37, I work at ADezign, I enjoy being outside and helping people, my calling is at the Stake center as a Stake Assistant Clerk. 

Brad Gordon - Stake Patriarch 

Stephen Rees - Stake Patriarch

Kassie Vance – Stake RS President - Kassie has been a “stay-at-home mom” and homeschooled her children for 18 years. She’s always up for a good adventure. She loves to travel, hike, rappel, ski, and play pickleball, among other things. She is also fond of reading and studying, especially the sciences, history, and religion. She finds satisfaction in learning primitive living and natural healing skills, but hopes to never have to use them! One of these days, she will make it to Machu Pichu. Jerry has promised. 

Pat Bradley – Stake RS 1st Counselor - My name is Pat Bradley. I have lived in the Salem, Utah Stake since it was created. My husband and I reside in the 7th ward but have lived in 6 different wards while residing in the same house for 44 years. We raised 7 children here whom have all married and left our nest blessing us with 31 grandchildren. We recently returned from serving as senior missionaries in England and are grateful for those precious experiences to add to our lives. We are happiest when we are serving the Lord.

Emily Kunz – Stake RS 2nd Counselor - My name is Emily Kunz.  I was raised in Pocatello, Idaho and married my childhood sweetheart, Troy Kunz.  We have 4 children including our daughter-in-law and one big Golden Doodle, Murphy.  Kaden and his wife Delaney live in Price, Adri is on a mission in South Carolina and Mason is a freshman at SJHS.  We have lived in Salem for 16 years.  I work for Salem Recreation a couple days a week.  I love spending time with family, indoors and outdoors as often as possible! 

Marci Hite – Stake RS Secretary - I have lived in Salem for over 18 years and I love it here! My husband and I have 3 children; Baylee-23 yrs. old, Kyler-21 yrs. old, and Elle-17 yrs. old. I work part-time as a physical therapy office secretary in Spanish Fork. I used to coach drill team/dance for high school and did that for about 17 yrs. but retired 6 years ago. I still love dance and to judge and critique dance. I love to exercise, hiking, boating and water skiing, to sew, read, watch movies, and do anything and everything with my family! I love Relief Society and serving with the sisters.

Savannah Thompson – Stake Primary President - I am thrilled to serve in this wonderful stake and to get to know all of you better! I grew up in Colorado but have lived in Utah since 2004. My husband David and I moved to Salem in 2019. We have six children. Our oldest Jordan is currently serving a mission in Japan. Taya is 17, Lincoln is 15, Eliza is 12, Sadie is 9 and Jack is 7. We love the outdoors, hiking, hunting, and archery. Our kids love to participate in various sports including cross country, track, wrestling, and Lacrosse. In between the crazy, busy moments I am working on completing my bachelor's degree through WGU where I plan to get an elementary and special ed teaching degree.  David works for Jordan School District as a behavioral special ed teacher. I guess we are a family of educators, who mostly love the schedule! I also enjoy gardening, painting, and cooking in my non-existent free time. Nothing makes me happier and uplifts my soul more than listening to music! The majority of my callings have been serving in the primary, a place I love, and think is the best place to serve. There is nothing purer and more beautiful than the simple testimony of a child! They have helped teach me that the gospel is simple. If we follow Jesus Christ, remember we are a child of God, and continue on the covenant path by keeping our temple covenants we will be happy and be blessed. 

Deborah Johnson – Stake Primary 1st Counselor - I grew up in Grantsville.  I met my husband Leigh at a 2-week computer class for high school juniors held at BYU, and we were pen pals for 7 years before we got married.  We have 4 children, a son-in-law and 1 ½ grandchildren.  We moved from one side of the country to the other, and finally settled in Salem almost 15 years ago.  I am a full-time homemaker, and I love to garden, putter around the house, and collect stories and photos for family history.  I have had the chance to serve in Primary in various ways, but this is my first opportunity to serve in the stake.  I love getting to know so many wonderful people as we visit each ward. My absolute favorite thing is to hear the children sing.

Cindy Smith – Stake Primary 2nd Counselor - Rich and I have been married for 28 years and we have 10 children - 6 boys and 4 girls.  Our oldest 3 kids are married and we have 2 beautiful granddaughters.  We moved to Salem after 20 years in Spanish Fork and just celebrated our 4th year here in Salem.  I have been a stay at home mom since my oldest was born,  but in my spare time I enjoy being creative with crafting, home decorating, wedding planning, and more.  We have a lot of football players and cheer leaders in our home which keeps me hopping at all times! Rich and I love to travel, with and without kids and have loved every where we have ventured!  

Jennifer Groberg – Stake Primary Secretary

Becca Davies – Stake YW President  Becca was born and raised in Orem, Utah! She has been married to her husband, Dustin for 15 years and they have two sons! They moved to Salem 12 years ago. Becca has the best job in the world and works as a Corporate Travel Director! She plans and executes incentive trips for her company all around the world, and absolutely loves it! The majority of Becca's life is spent at the football field and rugby pitch watching her two son's play and her husband coach, and she wouldn't have it any other way! 

Hailey Weight – Stake YW 1st Counselor  Hi! I’m Hailey Weight! I grew up in Spanish Fork but my roots run deep here in Salem. My husband Clint and I have been married for almost 18 years and we’re the proud parents of four energetic boys. I am a work at home mom.  I run my own clothing business, which keeps me busy. When I find some free time I love going on adventures, cheering on my boys at their sports games, spending time outdoors, watching a good chick flick and crocheting beautiful things. I am so excited to be working with the young women. 

Sam Alexander – Stake YW 2nd Counselor  My name is Samantha Alexander and I’m married to the greatest man named Riley Alexander, we have 4 beautiful daughters that keep us on our toes! I work part time at our family owned company Dr. Christophers. And feel so blessed to be able to work with lots of my siblings and other family memebers. I love and cherish my time I get to be with my own and extended family as much as I can.

Lindsie Giles – Stake YW Secretary  My name is Lindsie Giles. I have been married to my husband Scott for 24 years and we have 5 children. We have lived in Salem for 5 years and we own and run Subway restaurants. I love caffeine, chocolate, and watching all sports!

Marty Adair - High Council  - Marty grew up in Mesa Arizona and served a mission in New York City.  His favorite areas were serving in the Bronx, Harlem, and Yonkers. After his mission he attended Southern Utah University, where he earned a degree in Construction Management. Over the years he has worked in many roles in construction, including owning his own business as a General Contractor. Before moving to Salem he built several homes in Cedar City and St George.  With over 25 years of experience in the construction, Marty currently works as an Estimator and Project Manager for Millhaven Homes, in Lindon Utah.

Marty and his wife Kindra Anderson Adair met when they were both a little older. (30 something). Kindra grew up in Salem and attended the Salem 7th ward. They have two sons, Bowen (14) and Winston (8), and a daughter, Stella (12), who is in heaven. Marty and his family have lived in Salem for 9 years. Marty enjoys the outdoors (fishing/hunting), music, sports, and cherishes time with Kindra and their boys.

Chad Balls - High Council  - Chad Balls has called Utah home for most of his life, with a memorable chapter spent in the South during his early years of marriage. With a love for homes, he began his studies in Pre-Architecture, then took a life-changing journey to serve a mission in Recife, Brazil. After returning, Chad completed his degree in Construction Management. 

While interning with a home builder in Georgia, Chad met his wife, Carole. They now have four kids and a playful dog named Georgia.

Chad has spent most of his adult life serving with the Young Men, with a short stints in Elders Quorum and Sunday School before his call to the High Council. He currently works with temples in Idaho and also provides home-building services. In his spare time, Chad enjoys listening to audiobooks, tackling projects around the house, camping, and spending time with his family

Abe Dietz - High Council - My name is Abe Dietz. My family moved to Woodland Hills, Utah when I was 5 years old and I

lived there until I got married. I married Jodi Nelson, from Salem, and we have lived in Salem for the past 30 years.

Jodi and I have (5) children – (3) boys and (2) girls. Currently (4) of our children are married and we enjoy having (5) grandchildren! We have loved raising our family here in Salem and value the kindness, encouragement, friendship and love that we receive from our friends and neighbors.

I have been involved with construction for the past 27 years. I currently am employed with Miller General Contractors in Provo, Utah. Over the years I have spent the majority of my time in commercial construction building schools, office buildings, banks, apartments and a few custom homes. I was the superintendent for the Salem Foothills Elementary school and would

walk to work because the project was literally in my backyard. I enjoy spending time with my family and being out in the yard - I love to pull weeds! Pulling weeds is a mindless exercise that allows me to unwind and not have to think about much while in

turn helping to make my yard look nice.

Kirk Doxey - High Council - I am the oldest of 3 children. I grew up in Springville and enjoyed growing up there playing athletics and enjoying the outdoors.

I served a Spanish Speaking Mission in Dallas Texas and after my mission I attended UVU playing baseball while earning my degree. It was through the athletic department that I met my wife to be Kayli as she was there playing volleyball. We  just celebrated our 15th anniversary. 

We have 4 children ranging from 11 to 3 years old. We enjoy our time as a family being outside at ball games, going to dance competitions, vacations at the beach, being on the mountain hunting and fishing. We have called Salem our home for almost 10 years and we have loved being here. We love our ward and stake and feel very blessed to live and be around such amazing neighbors and friends. 

Eric Dyches - High Council - Eric is married to Leslie Huntsman Dyches, and they’re blending their lives with eight children and one son-in-law. By day, he’s a human resources professional, but for fun, you’ll find him coaching his sons in basketball or spending quality time with family in the beautiful Fairview Canyon. Eric also loves making memories with Leslie attending country music concerts. 

Joshua Gruwell - High Council - My name is Josh Gruwell. I was born in Provo, Utah, in the late 1980s as the oldest of 4 children. My dad was a school teacher, and my mother stayed at home and raised me and my siblings. We didn’t have a lot of money, but we were a happy gospel-centered family. I grew up in Vernal, Utah, and moved to San Antonio, Texas, before starting high school. I got good grades and played sports in high school. 

My parents were diligent about teaching the gospel to me and my siblings, giving us a strong gospel foundation. Leading up to my mission, I read the Book of Mormon with a sincere heart and got a confirmation for myself that it was true. I learned German and served my mission in Frankfurt, Germany. My testimony and conversion deepened, and I gained a great love for the Savior and the wonderful people in Germany. After returning home, I attended Brigham Young University. I met my wife, Lauren, at the gym where I worked because she had a prompting to go there one evening, even though it was far away from her home. We got married in the Salt Lake Temple about 6 months later. Marrying Lauren was one of the best decisions I ever made; she is a wonderful woman. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance from BYU and started working in financial services. I ended up transitioning, however, to a career in sales at Vivint. 

Today, I manage sales teams in several states. I love what I do because I get to work with so many wonderful people. My parents and siblings all live in Utah today. We tragically lost my youngest sister when she was 20. She is our guardian angel now. Faith among my remaining siblings is mixed now, but we see each other often and are great friends. Lauren and I have been married now for 13 years and have 4 wonderful children between 5 and 11 years old. We are striving to teach our children the gospel. Studying the gospel is one of the things I love most. I hope to continue to learn and serve the rest of my life. 

Corey Long - High Council - I was born in Laramie, WY then moved to Denver, CO (Highlands Ranch) before the first grade and spent the remainder of my childhood there. I am the second of five kids and was raised in a loving, Christ centered home. We were all very busy with sports and other activities. I loved (and still do!) sports. Playing, watching, coaching, you name it. I am grateful for my childhood and my parents who worked hard to make it special. 

After high school, I went to Colorado State University for a few years then transferred to Utah Valley University to finish my Bachelor's degree in business. During this time, I met my soon-to-be wife, Amy. We married in 2009 in the Draper, Utah temple. I graduated shortly after and got a job in PIttsburgh, PA where we spent the next 11 years. Enough time to call Pittsburgh home. We moved to Salem in 2022 and we love it. We have 4 kids and a dog. All of the kids are active in sports, school, dance, music, etc. Home life is very busy and we wouldn't have it any other way. 

Professionally, I am a corporate pilot flying business jets for a wonderful company. Currently flying a Praetor 600 and Citation CJ3. Greatest job in the world.

In addition to being in the sky, the mountains are my home away from home. I love spending time outdoors. Backcountry backpacking is my favorite. Taking off into the mountains for a week with a couple rations of food, no cell phone, and a hope and a prayer that I make it out alive. I love it.  

I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. It has transformed my life. I would not be the person that I am today and without my Savior. I am grateful to serve Him in any calling

Ken Meads - High Council

Clint Nye  - High Council/ Stake YM President - Clint's family joined the church in Australia in 1856. This remarkable story involved having great faith in the restored gospel, the family being separated for most of the journey, sailing to the wrong continent, being held captive by a gang of horse thieves with the threat of death looming each day, and walking more than 10,000 total miles before finally settling in Ogden.  

By the time Clint was born, his parents had settled in Rexburg, Idaho, where he grew up with six brothers and a sister. He loved everything outdoors and sports and spent far too many hours playing basketball.  

He served a mission in Michigan. While there, his family moved to American Fork. He thought leaving Idaho was unforgivable, but here he is, 24 years later, an official Utahn and loving it.  He met his wife, Crystal, while she was playing basketball at Weber State. Years later, after she'd spent a couple of years playing ball in Europe, they reconnected and were married and later sealed in the Bountiful Temple.

They have six wonderful children: Chenielle, a senior and anxious to serve a mission, Victor, a sophomore who's a superb listener and loyal, Lauren, in 8th grade, who loves everyone and has a heart of gold, Calvin in 5th grade, who's a quiet, humble giant of faith, Taya in 2nd grade, who just got baptized and loves all things spiritual, and Everly After, who's eager for kindergarten next year, loves making friends, especially boys, and keeps us all smiling.

Clint has been blessed more than he can describe, in ways that have helped him turn to the Lord. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, and His gospel are truly the most important things in his life and his favorite topic of discussion. He could enjoy a discussion about the Second Coming all day.

He is grateful for any chance to work with others and grow in the gospel. He is so grateful for this community, which he considers sacred, and all the many shining examples that bless the lives of him and his family.

Michael Parker - High Council/Sunday School President - I am originally from Green River, Wyoming. I am the middle of three children. After high school I attended BYU for a year before heading out on a mission to Belem, Brazil. I loved serving the people in the northern part of Brazil near the Amazon. After returning I continued my studies in Illustration at BYU. I met my wife Mary in the illustration program in 2003 and we were married in 2004. We also graduated that year together with BFAs in Illustration. We are both artists, though Mary is adding nutrition as a career option. I have been freelancing and working with various companies as an illustrator. We moved to Laguna Niguel for two years so I could get my MFA in painting. We returned upon graduation, and I started adjunct teaching at BYU and UVU. I have been at both places for over 14 years and recently started a full-time position for BYU with the Center for Animation. I teach drawing and design. During all this time we started a family and have been raising three girls and a boy. Our oldest is serving in Seoul South, South Korea. I still work as a freelance illustrator and have shown work as a fine artist over the years. We moved into the stake in 2020 after building our own home with the Self-Help USDA home building program.

Michael Ricks - High Council -  I was born in Idaho, but my family moved to Fremont California in 1968 when I was eight years

old. I grew up there, sailing, snow and water skiing and enjoying almost any sport that involved a ball, particularly basketball, golf and tennis. As a young teenager, I was less-active, but when I was sixteen, through the good examples and love of many wonderful people, was drawn back to the church. I was able to gain a testimony and have never looked back. I have a great love for the scriptures and faith that my Heavenly Father always answers prayers. I served a mission to Sapporo, Japan and attended BYU, where I studied political science. While going to school, I worked in the hotel business where I met my wife, Kathryn Lundquist. After a very short courtship, we were married in 1983. After living in Provo for two years, we moved back to Fremont in 1985. In 1989 We moved to Southern California with our three daughters, then in 2003, to Salem after adding two sons to the family. Since that time, all of our children have become adults, chosen to live close by and have given us four grandchildren. We are truly blessed. I have worked in the fire sprinkler business since 1985. I am currently self-employed, running a small fire sprinkler design and consulting firm. My priority has always been being a good father and provider and serving the Lord in His church. I have coached a lot of youth softball and baseball, read all the Doctor Seuss books countless times. I have served in the elder’s quorum, the primary, the young men’s organization, as a temple ordinance worker, and have served several stake missions, including one as a newly activated young priest when I was 17 years old. I have also found great joy in the temple. As a busy young couple raising a family, temple worship was not something Kath and I did as much as we should have. However, since the opening of the Payson Temple, we have made a concerted effort to attend as much as possible. We also have become committed to family history. Despite all four of our family lines being members of the church since the pioneer days, by taking advantage of the millions of newly indexed records, my wife and I have added over 15,000 people to our family tree. I like to brag that I found at least twenty of them. As we have had the opportunity to do this work, every aspect of our lives has been enriched. As I have gotten older and less spry, I have given up sailing, skiing, golf and participating in most sports beyond watching BYU football and basketball. I say I have taken up fly fishing, but really, all I do is go to very beautiful places and play in the water while losing $40 worth of flies. My wife and I have taken up Jeeping. We love getting together with friends and driving very slowly on bumpy roads through very beautiful places. We also like to camp (in a very comfortable bed in a fully equipped RV), again, in very beautiful places. Mostly we just enjoy spending time together in our home and beautiful places, especially with our friends and family.

Matthew Wride - High Council - I live in the Cherry Ridge Ward, not far from the City's cemetery. I married Michal Lee, daughter of Blaine and Shawny Lee. She mostly grew up in the Salem 6th Ward. I am originally from North Ogden, Utah, and Michal and I met at BYU. I served a mission to Lisbon, Portugal, and Cape Verde, Africa. We have 3 daughters and 2 sons. I am a partner in an HR technology company in Springville, where I manage the operations. My favorite TV shows are Bluey, Studio C, and Phineas and Ferb.