Executive Board

Grant Cotterell is the Principal of Canyon View Junior High School in Orem, Utah, a role he’s held since 2022. Before that, he served as assistant principal at Canyon View for three years and at American Fork Junior High for five years. He started his career teaching Spanish and history at American Fork Junior. Grant earned his bachelor’s degree in history teaching from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree in Administration from Southern Utah University. He enjoys working with students and staff to create a positive, consistent school environment and believes small daily habits make the biggest difference. Outside of school, he likes skiing, trail running, reading in his hammock, and watching sports with his kids. He lives in Lehi with his wife, Becky—who is a nurse and currently in school to become a nurse practitioner—and their three kids.

Ryan McGuire is the Principal of Salem Hills High School. He was the Principal of Mt. Nebo Middle School when he was awarded the UASSP Middle School Principal of the Year in 2020. Mr. McGuire received his bachelor’s degree in history from Brigham Young University in 2000 and a master’s degree in Education Administration from Southern Utah University in 2007. Mr. McGuire served as Principal of Springville Junior High for five years and as Assistant Principal of Payson High for five years. He also was as an assistant principal of Payson Junior High. As a teacher, he taught Spanish and history at Spanish Fork High and Spanish Fork Middle School. He also coached basketball throughout his teaching career, including being the head coach for the girls’ varsity basketball team at Spanish Fork High. Ryan enjoys spending time outdoors and fishing of any kind. He is married to Trudy and they have four children. They reside in Spanish Fork, Utah.

After 20 years as a high school teacher and athletic coach, Shauna Haney became an assistant principal at a junior high in 2015. She moved to Ogden High School in 2018 and took over as principal in 2020. Shauna is a dedicated instructional leader who takes great pride in serving the Ogden High community. She firmly believes that hiring the right people and placing them in the right roles is critical for student success. Under her leadership, the team has focused on streamlining processes, creating a collaborative professional development plan, retaining teachers and staff, and amplifying student voice. These efforts have built a positive school culture where both students and teachers thrive and feel a sense of belonging.

Adam Thompson is the principal of Fairfield Junior High School in Kaysville. He began his career teaching science in both junior high and high school, where he also coached basketball and track. He later served as an assistant principal at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels in Davis School District before becoming principal of Fairfield Junior High. Adam believes that one of the keys to success in education is getting a little better each day at what we do. He enjoys working with students and staff to create a positive school culture where every student can learn and succeed. Outside of school, he enjoys spending time outdoors fishing and skiing, attending his children’s athletic events, and traveling with his family.

Braxton Bateman attended Southern Utah University where he received his Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Elementary Education along with his Administrative, Reading, and Technology Endorsements. After SUU, Bateman started his education path as a teacher at Washington Elementary School and then served as a Title-I Site Coordinator.  Bateman moved to Kanab to become the elementary principal at Kanab Elementary School and served as the principal for six years.  He is now currently working as the principal of Kanab Middle School and oversees district program positions.

Randall Seltz grew up near Detroit, Michigan. After studying secondary education at Western Michigan University, he moved to Utah to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming an English teacher. Randall spent seven years teaching English at the middle and high school levels. After moving into teacher leadership roles, he earned his Master’s in Educational Leadership from the University of Utah. Since 2017, he’s worked as an Assistant Principal in Canyons School District at various middle schools. When not at school, Randall enjoys trail running, reading, and exploring Utah’s many canyons and mountains. 

 I just finished year 28 in public education.  I have been a History and Health Teacher, Student Government Advisor, Assistant Principal High School, and a Principal at both the Middle and High School Levels.  My involvement in student leadership began at Hillcrest High School.  I was appointed to UASSP as the UASC Executive Director in 2007.  I serve with a national organization (NASSCED)  with executive directors from all over the country.  I served as Vice-President and President of NASSCED and as a board member.  Our purpose is to collaborate, plan and guide student leaders.  I am a firm believer that students must be engaged and anchored at their schools by SOMETHING.  I encourage our student leaders to facilitate and support those SOMETHINGS!  Currently, I serve as a Program Administrator in External Relations for Canyons School District.

Jason is a dynamic professional who continues to put the success of students at the forefront of his work. He incorporates innovation in his leadership decisions. With 9 years of experience in education and 3 years in the field of Finance, Jason has consistently demonstrated a remarkable ability to drive growth and foster a culture of excellence within his teams. Jason’s career began in the finance industry after graduating from SUU. After 3 years working with Fortune 500 companies, he went back to school and started his education journey. He taught Social Studies at Lehi HS, then earned his Master’s in Educational Leadership from BYU. Jason is passionate about his family. He is married to his sweetheart Angela and they have 4 children. If he is not working, Jason loves to spend time with his family. Jason believes that through the service of others, we find happiness and joy within ourselves, which provides a perfect balance to his professional life. He loves to be involved in community service projects and continues to serve his neighborhood through various projects. He resides in Saratoga Springs where he cherishes time with family and friends.

Quinn Kellis, Ed.D., represents the Utah State Board of Education in his role as Leadership Development Coordinator. He is also the lead administrator for State Online Education Program (SOEP), school accreditation, concurrent enrollment, and administrator standards and licensing. Dr. Kellis is a former Superintendent from Arizona with 32 years of K-12 experience.

Karen is a seasoned educator with a 40-year career dedicated to shaping young minds. For the past five years, she has served as the principal of Manti HS. Prior to her tenure at Manti High, Karen spent a decade as an elementary principal. Driven by her fervent passion for leadership, Karen thrives in fostering connections and building meaningful relationships. As a true people person, she believes in the power of
community and collaboration to drive positive change in education. Beyond her professional endeavors, Karen finds joy in her role as a loving spouse to Korry Soper and a proud parent to four children,
extending her legacy to 14 cherished grandchildren. Her commitment to educational excellence extends beyond her school’s walls, as evidenced by her role as the Vice Chair on Snow College’s board of
trustees. Additionally, Karen has served as a dedicated facilitator for the Principal’s Partnership Network (PPN) for the past four years. Karen is a former member of the UHSAA executive committee and her
specialization in sportsmanship for regions 12 and 14 underscore her dedication to fostering a culture of integrity and fair play in school athletics.

Ken Rowley is currently in his 4th year as principal of Alta High School. He began working in Canyons School District at Corner Canyon where he was an assistant principal for 6 months. Prior to working in Canyons, Ken worked in the Juab School District for 26 years where he taught Spanish and History for 11 years at Juab High School. In 2005 he was moved to Juab Jr. High School as the Principal where he was instrumental in the successful implementation of many innovations such as Personalized Competency Based Learning and Standards Referenced Grading. He served on the UASSP Executive Board, the Utah Teaching Standards Committee, the Utah Educator Leadership Standards Committee and as a Facilitator for the Principal Partnership Professional Development in the Central Utah Region.

Jonathan Howell is a proud “Cache Valley” boy and graduate of Utah State University…Go Aggies! He just finished his 31st year in education, and has served as an administrator, teacher, and head baseball coach. He is currently the Principal at Water Canyon High School in Hildale, Utah. His wife Terri is also a life-long educator, and is the principal at Snow Canyon Middle School. Together they have 3 children and 8 grandchildren.

Matthew Patterson has enjoyed every minute of his 23 years in education, holding roles such as Science Teacher, Assistant Principal, Curriculum Specialist, and Principal for the past eight years. Most recently it has been his honor and privilege to open Mountain View Jr High in West Haven. Go Mavericks! Known for his “intentional” leadership, Matthew is deeply passionate about nurturing and supporting students and staff and finds joy in seeing their success. This is driven by his belief that every person deserves a name, a face, a voice, and a purpose. At the heart of his leadership lies an unwavering belief in the power of relationships. He tirelessly connects with students and staff, fostering a sense of belonging and empowerment, and creating a shared commitment to student success. It is spending time and having experiences with his family that recharge the batteries to tackle the never-boring adventure of Junior High!

Daren Ward grew up in Cache Valley and graduated from Sky View High School. Daren has taught PE/Health at every grade level from K-12, with stops at Legacy Traditional School, Fort Herriman Middle School, and Westlake High School. He enjoyed coaching basketball and track, and values the relationships he built with his athletes. In 2018, he transitioned into administration as a Teacher on Administrative Assignment at Westlake High School. The following year, he helped launch Cedar Valley High School as an Assistant Principal. Since 2022, he has served as Assistant Principal at Skyridge High School in Lehi. Outside of school, you will likely find him spending time with his wife, Jenn, cheering on his three daughters in tennis and cheer, or rooting for BYU football and basketball.

Josh is committed to education and passionate about serving those in alternative and adult education. With experience from K-Post-Secondary Training, Joshua has experience throughout the continuum of education. One area of educational leadership which remains consistent throughout is providing instruction to those in alternative placements. Joshua has found the tools associated with Motivational Interviewing as a key strategy in helping teachers evoke their latent potential as well as practicing Facial Action Coding to help identify those students suffering from trauma and Multi-Language Learners who are unable to verbally express their emotions. Josh received his Administration and Educational Leadership M. Ed at the University of Virginia. He has and continues to serve on many Boards in Utah. Some of those include: Utah’s Governor’s Refugee Advisory Board, Member of the Ballpark Neighborhood Community Council, Coalition of Adult Basic Education, Chairperson of Utah State Board of Education’s Adult Education Advisory Committee, and President of the Adult Education Association of Utah.

Melissa grew up in Sandy, Utah, she lived in the Jordan School District. She attended Sunrise Elementary, Indian Hills Middle School, and graduated from Alta High School. She attended Snow College where she served as the student body president and then graduated from the University of Utah in Environmental Science. While at the U of U she served as the senior class president. She and her husband, Cary, lived 7 years in Missouri while Cary completed medical school. Upon returning to Utah, in 2003, they settled in Gunnison, Utah. In 2005, Melissa started and established a student leadership program at Gunnison Valley High School. Within two years the district saw the value in the program and hired her to create the curriculum, teach, and advise the student leaders. Additionally, over the past 17 years, Melissa worked for the district running the work-based learning program, as well as the AmeriCorps program. In 2018, she felt an urgency to get her Masters-degree. She received a Masters in Leadership from WGU. Upon completing
her Masters, she was hired as the assistant principal of Gunnison Valley High School in 2020. Melissa loves the youth and counts working with them as one of her biggest blessings in life. Helping them see and reach their full potential is one of her greatest joys. She is a proud mom of her 4 boys- Preston, Payton, Parker and Pearson. She loves spending time with them and her husband.

Julie Barlow grew up working in her family’s printing business, where she learned lessons about customer service, hard work, and meeting deadlines that have influenced her throughout her career.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in English Teaching from Weber State University and began her teaching career in 1993 at Green River High School, where she learned many of her most valuable lessons as an educator. She later returned to Davis School District to teach English and advise yearbook at Layton High School, her alma mater. In 2008, she earned a master’s degree in English from Weber State University.

After 24 years in the classroom, Julie earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from Western Governors University and transitioned into school administration. She served as an assistant principal at both Northridge and Layton High Schools before becoming the Davis School District Humanities Director. In that role, she helped lead the district’s implementation of the science of reading and collaborated with educators across Davis County.

Inspired by the exceptional elementary leaders she worked alongside, Julie found her next calling in elementary education. In 2025, she became principal of Woods Cross Elementary, where she is proud to serve students, staff, and families.

Outside of school, Julie enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and running… when she still has the energy.

Rhonda has been an educator for 31 years. As a teacher, she taught Social Studies and Physical Education. She loved being an advisor and coach of many extra-curricular activities. After being a high school assistant principal, she worked as the Public Relations Director for Alpine School District and then as the principal of Lone Peak High School for several years. At the district level, she was a Secondary Supervisor and then an Assistant Superintendent. She is excited to serve as the new Executive Director of UASSP. She married her high school sweetheart, Reed, and they have six children and two perfect grandchildren. She loves spending time with her family and doing anything outdoors.