SALT LAKE CITY — Utah senators gave final approval Wednesday to appointing Stan Lockhart to fill a vacancy on the Utah State Board of Education.
Lockhart was nominated by Gov. Gary Herbert earlier this month to take the place of Mark Openshaw, who was killed last month with his wife and two of their children in a Missouri plane crash.
Lockhart's appointment was upheld Tuesday by the Senate Education Confirmation Committee prior to final approval by the full Senate Wednesday.
"This is, I think, a difficult meeting for some people. We lost Mark Openshaw, who was a friend and a colleague and a leader with our State School Board," committee chairwoman Sen. Ann Millner, R-Ogden, said Tuesday. "It's always difficult to take this next step and think about reappointment, but it's also very important to our children and to our leadership in terms of the State School Board."
Lockhart, husband of the late former House Speaker Becky Lockhart, is currently the government affairs manager at IM Flash Technologies and has been involved extensively with various science, technology, engineering and math education initiatives across the state.
Justin Jones, executive director of Prosperity 2020 and Education First, said Stan Lockhart has been a "tireless advocate" in helping prepare students for the workforce after high school and college.
"His impact on STEM will be felt for decades to come in this community," Jones said. "His personal passion for education is easily seen, and (he) has lent his voice in support of education, representing both his employer and employers across the state."
Lockhart said he was friends with Openshaw and that he hopes to serve with a similar passion for the success of students.
"I'm very focused on what is it that we want out of public education, what is the profile of the typical graduate that we want to have," Lockhart said. "I want to help our kids dream big and achieve their hopes and dreams."
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