Senate committee advances two nominees to Salt Lake Community College board

The Senate Education Committee voted to forward Arthur Newell and Don Sterling to the full Senate with favorable recommendations for Salt Lake Community College’s Board of Trustees. Arthur Newell, who described decades of involvement with technical and higher education boards and a long career in commercial banking, told senators he has repeatedly worked on governance issues and referenced the board-level decision process for the Dixie State name change as an example of making difficult but necessary choices. Don Sterling, executive director of the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation, emphasized career- and trade-focused education, storytelling to raise awareness of college pathways, and the use of community “navigators” to help underserved students register and persist. Committee members asked about outreach to students who do not see themselves as eligible for college and about ways to reduce barriers to registration. Sterling described programs the foundation supports, including Proxima with the University of Utah and funded partnerships with Snow College, and said navigators who work one‑on‑one in neighborhoods help prospective students through enrollment steps. No public opponents appeared; the committee recorded unanimous voice votes to forward both nominees to the full Senate. The committee’s recommendations are procedural steps; final appointment requires full Senate confirmation.