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Lehi 2 Board appoints Jacob White as executive director, chair delegated to negotiate salary
Summary
The Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Plan 2 Retirement Board voted to appoint Jacob White as executive director effective April 1, 2026, and delegated authority to the board chair to negotiate a salary within the board’s adopted range; the appointment is contingent on a successful salary negotiation.
The Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Plan 2 Retirement Board voted June 18 to appoint Jacob White as executive director effective April 1, 2026, and delegated authority to the board chair to negotiate a salary within the board’s established range, with the final agreement to be reported back to the board for approval.
Board staff had identified succession planning as the board’s top priority for 2025. Karen Durant, staff to the board, told members that Director Steve Nelson announced his last day will be March 31 and that the board has “just over 9 months to appoint and transition a new executive director, ideally to be effective April first of 2026.”
The board considered two paths: an open external recruitment and an internal appointment. Durant outlined advantages and disadvantages of each, including cost estimates for retained and contingent searches and the risk that an external search could lengthen the transition. Several board members argued institutional knowledge and existing stakeholder relationships weighed in favor of an internal appointment.
A motion to appoint Jacob White as executive director, effective April 1, 2026, with salary negotiation authority delegated to the board chair, was made and seconded; the board approved the motion by voice vote. The board also clarified that the appointment is contingent on successful salary negotiation and that the negotiated salary will be presented for board approval at a future meeting.
Board discussion referenced legal advice sought from the Attorney General’s office about appointment authority and discrimination-risk mitigation. Durant said the AG’s office advised that the board has the authority to make a direct appointment and identified risk scenarios to mitigate, which the board addressed during discussion.
Members who spoke in favor cited continuity, existing working relationships with staff and stakeholders, and the practical benefit of a shorter transition period. No formal roll-call vote was taken in the transcript; the motion passed on a voice vote. The board instructed the chair to negotiate salary within the adopted range and return to the full board with the proposed terms for final approval.
