#EM2019 – CC Question – Introduction

I was born and raised in West Valley City, UT. At a young age I discovered a love for technology and media. I enjoyed playing Volleyball in junior high and high school, and worked part-time throughout high school while still remaining accomplished in school. After high school, I served as a missionary for my church in Milwaukee, WI where my wife, Adelle, and I met. We dated once we returned home and were married in 2008. I studied both Information Technology and Digital Media, culminating in graduating Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s of Science in Digital Media from Utah Valley University. While working for a small IT company for nearly a decade, I transitioned from implementations into software development. I‘m a .NET developer working for a start-up that handles inventory management for Ford and Lincoln dealers. My wife, Adelle, and I have lived in Logan, West Valley, and Kearns, before settling in Eagle Mountain in July of 2014. We have one little boy, Levi, who is nearly 4 years old. I currently serve on the Eagle Mountain City Council and have been for nearly 4 years (one term). I would love the opportunity to continue for another term. Adelle and I moved to Eagle Mountain in July of 2014. We were drawn here because of the tight-knit community feel as well as the suburban/rural balance which offers both the conveniences of everyday life while still being somewhat removed from the big city. I love the open spaces, outdoor recreation, variety of lifestyle options, and low taxes.

I have been married for almost 21 years to my wife Heidi. We have 4 children, Kaitlin 19(a graduate of Westlake with honors, and currently in Brazil serving a mission), Cameron 17 (playing football at Westlake as a senior), Kortney 15 (on Westlake, and now Cedar Valley Dance Company) and Kelsey 13 (has been involved in school plays, and dance). Although I’d love to take all the credit for how good they are, it’s been a team effort with Heidi being instrumental in our kids’ success. We love being together, and support each other in all our passions. I have run multiple successful businesses, including trucking, excavating, guiding hunting excursions, Real Estate, Rodeo and others. I’m currently in the hunting, Rodeo and trucking businesses. I’ve volunteered on almost every city board in Eagle Mountain, plus church service. I’m Currently serving on the Planning Commission and Cemetery Board, as well as a Webelos leader. I am probably the only candidate that can say I was here even before Eagle Mountain. I was farming most of the ground that is now Eagle Mountain. I grew up in Lehi, so at first back in 1997, to find my wife! (She was in Eagle Mountain) Then like most, it was very affordable in the early years. But now, almost 22 years later, because it’s the best. We have the best of all worlds, and lack very little. It’s close to big cities with jobs and airports, yet far enough away to be quite with open space and clean air. It’s perfect here.

I live in Eagle Mountain with my wife, Jenna, and our Daughter, Remy. Jenna and I married in 2014 and Jenna gave birth to Remy in 2016. We live in City Center. I have lived in Utah my entire life. For the past nine years I have worked for the State of Utah at the Department of Public Safety’s Driver License Division. Before this I worked at a supply house that sold plumbing, waterworks, and irrigation products. I love Utah and our home in Eagle Mountain. When I am not working I spend most of my time with my family. I enjoy technology, video games, and woodworking, but reserve my time for my family. We will have lived in Eagle Mountain for two years this coming August. I have always liked Eagle Mountain since delivering irrigation parts to some of the only homes in the area at the time, 2002. In 2017 Jenna encouraged me to start looking for a house instead of renting. We each did our independent searches and the very first house we each found is the house we ended up in. We love the area and the people that we live around.

My name is Rich Wood. My wife and I have been married for 12 years and have 3 kids Whitney, Damon and Dawson. I grew up in Murray, Utah. I have served in the communities that I have lived in through coaching youth soccer for 10 years, ute conference football for 15 years, 2 years as a Murray High school football coach. I serve in my church and have served on the Eagle Mountain planning commission for almost 2 years My family and I moved out here in 2013, after I sold a few homes in City Center. We were really impressed as we drove through the ranches area and loved the feeling we had here. I loved seeing kids out playing everywhere we looked. The neighbors were extremely welcoming and helpful. It made me want to reach out as well.

I grew up in Lehi. I am the oldest of eight children, and have lived in Utah County most of my life. I have 4 children and 7 grandchildren. All, but one grandson, live in Eagle Mountain, so I have a personal motivation to make Eagle Mountain a great place for my children and grandchildren. I have worked at the same company for 29 years. It is now seven times the size it was when I started. As a member of the leadership team, I have developed systems and reporting to facilitate that growth. I have the key role of analyzing data to guide company decisions and direction. I believe that these skills would be beneficial on the city council. I am majoring in political science and was able to work as an intern with the state legislature in 2019. 574 bills were passed in 45 days, all intended to have positive effects for Utahns. This experience inspired me to get involved now and be part of positive changes that can be made here in Eagle Mountain. I have lived in Eagle Mountain for six years. Before that I lived in six other cities so I can compare Eagle Mountain to my favorite parts of those cities. I love that Eagle Mountain is close to Lehi where I grew up. That proximity makes it feel like home. It has a wonderful system of walking trails like those that I loved in Cedar Hills. It also has great parks and landscaping like Portland, Oregon. But it has every other place beat for beautiful views and wide, open spaces. I chose Eagle Mountain because it combines all my favorite things in one place.

I wrote this in the third person for the Utah candidate profile page and am copy/pasting it here. For the record I don’t normally write in third person 🙂 Ben Porter was born in Murray, Utah and has since lived and visited all over the state. For the last couple of years Ben has lived in Eagle Mountain with his wife Vanessa and their five kids. After graduating high school, Ben joined the U.S. Air Force and served on active duty for four years, including two overseas tours of duty as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After completing a four-year active duty term, Ben entered the Utah Air National Guard where he served for an additional few years. Ae an engineer, Ben has been active in the rapidly growing tech startup community of Utah. While tech can make our lives amazing and provides fertile ground for innovation, it is important to handle the economic externalities caused by it, particularly the tendency for housing costs to skyrocket. Politics and philosophy have been areas of interest for Ben for all of his adult life, particularly around liberty. While individual issues are varied and often quite nuanced, the general principle that Ben believes is that things should be done at the lowest/most local level as possible. If you are ever bored, Ben is also always up for a discussion about political contractarianism. Ben would love to talk more with you! Email ben@benporterforcitycouncil.com, find on Facebook, one of the meet & greets at the park, or we can schedule a time to grab a soda together. More information including meet & greet time/locations are available at https://benporterforcitycouncil.com/. I have lived here for two years. Initially we moved here because I took a job in Thanksgiving Point Park in Lehi, and we have always been “small-town” people. Eagle Mountain we hoped would be far enough away from Lehi that it would have a small town feel but close enough that the commute is not a nightmare. Now having been here for a couple of years, we love Eagle Mountain. There’s definitely a small-town feel here. The community is also great! My kids have found many friends and the other families have been very warm toward us.

I was born and raised in Boise, ID. My father, a dentist, grew up in Provo, UT and my mother, a schoolteacher, grew up in Twin Falls, ID. After serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Paris, France, I decided to move to Utah, eventually settling in Eagle Mountain. I currently work as an account manager at the Bullfrog Spas factory in Bluffdale, Utah. Some of my family first moved to Eagle Mountain in 2009. I purchased my first home in Eagle Mountain in 2017. Eagle Mountain is home for me because of its people—friends, family and neighbors.

My name is Kaden Shumway, I have been happily married to my wife Chloe for four years. We have a very energetic two year old daughter, and we are expecting a son in August.Before I met my wife I served an LDS mission in Sydney Australia. I work for a commercial framing company called Utopia Construction that I have been with for over three years. I was in the Air Force for a short time but was medically discharged, I tried to get back in but I have been permanently disqualified from serving. So instead I have stuck with construction, I work for a great company I have learned a lot and I have grown to love building, I make a good living to provide for my family. I have lived in Eagle Mountain for over a year now and I am glad to call it home. I live in city center, I love the small town feel and the beautiful open land and valleys.