Snow College Alumni Council
Melissa Lowry Judy - President
Melissa Lowry Judy, a dedicated leader deeply rooted in the rich heritage of Sanpete County, where her ancestors settled Manti in the early 1800s. Their legacy of devotion, faith, sacrifice, and service has instilled in Melissa a profound commitment to giving back to her community.
A proud product of Snow College, Melissa credits the institution as a transformative stepping stone in her educational journey. Graduating from Alta High School in 1989, she received her associates degree from Snow College in 1991, followed by a degree from the University of Utah in 1993, and her Masters from Western Governors University in 2020. Her start at Snow College not only provided her with academic excellence but also opened doors to opportunities that shaped her future.
Melissa is married to Dr. Cary Judy, a respected family practice physician from Gunnison, Utah, and together they cherish their four sons, who are the very heart and joy of their lives. Family holds the utmost importance to Melissa, and she finds fulfillment in actively participating in school, church, and community service initiatives.
Driven by a passion for serving others, Melissa has been an influential figure in various capacities. She played a pivotal role in establishing The Community of Hope, a humanitarian non-profit organization delivering medical aid to the Dominican Republic. Additionally, she has served as a Gunnison City Councilman. Currently she is the Assistant Principal at Gunnison Valley High School, and the State Executive Director of the Utah Association of Student Councils.
With over 20 years of experience in education and leadership roles, Melissa's commitment to service and passion for education make her an invaluable asset to the Snow College Alumni Council. As a former student body president at Snow College and Senior Class president at the University of Utah, she brings a wealth of experience and insight to her new role as the alumni president.
Melissa is known for her forward-thinking approach, tackling challenges head-on, and fostering collaboration to achieve maximum results. Her dedication, work ethic, and willingness to embrace new opportunities underscore her commitment to enhancing education and utilizing her talents to their fullest potential. As she embarks on this new chapter, Melissa is fully committed to serving her alma mater and the community she holds dear with unwavering dedication and passion
David Dyches - Vice President
David Dyches, a 1984 Snow College graduate, has a diverse professional background and currently serves as the Deputy Director for State of Utah Government Operations. His extensive experience includes roles in aviation program development, HR outsourcing, and quality management. David's connection to Snow College spans decades, from attending basketball games in the 1970s to graduating as a first-generation college student and later working at Snow. He continues to support the institution through donations and advocacy, recognizing its transformative impact on his life and career. His dedication to Snow College as an alum and a parent exemplifies his deep appreciation for the institution and its role in shaping the future.
David was raised in Sanpete County, Utah, and graduated from Gunnison Valley High School. He earned his Associate Degree in Business at Snow in 1984, followed by a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and an MBA from the University of Utah. After graduating, he was employed by Shell Oil Company in human resources. He later became part-owner of Employer Solutions Group (ESG), a large HR consulting firm headquartered in Provo. After ESG was acquired, he served as the HR Director at Snow College for five years. He then worked as the Deputy Director in the Aviation Department at Southern Utah University and currently serves as the Deputy Director for the State of Utah Department of Government Operations.
David is the father of Logan, who graduated from Snow in 2017. He currently resides in Washington, Utah
Mark Coombs
Mark grew up in Fountain Green and spent those years working on the family farm. Attending Snow College was a fantastic experience and one that he will always treasure. He had the opportunity to meet many friends and was taught by some of the best professors. After Snow College, Mark went to the University of Utah to complete his education. He has spent his career working in the medical profession and currently works for Abbott as a Technical Consultant. As a consultant, he has the opportunity to travel and work with other people which gives him the opportunity to talk about Snow College. During his career, he has served as Vice President and President of USCLS twice, IMSS Chairman, and has been on the Board of Directors of other organizations. Mark believes that no matter what you do, you need to give back to your community, schools and to those that have helped you be successful.
Mark has been happily married to the former Karla Merrell for 38 years, who also was a Snow College graduate. Karla says they first met at Snow College, but Mark cannot remember the meeting since it was at night when he was watching MASH, his favorite show. But they did get engaged the night of the final MASH episode. They have four children, three that attended Snow College. He has convinced many other people to attend Snow College because it is the best school in the country, with small class sizes and a place where you are an individual and not just a number. He believes that the most successful people started their careers at Snow College. Mark currently is the Mayor of Fountain Green and serves as a Branch President.
Chad Cox
Chad Cox was raised in Ephraim and graduated from Snow College in 1998. He continued his education at Brigham Young University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree, and later obtained a medical degree from Penn State University. Following this, he completed a pediatric residency at Primary Children’s Hospital. Afterward, he and his wife Abbi moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he finished a fellowship with the Epidemic Intelligence Service at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He worked as a medical epidemiologist at the CDC for three years, frequently traveling to assist with projects in Africa and Southeast Asia. Chad also has a strong interest in global children’s health and has volunteered with the LDS church, teaching neonatal resuscitation in Africa. Chad and Abbi have four young children and currently reside in Utah County, where he works as a pediatrician at Alpine Pediatrics.
Chad thoroughly enjoyed his time at Snow College and often mentions that his favorite years of schooling were the two years he spent earning an associate’s degree in Ephraim. His father Neal worked in various roles at Snow and left a lasting legacy of service that his children cherish.
Mike Durham
Born and raised in a traditional Utah household, Mike Durham was taught to value higher education, as both his father and grandfather earned PhD degrees and worked at the University of Utah. After high school, Mike received scholarships in student government and theater/speech at Snow College. During his time at Snow, he ran for and was elected as a student body officer.
After a two-year mission in England, he returned to Utah and completed a bachelor of science degree at the University of Utah, majoring in organizational communication and minoring in sociology. Mike has been married for 33 years and is the father of 4 and grandfather of 2.
For over 25 years, Mike has worked in the field of Human Resources Management. Currently, he serves as the Vice President of HR for the Transportation Sector of Sterling Construction Company. In this role, he oversees the entire HR function for 750+ employees across 5 states, managing operations with an annual revenue of $500 million.
Mike enjoys working with others and giving back where possible. In addition to his involvement with the Snow College Alumni, he has chaired the AGC Heavy Civil Apprenticeship Committee for over ten years.
Valerie Evans
Valerie was raised in Parowan, UT and is married to Matt Evans. She is the mother of 5 wonderful kids. Valerie attended Snow College from 1996-1998, and then graduated from Southern Utah University with a major in Interpersonal Communications and a minor in Psychology. She served as an Ambassador at both Snow College and SUU. After college, Valerie moved to Chicago, IL, where she worked for United Airlines at their headquarters for 5 years. Her love for traveling developed during this time, and she has since traveled to many different countries around the world. She enjoys experiencing different cultures and seeing more of our beautiful world! After becoming a mother, Valerie decided to dedicate herself full-time to raising her children and has found it to be the most challenging yet rewarding job.
Valerie loves people! Her ideal day involves connecting with others, with plenty of laughter. She is an avid reader, and her family teases her that her most frequently used phrase is "Have you read ----?" Valerie loves to serve others, and she also loves to dance. She has combined these passions by volunteering at the Senior Center, teaching a weekly dance class there for the last 5 years. She received an award for her community service in 2022. Valerie loves to be involved in any way she can and has also served on the PTA for the past 6 years. She's been very involved in church callings over the years and has served as Young Women President, Relief Society President, and is currently in the Stake Relief Society. She enjoys getting to know people in every aspect of her life.
Valerie has a deep love for Snow College and is excited to serve on the Alumni board.
Ali Fenlon
Ali Fenlon is a mother to three energetic girls and the wife of her high school sweetheart, Jeremy. She attended Snow College as an Ambassador from 2002 to 2004 and cherished every moment of her time there. The experiences she had while attending Snow College have profoundly shaped and molded her life. She proudly identifies as a lifelong Badger.
Ali runs a small interior design business, thriving on creating beautiful spaces for people to call home. She envisions and then creates.
She loves all people and considers rich relationships her life’s greatest accomplishment. To Ali, people are fascinating, and everyone has a beautiful story if you take the time to learn it.
Ali enjoys cheering on her kids at soccer games, horse shows, dance recitals, and in life. She believes they are wonderful kids who will achieve amazing things.
Ali looks forward to adding ideas, passion, unity, service, and enthusiasm to the council dynamic.
Mario Gonzalez
Mario Gonzalez attributes Snow College for jumpstarting his career and personal pursuits. It was at Snow where he discovered his passion for Civil Engineering and met the woman of his dreams. Mario, born in Toluca, Mexico, moved to the United States with his parents in 1988, settling in Richfield, Utah. Their family focused on education and raising their children as the central priorities.
After graduating from Richfield High School in 2000, Mario enrolled at Snow College to study Civil Engineering. He then served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Dallas, Texas. Upon his return to Snow College, he met Aja Tolley, and they got married in Logan, Utah. Mario continued his engineering studies at Utah State University while working at Utah Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP).
Currently, Mario works as a Project Manager for Sunrise Engineering in Richfield, Utah. Throughout his career, he has worked in the public sector for Salt Lake City and Pleasant Grove City, at a private engineering firm, and in the construction management sector for a paving contractor. After living in Pleasant Grove City for 13 years, Mario and his family moved to Richfield, where they have enjoyed the past 3 years. In addition to his professional endeavors, Mario runs a small bicycle maintenance shop in Richfield as a hobby, involving his wife and kids in the business to teach them about management. Mario has always been passionate about serving others and is enthusiastic about contributing to Snow College through the alumni council and supporting the success of the students, staff, and the institution.
Nicholas Hancock
Nicholas Hancock was born in Ogden and raised in South Jordan, UT. He graduated from Copper Hills High School in 1999 and then attended Snow College for a year before serving an LDS mission in Buenos Aires Argentina. During his first year, he was a part of the Snow College Ballroom Dance team. Following his mission, he returned to Snow and finished his associate of science degree in general studies in 2003. During that year, he volunteered with the Varsity Experience Team which gave him some wonderful experiences.
Next, he attended Weber State University and finally decided on a degree in health administrative service. During that time, he worked in a nursing home as a CNA and then at Ogden Regional Medical Center. While working at ORMC, he re-met Lynette, also a Snow College graduate, who was in his human anatomy class and lab group in 2000. They married in Manti and are proud parents of five children. Next, he attended the University of Scranton where he earned a master’s degree in health administration. He did an internship where he worked for St. Luke’s University Health Network. Nick and his family moved back to Utah in 2015 and spent the next three years in Logan working for Cache Valley Hospital before starting his current position as a Clinical Informatics Analyst for Intermountain Healthcare.
“I can honestly say that Snow College has given me almost everything I have today. The start of a great education, my wonderful wife and beautiful family, my career. I owe so much, and I am hoping to help others find their own path through Snow College.”
Maren Hirschi
Maren attended Snow College from 1995 to 1997 and served as the Activities Vice President for the 1996-1997 academic year. She completed her Bachelor's Degree at Utah State University and her Master's Degree in Social Work at the University of Utah. She has worked in various social work settings and currently teaches in the Family Life and Human Development Department at Southern Utah University.
Attending Snow College was one of the best decisions Maren ever made. She gained valuable life lessons and experiences that went beyond academics, including the importance of relationships and connections, which she believes are the foundations of a successful life. The most important thing she took away from Snow College was the confidence to be who she is, which has had a significant impact on her personal and professional life. She now works to support others in finding the same kind of confidence every day. Maren attributes who she is to her time at Snow College without a moment's hesitation.
Emilee Hunter
Emilee graduated from Snow College in 1997 and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from USU in Business Marketing. She then earned her Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Utah. She spent a large portion of her career working for a major general commercial contractor where she helped to develop and grow the business to be one of the strongest in the state of Utah. She was involved in several of the business logistics including office management, human resources, accounting, marketing, and business development. She later went on to own and operate her own business so she could continue to thrive professionally while raising her children. She and her husband are also very involved in agriculture and run a small farm where Emilee provides much of the business and behind-the-scenes aspects to keep it going successfully.
Emilee has been happily married for 20 years to another Snow College graduate and former Snow College administrator. Together, they are huge proponents of education and know that having Snow College in one’s educational journey is a must. Emilee loves Snow College and all it has to offer and wants to help others see the benefits and magic that happen at this amazing college. Emilee has three daughters who are currently on track to become future Badgers.
Karl Rostron
Karl is from Spring City, Utah, and attended Snow College, where he was active in student government and served as the 100th Student Body President. During his time at Snow, he was elected Governor of the Utah Intercollegiate Assembly, listed twice in Who’s Who among Junior College Students, and earned his Associate of Arts Degree. He furthered his education at Southern Utah University, where he served as the Public Relations Director for the Student Association, worked as a weather and sports anchor on the college-run cable television station, and earned a Bachelor’s Degree.
Karl has a robust professional background, with 10 years of experience in retail management and 12 years with the Utah Department of Workforce Services in various roles, including the School to Careers program, Workforce Development, and Vocational Rehabilitation. He has been honored with outstanding service to Veterans awards twice and received an Outstanding Achievement in American Business Award from The Ohio State University. Karl completed his Masters Degree from Utah State University and has experience as an Adjunct Instructor at Snow College, as well as the public address announcer for Snow College athletics.
Upon moving to Las Vegas, Karl managed a program for homeless youth and was recognized with awards for his efforts from Senator Harry Reid. He also developed curricula for a program at the Nevada State Correctional Facility, instructed inmates, and initiated a life skills program at the facility. Afterward, Karl served as the Talent Acquisition Manager for a large resort company, overseeing operations in the Western U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and later worked in National Talent Acquisition for State Farm.
Karl is deeply involved in civic and community activities, spending over 20 years as a scout leader, coaching youth sports teams, teaching, radio sports announcing, volunteering at schools, and serving as the President of the Snow College Alumni Board and Member of the Snow College Board of Trustees.
Nobue Swenson
Nobue Swenson is originally from Osaka, Japan. Her life changed when she befriended an American during her junior high school years, sparking her interest in English and different cultures. In 2001, she came to Snow College, where she met and married her husband. After living in Japan for five years and having her three children experience Japanese culture, the family returned to Utah. Nobue then obtained her TESL certificate from Snow College and taught English at public schools in Japan. Later, she worked at the Center for Global Engagement at Snow College, assisting with international admissions. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
Nobue graduated from Otemon Gakuin University with a Bachelor of Arts in American language and literature with a specialization in linguistics. After working in the sales planning division and ladies club at Moriguchi Prince Hotel, she came to Snow College to further her English studies. Following a decade as a stay-at-home mom, she worked as an assistant English teacher at three elementary schools in Japan. Since returning to Ephraim, she has been employed at the Center for Global Engagement at Snow College.