USEA STAFF

Mike Hepner

Executive Director

Mike Christensen

Deputy Director

Geoff Leonard

Legal Counsel

Norbert Bensch

Sr. Labor Relations

Bryan Sprague

Labor Relations

Brian Christensen

Labor Relations

Nan Kirkpatrick

Labor Relations 

Wendi Kesler
Lead Secretary

Jessi Cleland

Membership Secretary

Malynda Summers
Part Time Secretary

Jessica McKague
Part Time Secretary

Mike Hepner
USEA Executive Director
Email: Mike Hepner
Prior to joining the staff of USEA, Mike worked in Granite School District as an electrician and then as an inspector in the Safety and Compliance Department. While working in Granite School District, he served on the executive board for the Granite Classified Employees Association for six years. Mike started working for USEA as a Labor Relations Representative in 1990 and was promoted to the Executive Director position in 1998. Through his years of service, Mike has represented classified professionals in negotiations, grievances, and other labor related issues in 28 of USEA's local chapters. Mike manages the staff of USEA and serves the Association in the following capacities: USEA Treasurer, Lobbyist, USEA Political Action Committee, Utah Education Coalition, Utah State Classified Productivity Grant Committee, EMIA Board of Directors, and Chair of the EMIA Legislative Committee.

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Mike Christensen
USEA Deputy Director
Email: Mike Christensen
Mike started working for USEA as a Labor Relations Representative in 1981. In 1998 he was promoted to the Deputy Director of the organization. Through his years of service Mike has served as the Labor Representative in 35 of the local chapters throughout the state. He also participates at all State Executive Board and Presidency meetings. He is a member of the Budget Committee, works with the Executive Director to prepare the annual budget for presentation to the Board and Delegates, and is the financial controller of the association. He has significant input into decisions made by the Executive Director. He is responsible for approving and monitoring expenses, equipment and other purchases. Mike is in charge of the Special Service Program for the association and makes the arrangements for the annual delegate conference.

Assignments: DATC, Ogden, Park City, & South Summit

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Geoff Leonard
USEA Legal Counsel
Email: Geoff Leonard
USEA staff attorney Geoff Leonard has been practicing law since 1986. After graduating from law school at the University of Utah, he worked for a Salt Lake City law firm for six years, handling all types of cases, and continued in private practice on his own for several more years. He investigated charges of employment discrimination for the Utah Anti-Discrimination and Labor Division in 1993 and has since concentrated on employment and labor law. By the time he joined the USEA staff in 1998, most of Geoff's practice consisted of representing teachers in all types of employment-related cases. Geoff now handles employment-related legal matters for all USEA members as well as personal legal matters for those members who have joined USEA's Personal Legal Services Program.

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Norbert Bensch
USEA Senior Labor Relations
Email : Norbert Bensch
Norbert has been with USEA since 1993. He was once assigned to all districts south of Nephi and currently works in Northern Utah. He has previous labor representation experience in civil service union work. Norbert is the editor of the USEA Review, compiles the annual salary survey and prepares most of the association's publications. He has completed the two semester mediation course at the University of Utah and serves as a volunteer mediator with Utah Dispute Resolution.

Assignments: Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Logan, Morgan, North Summit, Rich, & Weber

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Bryan Sprague
USEA Labor Relations
Email: Bryan Sprague
Bryan Sprague has been with USEA since 1998.  He represents ten districts along the Wasatch Front and Southwestern Utah. Prior to being employed by USEA, Bryan served in various local leadership positions in the Jordan Classified Employees Association. Bryan serves as the USEA representative to the Utah State Para educator Conference Committee. 

Assignments: Garfield, Jordan, Juab, Kane, Nebo, No. Sanpete, Piute, Sevier, So. Sanpete, & Wayne

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Brian Christensen
Labor Relations Representative
Email: Brian Christensen
Brian Christensen has been a Labor Relations Representative since 2002. Brian has been involved in USEA since 1991. Before becoming a staff member at USEA, Brian worked for Provo School District and served on the Executive Board of the Provo Classified Professionals Association. He was serving as President of the PCPA when he was hired at USEA. He served on USEA's State Executive Board and he has served on various USEA committees. He currently serves on Utah's Department of Workforce Services Mountainland Regional Council. Brian has worked as an Education Support Professional and understands the unique challenges facing public education support professionals.  

Assignments: Alpine, Carbon, Duchesne, Emery, Grand, Salt Lake City, San Juan, Uintah

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Nan Kirkpatrick
Labor Relations Representative
Email: Nan Kirkpatrick
 

Assignments: Beaver, Granite, Iron, Millard, Murray, Provo, Tooele, Wasatch, Washington

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Wendi Kesler
USEA Lead and Financial Secretary
Email: Wendi Kesler
Wendi Kesler is the Lead Secretary for USEA. She is responsible for the operation of the front office and ensuring the secretarial work of the Labor Reps is accomplished; which includes creating and mailing notices, flyers, etc., to the members as requested by the Labor Reps. She types and edits correspondence, does research projects, and organizes information. She is also responsible for the Association's annual mailing.  Wendi is also the Financial Secretary and works with the Deputy Director, Mike Christensen, in the financial department. She is responsible for payment of the association's bills, bank reconciliation's, maintenance of the financial data and processing payroll.
Wendi is the USEA Executive Board Secretary, the notary for the Association and Secretarial Representative for the Staff Association.
She also updates the web site as requested.

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USEA Membership Secretary
Email: Jessi Cleland

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