Jodi Hart Wilson

President

Jodi Hart Wilson is known to those in the governmental arena as one of the most effective lobbyists in Utah. Policy makers, business leaders, and government relation’s practitioners alike respect her expertise and knowledge of public policy issues.

Jodi is active in serving her community and participates on many boards and associations including: President of the Utah Fallen Soldiers Association, President of the Capitol Hill Association, President of the Utah Alliance for the Boys and Girls Clubs, Board Member of the National Association of State Lobbyists, and serving on the Southern Utah University Board of Trustees. She is also a political affairs guest lecturer to schools and universities throughout the state. Jodi is a proud graduate of Southern Utah University and is married to Curry Wilson and they have a son, Cole.

Crystal Thomas

Member

Crystal Thomas is an experienced educational leader and currently serves as the Vice Principal at Providence Hall. With a strong background in both elementary and secondary education, she is dedicated to fostering safe, inclusive, and engaging learning environments for all students. Crystal specializes in school safety, special education compliance, and student support programs, and she plays an integral role in initiatives that promote positive school culture and academic success.

Originally from the South, Crystal moved to Utah to attend the University of Utah and has since made it her home. She is passionate about education and deeply values the opportunity to serve on the Board of Directors at Advantage Arts Academy. She is committed to supporting the school’s mission of integrating the arts into academic learning and ensuring every student has the opportunity to thrive.

Outside of her professional role, Crystal enjoys cooking with her family and cherishes time spent creating memories in the kitchen together.

Suzy Mortensen

Vice President

Suzy Mortenson is pleased to have the opportunity to serve on the board of Advantage Arts Academy. She is a proud graduate of Southern Utah University. While at SUU, she also obtained her Secondary Education Teaching Certificate. Suzy loved her time in the classroom where she shared her passion and excitement for history, government, and current affairs with her students.

After spending some time in Washington D.C. working in the office of Senator Orrin Hatch, Suzy returned to Utah and built her career in the data center technology industry.

During this time she participated in the Women Tech Council and the Utah TechnologyCouncil. Currently, she works in several capacities for her family’s multiple businesses, all while keeping up with the very active lives of her wonderful husband and two children.

Darren Marshall

Financial Coordinator

Dr. Darren Marshall is the Associate Vice President of Budget and Planning for Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) overseeing a $211 million operating budget. Darren is involved with legislative processes and has been over the last 30 years. He enjoys strategic planning and visiting other institutions as part of the NWCCU accreditation work. His dissertation focused on Latino Education Policy and undocumented student success. Darren is also interested in studying the cost of education and how it impacts low-income students. He enjoys traveling, studying history, and learning languages. He is also an avid family historian focusing on DNA research.

Financial Oversight

The Governing Board oversees the financial health of Advantage Arts Academy. All budgets are approved by the Governing Board and published on the Utah Public Finance Website. Monthly financial reports are available for review by emailing info@advantagearts.org. The Audit and Finance Committee is comprised of the Board President and the Financial Coordinator.

In accordance with Utah Code Ann. Section 53G-7-309, the governing board receives a budget report each month. This budget report includes the following information: (i) the amounts of all budget appropriations, (ii) the disbursements from the appropriations as of the date of the report, and (iii) the percentage of the disbursements as of the date of the report. The current budget report is available for public review here: Monthly Budget Reports. Previous reports are available by request to info@advantagearts.org.

Stakeholders of Advantage Arts Academy may report concerns of fraud, waste, abuse, or non-compliance directly to the School’s administration or board. Alternatively, stakeholders may report such concerns directly to the Utah State Board of Education through their Public Education Hotline at (801) 538-7813. Full contact information for the Public Education Hotline can be found here: Internal Audit.