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Governing Board

Ascent Academies’ Board of Directors is a non-profit governing body to oversee the implementation of the school’s charter as approved by the Utah State Charter School Board.

The Board of Directors adheres to the philosophy that the ability of the school to carry out its mission and meet its goals depends heavily on the Board’s ability to provide strategic direction, select and support strong school leaders, and ensure the financial stability of the school.

Mike Ostermiller

Board Chair

Mr. Ostermiller, Board Chair, is a practicing attorney with a history of public sector and governance experience. His background includes serving as Co-Chair of the State of Utah Property Ombudsmen Board, Co-Chair of the Utah Land Institute, Chair of the Affordable Land Lease Homes, Member of the Davis County Strategic Planning Committee and Co-Chair of the Davis County Economic Development Advisory Council, to name a few.

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Stuart Adams

Vice President

Stuart Adams, Vice President, also adds significant expertise in business and governance. Mr. Adams has served as a Utah State Representative, and he currently serves as a Utah State Senator, Senate Majority Whip, Chair of the Infrastructure and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, Chair of the Public Utilities and Technology Interim Committee, Chair of the Senate Political Subdivisions Confirmation Committee, member of the Senate Revenue and Taxation Confirmation Committee, member of the Executive Board of the Davis Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Chair of the Utah State Transportation Commission, Chair of the Military Installation Development Authority, and Chair of the Davis Medical Center Board of Directors.

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James Horton

Board Member

Jim Horton is currently Managing Partner at H2M Capital. Jim has extensive experience in finance and managing a variety of successful businesses. He began his professional and financial services career working in the institutional finance departments of Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and Merrill Lynch. He later founded Andina Capital Management, a registered investment advisor, and H2M Capital, a venture capital fund. He also has experience financing and managing charter schools in the state of Utah. He currently sits on the advisory board of SymbioCellTech, and occupies the finance chair of the board for Nikola Motor Company. Jim Horton studied business and English at Brigham Young University, and studied finance at the University of Oxford.

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Tyler Schvaneveldt

Financial Coordinator

Tyler Schvaneveldt, the Board's Financial Coordinator, is the Chief Financial Officer of a flourishing computer systems business. Mr. Schvaneveldt's experience in financial accounting makes him the perfect fit as the Board's financial coordinator. Tyler will give insight and oversight to the Board's financial responsibilities.

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Mike Greenhalgh

Board Member

Mike Greenhalgh is currently the Chief Financial Officer for EMI Health. Prior to joining EMI Health, Mike was a financial auditor for Ernst and Young. He has a bachelor of science in accounting and a master's of accounting from Weber State University. He also has received an Information Systems Management certificate. Mike Greenhalgh is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Utah Association of Certified Public Accountants. Mike Greenhalgh is a licensed insurance producer for life, accident, health and property and casualty.

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Contacting the Board

The Board has established a Grievance Policy to address parent concerns and questions. Please follow this policy, which will lead you to contact the person directly involved, a Campus Director, or the Lead Director.

Financial Oversight

The Governing Board oversees the financial health of the school. The Board has an Audit Committee comprised of the board president and the board financial coordinator. All budgets are reviewed regularly and approved by the Governing Board. Budgets are published on the Utah Public Finance Website.

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 and previous reports are available by request to wglathar@ascentutah.org.

Stakeholders may report concerns of fraud, waste, abuse, or non-compliance directly to the school administration or the governing board. Alternatively, stakeholders may report such concerns directly to the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) through the Public Education Hotline at (801) 538-7813 and full information is available on the Internal Audit website.