Elections

Isaac Atencio

Bio:
Isaac Atencio is a lifelong resident of Salt Lake City’s westside community, hailing from the Rose Park neighborhood. With a background in communications technology, Isaac made the bold decision to pursue a career in barbering almost a decade ago. In 2016, he founded The Salt Lake Barber Company with business partner Eric Stone. The pair have grown their brand steadily, seeing SLBC expand and open a second location, as well as a third business, Culture Coffee, both on Salt Lake’s Westside. Isaac is known for his skills as a barber, but also for his interest in creating inviting and stylish spaces. Isaac has served on the Midtown Business District board in multiple roles, including chair. He is a dedicated team builder and an advocate for inclusivity in the workplace, with a passion for fostering connections and building strong communities.

Statement of interest:
I would like to apply for a board seat on the Westside Coalition because I am deeply committed to the community in which I was born and raised. As a lifelong resident of Salt Lake City’s westside, I have seen the changes and challenges that have faced our neighborhood over the years. I have been actively involved in community development and advocacy where my downtown shop is located by serving on the Midtown Business District board and would like to do the same for the westside.

Through my businesses, The Salt Lake Barber Company Westside and Culture Coffee, I have been able to create spaces that reflect the unique character and values of the westside community. I am passionate about fostering connections, promoting inclusivity, and building a strong and vibrant community that celebrates its local treasures. I believe that serving on the Westside Coalition board will allow me to further contribute to the growth and success of our neighborhood, and to continue advocating for the needs and interests of its residents.

Charlotte Fife-Jepperson

Bio:
Charlotte is a 4th generation Westside resident who cares deeply about her community and has a strong ethic of community service.

Her professional areas of expertise are music education and journalism; she has taught piano for over 35 years. She co-founded the West View Community Newspaper and ran it on a volunteer basis for 15 years.

She is a graduate of the Westside Leadership Institute (2004), and has extensive board experience: 6 years as co-chair of UNP’s Advisory Board, 3 years on the SL County Center for the Arts Board, 4 years with Mundi Project, 4 years with the Society for Professional Journalists, and 4 years with the Westside Coalition.

As Vice Chair over Community Engagement for the Westside Coalition, she helped organize candidate forums, annual meetings, a Meet & Greet with the new SLC School District Superintendent, a community forum on homelessness, and a series of facilitated conversations about the environment on SLC’s Westside. She serves on the Issue Advocacy Committee, and represents the Coalition on the State Fairpark’s International Market Committee and UNP’s Environmental Justice Institutions Group.

Statement of interest:
I would like to be considered for reelection on the WSC Board so that I may help continue the momentum and progress we’ve made towards growing our capacity to advocate on a more impactful level. I want to help fundraise, increase engagement with our community, share my non-profit experience (through West View Media) to improve the board’s best practices in nonprofit governance, and increase the diversity on our board so that it better reflects the demographics of the Westside.

Timothy Jeffreys

Statement of interest:
My name is Tim Jeffreys.  I am a 64 yo white male.  I have lived in Glendale since 2019 with my wife, Rebecca McCarthy.

I was born in Denver, Colorado in a family of four children.  I grew up in Honolulu and Denver and graduated High School in Honolulu.  I graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Acting from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in 1982.  I stayed in New York City for 31 years, returning to Honolulu in 2011.

For 8 of the years I was in New York (from age 23 to 31) I was the Artistic and Executive Director of Theatre-in-the-Schools, Inc, a non-profit that performed live theatre to Elementary and Junior High schools throughout the Northeast.  In that time we performed for over one million children.

For my “day job”, I am a computer programmer, specializing in Microsoft Office Customization.  Currently I am under contract with the State of Utah Department of Agriculture.  This is what brought my wife and I to Utah in 2019.

Prior to my current position I was a freelance programmer, working in a wide variety of industries in New York City and in Honolulu, Hawaii.  I worked in law firms, hospitals, non-profits, retail and the financial sector.

I believe that I would be a useful addition to your board for the following reasons:

• I absorb information readily.  I started my theatre company at age 23 after observing how a similar company in Arizona functioned.  I combined that knowledge with knowledge I gained working at a retail computer store to create this company with about $3,500 in savings.  By the 3rd year it had positive income.
• I have a great deal of exposure to highly diversified communities.  Living in New York City and Hawaii and Glendale, I have firsthand experience with the challenges faced by communities of color.
• Well before the pandemic I was very familiar with working online.  This requires good communication skills and the ability to listen and comprehend.
• Like everyone, I would like the world to be a better place.  And I am interested in making a difference in that regard.

Carly Modesto

Bio:
Carly Modesto is a Certified Scrum Master with a passion for implementing agile frameworks to help teams succeed. With a background in the financial sector, Carly has recently transitioned into Project Management and is currently working as a Technical Project Manager for Porch Software. She is building a professional portfolio consulting with small businesses to set up processes to achieve their goals. Carly’s dedication to organization and efficiency has been showcased in her work with the team at Culture Coffee during the initiation and planning phase of their Project. Carly is a fast note taker who thrives on helping organizations deliver more value. 

Statement of interest:
I am applying because I want to be a part of a team that is making a difference for my community. I was born on the Westside, and grew up in Rose Park until I was 14.  I moved away to complete High School and College in Upstate, NY but returned to Utah when I inherited my Mother’s home, which she inherited from her Mother. Our roots run deep in this little community, so when it came time to settle down, living in “the hood” was my first choice. The Westside has had a bad reputation, for most of my life, and to see how the community has responded to the first Coffee Shop has inspired me to get even more involved in advocating for what is best for our side of town.  I love to innovate with likeminded people to find solutions, and would love to be a part of the process within The Westside Coalition!

David Osokow

Statement of interest:
I have participated and worked to improve the west side in various ways over the years and would be a good fit to serve on the Westside Coalition. I’m currently serving as a vice chair for the Fairpark Community Council and I am active in the community. I also independently apply for several city grants each year mainly focusing on street safety infrastructure improvements and public lands improvements. I want to continue to help organize and empower others to effectively engage and participate in local issues. 

Rick Silver

Statement of interest:

I am presently the treasurer of the west side coalition.  I have been with this organization since its restart in 2022.  I am proud of the contributions that I have made over the last two years and the accomplishments that the West Side Coalition has achieved in that time and I would like to be around to see it continue to grow.

I have spent seven of the last nine years living in Rose Park and Poplar Grove.  When I was a child I lived in Glendale and I went to Raili elementary for kindergarten.  During that time, I lived on Fairmont Avenue across from Jordan park and my best friend was the groundskeeper’s son.  I remember going down to the Jordan river with him and his sisters to catch pollywogs in the late spring.  I would like parents and children to feel safe on the Jordan river causeway once again. 

As an officer of the Westside Coalition, I have helped organize this year’s homelessness forum in hopes that we could bring a greater understanding between the residents of the west side and the homeless that live amongst us, and in so doing try to find a humane and cost-effective ways to get this problem under control.  We have a great deal of work left to do in this area and many others that affect the westside disproportionately.

Last fall after only being on the heart transplant list for only six days I got a call from the VA transplant team saying that they had a heart for me.  I am now seven months out from transplant and I am doing quite well.  During my recovery I am temporarily living with my mother who is a retired RN, and is acting as my caretaker, in the down town area but I plan on returning to the westside once my recovery is complete.

Summary:

Rick Silver: Education: Bachelor Of Science in Electrical Engineering with a Certificate in Mechatronics, University of Utah 1999. Master of Business administration with an emphasis in Technology Commercialization, Westminster College 2004. Primary Work Experience: US Navy 1987 to 1993, Firecontrolman Second Class USS A.W. Radford DD-968. Lineman Rocky Mountain Fiber Plus, 1993 to 1995. L-3 Communications, Positions of increasing responsibility, Design Engineer, Systems Engineer, Intellectual Property Manager, Internal Research and Development Administrator, Cost account Manager, and Field Engineer.  1998 to 2007. Moog Aircraft and Moog Space and Defense, product line engineer, and Program Administrator.  2008 to 2012. Early Retirement (Medical) 2012. Community Service: Applied for appointment As Salt Lake City District 2 councilman. May 2021. Won election to board of West side Coalition June 2022.

Daniel R. Strong

Bio:
Dan has been an advocate for the Westside community since moving to Rose Park in 2012. Dan has served as the President of the Westside Coalition since 2022. Dan previously served as the Coalition’s Communications Director from 2017-2019. Dan is also a former chair of the Rose Park Council. In his day job, Dan works as the Director of the Utah Sentencing Commission. Dan loves living on the Westside. His favorite things about it are, in no particular order: his neighbors, the Jordan River Trail, all the trees, Chunga’s Al Pastor, and the strong sense of community/belonging he feels whenever we gather together. 

Statement of interest:
I am seeking re-election to an At-Large seat on the Westside Coalition Board of Directors. I believe my years of dedicated service to the Coalition and the Westside community have prepared me well to continue and expand on the work we’ve been engaged in together. 

I have been the President of the Westside Coalition for two years, having been elected shortly after the Board was reconstituted under new bylaws in 2022. During that time, the Coalition has drastically expanded its work and engaged in a host of different projects that will benefit our community. Most recently, we secured a voting position on the Fairpark Reinvestment District Board (in the “ballpark bill”), which I believe will be vital to making sure the community has a say in how this unprecedented development project moves forward.  

We are also currently in the midst of pursuing a $20 Million EPA grant to combat environmental justice disparities on the Westside through green infrastructure improvements, indoor air quality improvements, and development of climate resilience hubs in our area. 

Although I would frankly love to see more new board members elected and will gladly step aside if the community ever feels someone else is a better fit for this role, right now I feel that we are in the middle of too many important projects for there to be a major leadership transition. I am seeking reelection so that I can help maintain the momentum we’ve built over these last two years. I am also excited to welcome all who wish to join us.

Nigel Swaby

Bio: Nigel Swaby’s background and experience suggest a strong connection to the West Side community, having grown up there and served as the Chair of the Fairpark Community Council. His prior involvement indicates a commitment to addressing local issues and improving the area. Running for an At-Large seat of the West Side Coalition would allow him to continue serving the community on a broader scale. If there’s anything specific you’d like to know about his platform or campaign, feel free to ask!