Carter ready to assume WSLCA secretary chores

Kevin S. Carter, new secretary of the Western States Land Commissioner's Association, shares his background with members:

"I was born in a small mining an d college town in Southern Utah in the mid-1950s. My ancestry is hardy old pioneer stock. Cedar City is downwind from the area in Nevada where the nation's nuclear testing program was conducted (draw your own conclusions).

After completing high school (I was German Student of the Year), I decided I wanted to be a refrigerator repairman. I attended a technical college for a year and a half and discovered I had special abilities -- none of which involved working with tools.

At this time in my life, I went through a rite of passage and spent two years as a missionary for my church in Taiwan (the church continues there in spite of my involvement).

On my return, I met and married the girl of my dreams. We attended Utah State University where I finally earned two degrees: a BS in Range Ecology and an MS in Range Science, I participated in the creation of the first two of my six children, and amassed considerable debt.

I was hired in 1981 by the trust land agency in Utah, where I continue to be employed to this day.

I attended my first meeting of the WSLCA in Seattle, Washington in the 1980s. Three things stay in my mind from that first meeting:

1. It was fun;
2. There were a lot of ways to "skin this trust cat;" and
3. Outsiders could be persuaded that these meetings are 'work.'

I am honored to be elected as Secretary of the Western States Land Commissioners Association. I recognize that I'm following some mighty good men.

Jim [Trout] and Max [Vezzani] both did fantastic work, and if I can accomplish this task with anything approaching their expertise, I will be successful indeed.

I am an ardent supporter of the association. I know from our experience in Utah that many successful ideas we are using originated in discussions with our sister states."