Utah Senate approves governor and health department appointments, including new Health Department director

The Utah Senate used its fourth extraordinary session on Aug. 17, 2021, to consider a broad slate of gubernatorial appointments to state boards and agencies and to confirm Department of Health nominees.

Governor Spencer J. Cox transmitted multiple appointments and reappointments across higher-education boards, technical college boards, the permanent Community Impact Fund Board, the State Tax Commission, university boards of trustees, the Water Quality Board and other panels. The Senate heard committee reports recommending confirmation for many nominees; the floor then voted to consent to the governor’s list. President J. Stuart Adams announced the result as 26 yea, 0 nay, 3 absent.

Senator Ipsen declared a conflict of interest on the record concerning his son, Danny Ibsen, who was appointed to the Dixie State University Board of Trustees and said he was proud of his son. The Senate acknowledged the declaration and proceeded.

On health-related appointments, the Health and Human Services Confirmation Committee reported unanimous support for Nate Checketts as executive director of the Department of Health. Committee remarks noted Checketts’ experience with Medicaid budgeting and administration: "he's been over the Medicaid program in the state and has done an incredible job, literally managing hundreds of millions of dollars of Medicaid pass through money," a committee speaker said. The Senate recorded a roll-call vote consenting to the Department of Health’s appointments with a tally the chair announced as 24 yea, 0 nay, 5 absent.

The communications read into the record named specific appointees (examples from the governor’s letter: Lisa Clausen to the Bridgerland Technical College Board of Trustees; Matt Chowning replacing Brian Hyde; the reappointment of Michael Cragan to the State Tax Commission; multiple Southern Utah University and Weber State University trustee appointments; and Michelle Beck reappointed as executive director of the Office of Consumer Services). The Department of Health also requested confirmation for members of the Compassionate Use Board (Dr. Angelo P. Giardino, Dr. Annalise Keene, Dr. Edward Redd) and the confirmation committee recommended their immediate consideration.

The Senate concluded the extraordinary session after taking the consent votes and notifying the governor’s representative that business had been concluded.