Mayors of Utah Valley: New, longtime residents all contribute to this place we call home
Courtesy Spanish Fork City
Keir A. Scoubes, center, was recently promoted to the position of land component commander with the Utah Army National Guard. He is shown with Utah County Commissioner Brandon Gordon, left, and Spanish Fork Mayor Mike Mendenhall, right.Spanish Fork’s own Keir A. Scoubes recently received an impressive promotion with the Utah Army National Guard. He became the land component commander, which makes him responsible for the training and readiness of nearly 4,500 soldiers. Brig. Gen. Scoubes served in Iraq and Afghanistan and had been serving as a lieutenant colonel with the National Guard.
In addition to his military career, Scoubes has also been a city councilman and a teacher at Spanish Fork’s Larsen Elementary School.
He’s a perfect example of someone bringing their talents to the community and finding a way to contribute. He moved here 20 years ago, and his contributions have been immeasurable.
Even if you’ve always considered yourself as “from” a certain place, at some point in your family’s history, someone arrived for the first time. Whether several generations or just a few years ago, we all come from somewhere else, bringing our unique abilities and perspectives. It’s our contributions that weave us into the fabric of the place we all call home.
Spanish Fork’s slogan is “Pride and Progress.” We honor and respect what’s been established while knowing that moving forward is both necessary and beneficial. There’s a delicate balance between the two ideas. Places can err on either side – becoming too stuck in the past and unwilling to accept change on the one hand or completely forgetting their identities and values on the other.
We know that our community, like many in our valley and state, will still see plenty of growth in the future. We encourage longtime members of our community to welcome and incorporate new neighbors and ideas, extending helping hands and sharing what has gotten us to where we are. We equally urge newcomers to fully embrace their new home and use their uniqueness to add to what we have.
By contributing to the common good, whether you’ve been in a place for many years or are just settling in, you’re not just living in a place — you’re helping to build it.
