Ten Star Award Winners to be Honored at SCERA's Annual Gala, Today

Those who have made significant contributions to the arts in a variety of categories will be recognized for their achievements in enriching the communities and citizens of Utah at the 10th Annual Star Awards held Saturday, February 28, 2015 at the SCERA Center for the Arts in Orem.

The Provo-based rock band Neon Trees will receive the night's biggest award -- The 2015 Star Award. Ballet West will receive the Lifetime Achievement honor. Awards will also be given to Kathryn Little for theatre, Christian Vuissa for visual arts, Darrell Babidge for music, Pat and Kathie Debenham for dance, Lynnette Loveland as Friend of the Arts, Provo Mayor John Curtis as Advocate of the Arts, Pat Schow for volunteerism and Sterling Poulson, special recognition.

"We recognize that the scope of talent and commitment to the arts in Utah is tremendous, and the Star Awards are a way of calling attention to their achievements and applaud their talent and dedication," says Adam J. Robertson, SCERA President & CEO. "The challenge of the nominating committee is in choosing from an amazing array of people, which is the kind of challenge every arts organization should have."

Vocalist, actor and recording artist Daniel Beck will host the awards, and also sing a special number. The awards are interspersed with live entertainment, and will follow an elegant dinner by the UVU Culinary Arts and a silent and live auction. 100% of the proceeds from the evening will support SCERA's non-profit charitable Endowment for the Arts.

Each honoree will be given a plaque and make a short acceptance speech. A video tribute for each will be shown at the award ceremony, featuring friends, family and associates speaking on the attributes of each honoree and their contributions to the arts.

The general public is invited to attend the Gala and Star Awards, and the following options are available: 1) Dinner, silent and live auctions, and VIP seating for awards and entertainment is $95/person or a table of ten for $950 2) Awards and entertainment only for $10. Reservations are required, and may be made by calling SCERA at (801) 225-ARTS or online at www.scera.org.

Bios on each award recipient follow:

NEON TREES

THE 2015 STAR AWARD

Songwriting has always been an emotional outlet for Tyler Glenn, who grew up next door to Chris Allen in Murrieta, California, and followed him to Provo when Allen moved there for college. The band started in Provo in 2005. Bass guitarist Branden Campbell joined singers Glenn and Allen in 2007 after judging them in a battle-of-the-bands contest at Velour Live Music Gallery. Drummer Elaine Bradley also joined that year.

Neon Trees honed their New Wave-tinged sound locally before being chosen to open for The Killers in 2008. Shortly after, they signed to Mercury Records and released Habits, which spawned the platinum-selling breakthrough single "Animal." The track peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart, No. 2 on the Rock Songs chart, and was featured on the TV show Glee. Its success led to multiple high-profile TV appearances, and tours with Thirty Seconds To Mars, Panic! At The Disco, My Chemical Romance, and Duran Duran. The band's ascending profile smoothed the way for their next album, Picture Show, which debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart and featured the platinum-selling Top 10 single "Everybody Talks," which cemented Neon Trees as modern rock contenders.

Even with larger-than-life television appearances like Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, the group hasn't forgotten their Provo roots, and just last year they came back to be part of the 5th Anniversary of the city's Rooftop Concert Series, a place where Neon Trees performed before claiming their well-deserved fame.

Neon Trees frontman Tyler Glenn said, "Provo is literally Neon Trees' home, we were born here, played all of our first shows here, and really got our footing performing early on here. To come back and play a big free event for the city to enjoy was a big highlight of our year."

When appearing on national TV, they're quick to claim Provo as home. The launch of their debut album took place at Velour Live in Provo, which has been a starting point for several bands that have since achieved major success, including Imagine Dragons and Fictionist. In 2013, Neon Trees surprised local fans with three concerts at Velour Live in Provo, with tickets for only $10.00. Needless to say, the shows sold out within minutes.

Neon Trees' new album Pop Psychology on Island Records is an upbeat collection of sleek, modern alternative pop powered by singer-songwriter Tyler Glenn's bright melodies, huge choruses, and witty lyrics about the challenges of finding love in the digital age. With disarming honesty, songs like "Love In the 21st Century," "Text Me In The Morning," "I Love You, But I Hate Your Friends," and first single "Sleeping With A Friend" cleverly capture the millennial concerns referenced in the titles and deliver them in impeccably shiny sonic packages, thanks to the band's performances and production by Glenn's long-time friend and songwriting collaborator Tim Pagnotta. Style-wise, Glenn feels that Pop Psychology blends sounds from the Provo, Utah-based quartet's previous two albums, 2010's guitar-pop-driven Habits and 2012's electro-fueled New Wave-inspired Picture Show. "I think this is the first record where we combine both and really sound like Neon Trees throughout the entire album," he says.

BALLET WEST

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Ballet West boasts a rich and varied repertoire, elegant and versatile artists, and an American style and legacy that is as dynamic, expansive and unexpected as the Rocky Mountain region it represents. Ballet West has toured the world several times over presenting the very best in American classical ballet.

This season, Ballet West was asked to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. where the Company danced for sold-out houses and received rave reviews from East Coast media outlets. Last month the Company received The Rudolf Nureyev Prize for New Dance, an award established to support the commissioning of new works for large ballet companies, many of whom rarely perform in New York. The prize allows companies accustomed to performing large scale work to create new pieces for a smaller venue. With this award, next month the company will premiere new pieces at The Joyce Theater in New York City. Ballet West will also be representing the very best in Utah arts later this year when the Company travels to Victoria, BC and Dallas, TX.

Ballet West was established by Willam F. Christensen, the company's first artistic director, in Salt Lake City in 1963. Prior to founding Ballet West, Christensen, along with his brothers Lew and Harold, made history by establishing the oldest ballet company in the western United States, the San Francisco Ballet, where he created the first full-length American productions of Coppélia, Swan Lake and The Nutcracker.

With 50 company members, 10 second company members, and a thriving Academy, Ballet West ranks among the top professional ballet companies in America. Since its inception, the Company has had five artistic directors - its founder Willam Christensen, Bruce Marks, John Hart, Jonas Kåge and, currently, Adam Sklute.

Since 2007, Sklute, former dancer, Ballet Master and Associate Director of The Joffrey Ballet, has further energized and expanded Ballet West's remarkable repertoire with works by the most renowned choreographers of today such as Ulysses Dove, Jiri Kylian, Mark Morris, Twyla Tharp, and Stanton Welch. Sklute has also introduced historical masterpieces from the great Ballets Russes and continues to preserve Ballet West's classical legacy. Sklute continues to strengthen Ballet West's heritage by introducing new creations by local, national and international choreographers. With this eclectic and ever expanding outlook, Ballet West is truly an American pioneer in the world of dance.

With the support of the community, this year Ballet West opened The Jessie Eccles Quinney Ballet Centre. This new home stands beside the building named after Jessie's mother, The Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre, forever uniting a family who has been essential to the growth of Ballet West. The expansive 55,000 square feet offers modern costume and scenery shops, state of the art technical facilities, administrative offices, five studios flooded with natural light, and a rooftop indoor/outdoor reception area. The new edifice allows patrons of Capitol Theatre to enjoy an expanded lobby, new concession areas, and increased public restrooms. The building will be a crown jewel for Utah's art community and will allow artists and staff to elevate ballet to a new level in Utah and beyond.

KATHRYN LITTLE

THEATRE

Kathryn wanted to be an actress when she grew up... and that's what she has been able to do... with a lot of help! Among other places, she has performed professionally in leading roles Off-Broadway, as a charter member of the Manhattan Theater Ensemble, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, both the Capitol Theater and Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City, Robert Redford's Sundance Theater (back when Robert actually signed the checks!), the Hale Center Theaters in both West Valley and Orem, and at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre, where she co-starred with Robert Peterson for several years.

She has been a guest artist with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Utah Valley Symphony, Utah Valley Chorale, both BYU's Synthesis and its Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as many other professional concert performances.

You may have heard or seen her as the narrator and soloist for numerous television and radio commercials, films, recorded books, and musical recordings.

Kathryn has directed and musically directed many shows throughout Utah Valley and the Salt Lake City area. For the past twelve years, she and her husband Howard are the resident artistic directors for the PG Players in Pleasant Grove. She has been the instigator and director for the 200-member LDS choir event, Christmas in the Grove, for the past 21 years. She has been a professional voice teacher for the past 35 years.

In fear of getting bored, five years ago Kathryn took over as the director for SCERA's national award-winning high school company, Acting Up, where she has helped forty teenagers develop their acting, singing and dancing skills. They have shared their talent in performances ranging from inspirational firesides to outreach shows at elementary schools, libraries and homeless shelters. Little also directs Acting Up in a full-scale musical on the main stage at SCERA and on an annual tour to the Musical Theatre Competition of America, where she has led the group to consistent wins and top places finishes.

CHRISTIAN VUISSA

VISUAL ARTS

Vuissa was born in Bregenz, Austria in 1969 and grew up in a Catholic home. His mother had joined the LDS Church when he was a child, but his father desired the children to follow the Catholic faith. Vuissa essentially grew up attending Catholic classes in school and going to a small LDS branch on Sundays. He joined the Mormon Church at the age of 22, served a mission in Germany Leipzig, and then headed off to the United States to study film at BYU.

Christian Vuissa has written and directed several award-winning feature films, including the theatrical releases Baptists at Our Barbecue (2004), The Errand of Angels (2008), One Good Man (2009) and Plates of Gold (2011). His latest films, The Letter Writer (2011) and Silent Night (2012) have been released in numerous countries around the world. The Letter Writer won a Best of Show award at the prestigious Accolade Competition, as well as the 2012 Prestige Film Award. Silent Night, which portrayed the origins of the beloved Christmas carol, was awarded the Gabriel Award in 2013 by the Catholic Academy of Communication Professionals.

Vuissa is the director and creator of other honored films, including A Given which was the winner of the Christophers Festival in New York in 2001 and Roots & Wings which won the AML (Association for Mormon Letters) Award for Best Film in 2002, the Gold Aurora Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2002, and Best Director/Best Screenplay at the Eclipse Film Festival in 2002.

Christian graduated magna cum laude from Brigham Young University's Media Arts program and is known for his striking visual storytelling. He is considered one of the leading filmmakers in the Rocky Mountain region and was named "one of America's most promising independent filmmakers" (The Independent Critic). Christian is also the founder and president of the annual LDS Film Festival, now in its 14th year. He created the festival as a place for LDS filmmakers to network and share their work with an appreciative audience, and its attendance now averages about 5,000 visitors each year.

He currently lives with his wife Kirsten and their three children in Austria and the United States.

DARRELL BABIDGE

MUSIC

Baritone and BYU music professor Darrell Babidge had no intention of joining a university faculty when he and his wife Jennifer moved to Utah. Babidge was a professional singer whose voice had taken him to the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall and other renowned stages. His wife had a prolific, worldwide opera career. The world was their stage and New York was their base. But after they had children, both concluded that living on the 21st floor of a NYC apartment was not conducive to the life they wanted for their children. "We just needed to be near an airport," he said. "We figured we could fly anywhere for our careers, so we selected Salt Lake City as our departure site."

By the time the couple had five children, BYU came courting. The Babidges accepted part-time jobs, and Darrell learned teaching students was so satisfying he considered it more of a joy than a job. When a full-time position became available, Babidge came on board.

Now, eight years later, "I'm having a wonderful time with many incredible students," he says. "Seeing them succeed is enormously satisfying." He has mentored students through the rigors of the Metropolitan Opera auditions, and Rachel Willis-Sorensen and Rebecca A. Pedersen have won the prestigious competition on the national level. Whenever possible, Babidge will applaud from the audience when a student or former student lands a major opera role, whether the performance is stateside or abroad.

Darrell also teaches the Utah Opera Young Artists and is a guest coach at the Institute for Young Dramatic Voices. His students sing in major opera houses throughout the world, most recently at the Royal Opera House in London, The Liceu Opera House in Barcelona, and the Metropolitan Opera in NYC. He has been employed by the Met to teach in their Lindemann Young Artists program. Students have recorded for Decca and Deutsche Grammaphon, with a recent recording nominated for a Grammy Award.

Babidge first came to BYU as a master's student nearly two decades ago after beginning an opera career and graduating from the Royal Northern College of Music in the U.K. and completing a degree in vocal performance from the Manhattan School of Music.

As a performer, his resonant voice has taken him across countries and continents, and he has received critical acclaim for engagements with London Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Boheme Opera, Israeli Chamber Orchestra, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Ballet West, Utah Symphony and Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, Intermountain Opera, Music in the Mountains Orchestra, Glyndebourne Festival Opera American Festival Orchestra, Opera at the Presidio in San Francisco and others too numerous to mention. He often gives recitals, and recently toured China and Vietnam.

Today Babidge does most of his singing and demonstrating in his master classes and has developed a passion as a mentor that rivals his passion for performance. And that passion is appreciated by his former students, including Rachel Willis-Sorensen, who said of her mentor: "Working with Darrell has made every bit of difference for my success. He really believed I could do great things and would not accept less than what he saw as my greatest vocal potential. He has a gift for managing to uphold extremely high standards without discouraging. He is particularly knowledgeable about the specific demands of a professional career in opera performance and he has a talent for valuing unique voices which others may reject because they might be a little rougher around the edges. Darrell doesn't give up on a person. He is a teacher, yes, but also so much more. I think of him like someone in my family."

PAT & KATHIE DEBENHAM

DANCE

KATHIE: Kathie is currently a Professor of Dance at Utah Valley University. Since joining the faculty in 1995, she has served as the founding chair of the UVU Dance Department, Modern Dance Program Director, Interim Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences, founding Dean (interim) for the UVU School of the Arts and Associate Academic Vice President for Academic Programs.

While a graduate student at BYU, she created The Dancers' Company (now Contemporary Dance Theatre), and went on as an adjunct faculty member to teach and choreograph for many years in the Dance Department. As co-artistic director of the BYU YoungMakers for more than 20 years, she taught creative dance to children of all ages. She collaborated with other faculty members on five major choreographic works for BYU Women's Conference. Kathie developed the pre-K through upper school dance program at the Waterford and Meridian Schools.

Kathie served as Chair of the Utah Women in Higher Education Board of Directors and has presented regionally and internationally on dance and leadership. She also served eight years as a member of the Orem Arts Council. She and her husband Pat have enjoyed many years of artistic collaboration, with family-making at the heart of their dance-making.

PAT: Pat has spent his professional and creative life exploring dance as a process by which we come to understand ourselves physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually.

In August 2013 Pat retired from BYU after more than forty years of teaching, directing, research, and creative work. During "Mr. Pat's" tenure at BYU he directed what is currently Contemporary Dance Theatre as well as dancEnsemble, and helped shape the Music Dance Theatre program. Most recently he has served as an Adjunct Professor of Dance at UVU. Recent performances include BYU Spectacular 2014 where he did backflips hanging thirty feet above the floor of the Marriot Center. As a choreographer has set works on universities and professional companies across the United States, as well as on musical theatre stages throughout Utah.

In 2014, Pat was presented a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Utah Dance Education Organization. Present passions are his three lively daughters, their husbands, ten grandchildren, his multi-faceted wife, and a desire for good food, thoughtful reading, and meaningful conversation.

PARTNERS IN ALL THINGS CREATIVE: From 1985-2000, Kathie and Pat, along with Doris Trujillo, directed, performed, and choreographed for Contemporary DANCEWORKS, a professional company based in Utah County. They produced yearly concerts and provided training, lecture-performances, and residencies for Utah schools. Both have been Master Teachers for the Utah Arts Council and National Endowment for the Arts. In 2005, Pat and Kathie were awarded the UVU Ragan Theatre Showcase Award and in 2011 were named academy fellows by the Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. The couple recently co-authored a book chapter for Dance, Somatics and Spiritualities: Contemporary Sacred Narratives.

LYNNETTE LOVELAND

FRIEND OF THE ARTS

Lynnette Loveland has 17 grandchildren, and four adult children who all live within 10 minutes of her Alpine home. They are all entrepreneurs, with business credits including Blue Lemon, ModBod, Xactware, several golf courses and land development.

Lynnette name, fingerprints and generosity are all over the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium in Draper and the Museum of Natural Curiosity in Lehi. This twice-widowed Alpine grandmother also built the performing arts center for Heritage School in Provo, a residential treatment center where at-risk youth have the opportunity to put on professional quality productions. Through the theatrical arts, they challenge themselves and work with others to realize a rewarding goal.

Her philosophies and philanthropy both have their foundation in Xactware, which she founded with her first husband, James Loveland. Lynnette later sold the company after James passed away in 2005.

To the community, the Loveland name clearly means philanthropy and entrepreneurism. But to Lynnette, it means Sunday dinner every week for her posterity. It means "Grandma Camp" on Mondays in the summer. But most of all, it means being a cheerleader. "My role for my adult children is to be there for them and tell them they are doing great," she says. "I want them to know I'm proud of them.

Lynnette fosters kindness and service in the next generation through a birthday tradition. Beginning at age 12, each grandchild is gifted two $50 bills. "They get to spend one of the $50 bills on themselves, but the other one they have to give away," she says. The grandchildren have donated to Primary Children's Hospital or directly to people they know who have hardships. "It's a fun tradition and it teaches them the joy of serving. It's a big part of who we are as a family."

Lynnette's generous and soft character was defined and refined when her 3-year-old son drowned in Orem. Michael was the third boy to drown in that canal in one week. "Everyone handles grief differently," Lynnette says. "For us, it brought us closer and made us stronger."

That strength came in handy when James and Lynnette built a construction business together and then founded Xactware - neither of which were overnight successes. That strength was essential when James was diagnosed with cancer and died 13 months later. And Lynnette was again tested when her second husband died after only three years of marriage.

The arts were always part of Lynnette's mothering strategy, which included music lessons when the kids were young. The children had various skill levels and love levels for their instruments, which Lynnette says requires a delicate balance. "You can destroy their love for something - like music - if it's pushed on them," she says. The Loveland family band included piano, saxophone, drums and violin. Every family Christmas video includes Lynnette at the piano with kids on their instruments. Now the tradition has expanded to include all the grandchildren. "On Christmas Eve, I draw names and each child performs - music or dance or whatever they want to show us," she says.

For Lynnette Loveland, family is always at the center. But she has expanded the definition to include an extended family of causes and organizations that have benefited greatly from her spirit of good will and willingness to make a difference.

PROVO MAYOR JOHN CURTIS

ADVOCATE OF THE ARTS

John Curtis began his second term as the Mayor of Provo in January 2014. During his first four years the City of Provo ranked #1 in the nation for business and careers by Forbes as well as #1 for well-being by Gallop. The City has also received national recognition for quality of life, family environment, a rising tech and entrepreneurial culture, along with a vibrant downtown. With the help of the City Council, employees and residents, Mayor Curtis' administration has brought Google Fiber to Provo, regularly scheduled air service at the airport, expanded parks and trails, and completed Provo's state-of-the-art recreation center.

John is known for his accessibility and staying close to the residents of Provo. His cell phone number is listed on the City website and he reads and personally responds to the hundreds of email messages sent to him each day. He enjoys social media and his blog, provomayor.org is referred to as a gotta-read-it-to-believe-it place to find news on all things Provo. It has steadily grown in popularity and reaches thousands of Provo residents each day.

On weekends John can often be seen at one of his kids' soccer games or attempting the daunting task of beating his wife at tennis. He enjoys a good laugh, solving hard problems, and showing off his sock collection.

Mayor Curtis is a huge advocate and supporter of arts and culture in Provo, and is well known for his support of the Rooftop Concert Series, last year's Provo Christmas CD's (with proceeds supporting United Way), Velour Live, Muse Music Café, Comedy Sportz, Covey Center for the Arts, and his blog often highlights local artists and the video series "People of Provo."

The Mayor is actively involved in supporting the Provo Photography Contest, Downtown Art Gallery Stroll, Creative Collaborative, Pocket Film Festival, Provo Fashion Week, The Echo Theatre, Grassroots Shakespeare Company and many high school plays and musicals.

PAT SCHOW

VOLUNTEERISM

Pat Schow grew up and attended school in Pleasant Grove and acquired an Associate Degree from Utah Valley Community College (now UVU) in Provo. She served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Florida South Spanish Speaking Mission. Upon returning, she married R. Stewart Schow Jr. and raised a family of three boys and three girls. They now have 20 grandchildren.

Pat has served as a dedicated Scout Leader, mainly Cub Scouts, for more than 33 years, a volunteer opportunity where she gave thousands of hours to help young boys develop skills and confidence. Pat has continued working for the Alpine District Cub Scouts, where she demonstrates ideas for ceremonies, advancements and inductions to local scout leaders, and currently volunteers as a secretary for the scouting organization. She has also served on the Utah National Park Council as a Cub Scout Committee Member and recently, she presented a training on the new Cub Scout program to the Alpine District leaders. Scouting is in her blood!

After her family moved to Highland, Pat's neighbor, René Sheets, asked Pat to join her as a volunteer here at SCERA. She agreed, got her official apron and started working in "The Scoop" in 1986 making ice cream sundaes, ironports, fresh limes, malts, shakes, floats and other delights. Pat remembers a time when they couldn't serve water because of a drought!

Later, Pat started working in the box office as a cashier on Friday nights, and she has spent just about every Friday night at SCERA ever since. Pat has hardly missed a shift in 26 years, and there aren't many people nowadays who would be willing to give up a weekend night to serve their community! For her day job, Pat works at Shopko in Orem, where she is a key receiver.

During her nearly 30 years volunteering at SCERA, Pat has seen many changes, from the addition onto the original building, which added the second theatre in which the Star Awards will be held tonight, to the remodel of the original historic theatre into the XanGo Grand Theatre. When Pat started as a cashier, she had an old-fashioned cash register and has since had to leap into the new world of technology, where she handles SCERA's complex ticket system with quickness, ease - and a ready smile!

Pat says, "I have enjoyed getting to work with the many young people who also volunteer at SCERA and various house managers, too. I am hoping to continue volunteering for a few more years to come."

STERLING POULSON

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

Sterling is the Music Director and Founder of The Choral Arts Society of Utah, conducting as many as six concerts each year with the 100-voice choir. He was appointed Associate Music Director of the Jay Welch Chorale in 1985 and served under Dr. Jay Welch for eleven years. His career includes guest-conducting performances with the Utah Symphony, West Valley Symphony, New American Symphony, Sierra Nevada Master Chorale & Orchestra, Fillmore Regional Chorus & Orchestra, South Davis Community Choir & Orchestra and the Southern Utah Heritage Choir. He has had several guest conducting appearances with the Utah National Guard's 23rd Army Band, including a performance in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square.

In 1997 Sterling was appointed Music Director of the Days of '47 Pops Concert held in Abravanel Hall every July. He has expanded this to a two-night event and it is one of the more popular summer concerts in SLC. This concert features the Choral Arts Society of Utah and artists such as the American Heritage Lyceum Philharmonic, West Valley Symphony of Utah, Utah National Guard 23rd Army Band, Crescent Super Band, as well as many guest soloists, including George Dyer, Alex Boyé, Joseph Paur, Thurl Bailey, Jessica Poulson and Jenny Oaks Baker. For over 12 years, Sterling and the Choral Arts Society of Utah has joined forces with the 23rd Army Band to present the Armed Forces Day Concert at the Gallivan Plaza, to honor our military men and women. In May 2002, Sterling received the Award of Harmony from The Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Singing in America for his work in promoting music education and appreciation in our community. He served two terms on the board of the American Choral Directors-Utah Chapter, and from 1988-2009, he held the position of music reader for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Broadcast Music and the Spoken Word. Sterling is currently pursuing a degree in choral music education at the University of Utah.

Poulson is currently the Chief Meteorologist for KUTV 2News, joining the weather team as an anchor, weather producer and meteorologist in December 1989. He enjoys visiting schools with the 2News Storm Tracker, speaking to school kids about weather and science. This veteran forecaster graduated with a degree in Meteorology and was trained as a forecaster in the United States Air Force. During his ten years on active duty, he served a thirteen-month tour in Vietnam. He was later given a special assignment to the National Emergency Command Aircraft, 1st Airborne Command Control Squadron in direct support of Air Force One. He was a Severe Storms Forecaster, assigned to the Air Force Global Weather Center at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, providing aviation forecasts in support of Air Force and Department of Defense missions worldwide. He served 11 years with the Utah Air National Guard, and recently retired from the Air Force after 27 years of service.

Sterling is a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist, and he served a three-year term as a member of the Board of Broadcast Meteorologists from 1997-2000. He chaired the AMS Broadcaster's National Convention in San Francisco in June 2000. He is a member of the Clark Planetarium Board of Directors, Days of '47 Board of Directors, Board Chair of the West Valley Symphony, and Board Chair of the Choral Arts Society of Utah. He also serves on the board of the Utah National Guard Charitable Trust.

Sterling resides in Centerville with his wife Danette and enjoys fishing and spending time with his family, including his five children and eight grandchildren.