Cynthia Talbot-Holz:
CLASS OF 1974
Bountiful High SchoolClass of 1974
Bountiful, UT
Cynthia's Story
Okay, so what have I been up to since graduation? An awful lot as I look back. Headed to Southern Utah University (Cedar City) to school, married and relocated to Hampton/Langley, AFB, VA. While there had both of my sons, Richie and Grant. Returned to Cedar City to finish school in 1979 focusing on Early Childhood, Special and Elementary Education. Two quarters short of completion, I moved to Salt Lake because first husband wanted to pursue his military career. Did the PTA thing, the Mormon thing, started and ran the beginnings of the Utah National Guard Family Support program and served through Dessert Shield/Storm (about 12 years). Returned to school to complete a Bachelor of Integrated Studies at Weber State University with majors in Family Studies, Elementary Education and Art with minors in English and Botany. Upon completion took the position as founding director of the First Friends Family Development Center at the Utah Veterans Administration Hospital and Campus.
Was bored after a short time so I went, yet again, back to school. Still trying to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up!! Completed an M. S. in Family and Consumer Studies and an additional Graduate Certificate in Public Policy Administration at the University of Utah, (was becoming more and more interested in the third sector and the unique relationships evolving out of government devolution, it was 1993, between nonprofit and public organizations) . Upon completing my studies I was offered a job at the Utah Arts Council as the Director of the Community State Partnership Program and Manager of the Utah Performing Arts Tour. I know, kind of weird and out of left field. But then not really, I spent most of my time on the road working with nonprofit arts and cultural groups around the state of Utah, helping them develop their capacity as organizations by assisting in improving their fund raising and programming efforts. Authored a book on starting and running a nonprofit in Utah (real exciting reading, NOT!). When the second attempt at the Zoo, Arts and Parks referendum was made by the county, I was able to take a leave of absence from the Council to work for the campaign for about 6 months to ensure ZAP passed. ZAP is a 1/10 of 1% sales tax designated for art and recreation in Salt Lake County and I was thrilled when it was approved by voters by 52%.
I returned to the Utah Arts Council and then, to hear Viv (my mother) and others tell it had my little mid-life crisis. My youngest son was completing high school and I (we) decided to divorce my former husband. I dated a few very nice guys. And was once again trying to figure out what to do with my life, especially with my boys moving on with their lives.
David Holz, a colleague of mine at the Utah Arts Council and I began to date. We had worked together on several UAC projects and had become friends. David was the founding Director of Utah's Public Art program and had run the program for about 11 years. Prior to that he taught in the arts departments at both the University of Utah and at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania and had attended Pratt in New York City. I moved in with him and about 11 months later we were married in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The really cool thing that happened besides having David for a husband was becoming a stepmom to his four wonderful daughters. The blend of our families could not have gone better. My boys adore their sisters and the girls love their big brothers, (they refuse to use the term "step" when referring to or intr...Expand for more
oducing each other). Don't know why but we must have handled things really well for our kids to be so close, even today, 13 years later. David has settled me! He is much older than I am and now is retired and supporting me in my career pursuits. I moved around a bit for a few years after my marriage till I became the Director of Sponsored Projects for Salt Lake Community College and was there for five years. While there I applied and successfully sat for the international certification for Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). A former colleague from the College asked me to apply for a position at Salt Lake City School District in 2006, where he had moved on to. I am now in the Development and External Relations Office, overseeing all areas of fund development. I also function as the Associate Director for the Salt Lake Education Foundation, the nonprofit partner of the district.
I feel I have come full circle, my kids went through schools in the district, and I love what I am doing and find it so meaningful. In our schools west of 700 east in Salt Lake we are running 19 Title I schools with minority and poverty rates of over 80%. Yes, here in Salt Lake some of our neighborhoods truly are "third world" communities. I now spend 50% of my time developing and implementing "community schools" at various school sites. The Community Learning Centers we are building adjacent to our schools include health clinics, early childhood education programs, community and adult education opportunities for parents, all to the end of improving student achievement and quality of family life for our kids.
We are also the proud grandparents of five grandsons and (finally) a granddaughter. David continues to sculpt and do commissions that he finds interesting. We love to travel, as time allows, most recently we spent several weeks in Europe with my family in Switzerland and David's in Sweden and Germany. We spend a great deal of time with our six children:
Richie and his wife Shiena and their five boys live in Taylorsville. Both have careers in transportation logistics. Both he, and his wife, as well as Grant and Jake (see below), are avid REAL Salt Lake fans and almost never miss a home game.
Grant and his partner Hali are the parents of our wonderful granddaughter Maddysen Liesl. He is an executive chef and she is an organic beer and wine broker. Needless to say she keeps us stocked with wonderful wines. They just bought a home in the San Luis Obispo area of CA. We visit there often.
Alexandra is finishing up her degree in English at the University of Utah. She was born with Alerts Syndrome so will always live at home. She is adored by her nephews.
Vanessa works as a graphics designer in North Salt Lake. She spends her free time camping and climbing. She loves to travel and most recently spent a year and a half traveling through New Zealand.
Sierra and her partner Jake are in Montana where she is a Park Ranger, having majored in Geology and Meteorology. They move back and forth to also work at Capitol Reef National Park for part of the year. Jake is able to do his film work wherever she is, for the most part, they live a life of adventure for sure!
Marisa is about to complete her B.S. in Bioengineering at the U. and hopes to begin her Ph.D. next year. She works part time at the Pub in Trolley Square and spends a lot of time with friends doing all kinds of fun things,oh! to be young and single.
So now you are caught up on my life, probably way more information than you wanted, Okay!
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