Bio

 A little about me...

Mitch grew up in Park City, UT, playing soccer and skiing. After finding out he had a knack for taking care of all the international tourists Park City hosts in the summer and winter, he decided to pursue a degree in Hospitality Management. This led him first to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and finally to the University of Utah where he received a Bachelor's Degree in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism in 2016. (Quick aside: Mitch recently joined the College of Health Alumni Board at the U of U and loves to talk about the amazing innovation and collaboration that is ongoing within the program.) 

After leaving university, Mitch moved to California and worked in the wine industry for two and half years, educating visitors to Napa Valley about the history and novelty of wine in America. It was hard to leave, but ultimately he couldn't stay away from his family that still resides in Utah and the mountains he grew up in. After moving back to Utah in 2019, he began ski instructing at Deer Valley Resort and coaching soccer with the Park City Soccer Club. Both gave him an opportunity to make a positive impact in young people's lives, and encourage an environment of learning and fun. Alongside coaching with Playworks, Mitch also works as a producer of radio talk shows for KSL Newsradio.

One of his favorite books of all time is Parker Palmer's The Courage to Teach because of Palmer's writing on the intersection between hospitality and education that embodies Mitch's academic and professional journey so far... 

Palmer writes, “Good teaching is an act of hospitality toward the young, and hospitality is always an act that benefits the host even more than the guest. The concept of hospitality arose in ancient times when this reciprocity was easier to see: in nomadic cultures, the food and shelter one gave to a stranger yesterday is the food and shelter one hopes to receive from a stranger tomorrow. By offering hospitality, one participates in the endless reweaving of social fabric on which all can depend – thus the gift of sustenance for the guest becomes a gift of hope for the host. It is that way in teaching as well: the teacher’s hospitality to the student results in a world more hospitable to the teacher.”