August 21st Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Nena Slighting
[email protected]
801-919-6004
@UtahDebateCom
August 21, 2014
The Utah Debate Commission Selects Moderators; and Broadcast
Leader Joins Debate Production
UDC welcomes Ken Verdoia, David Magleby, and Barbara Smith to moderate
debates and JTV Productions owner Nathan Hill to oversee debate production
Salt Lake City—the Board of Directors of the Utah Debate Commission (UDC)
announced the selection of Ken Verdoia, David Magleby, and Barbara Smith as
moderators for the debates this fall.
“The citizens of Utah should be extremely pleased with the high caliber of
moderators selected by the Utah Debate Commission. They bring years of expertise,
a deep understanding of the issues confronting the state of Utah, and a great
enthusiasm for the political process to the debates,” said former Utah governor and
UDC Board Member Olene Walker.
Ken Verdoia is KUED-TV's director of production. He has 40 years of professional
journalism experience and 25 concurrent years of service as a media consultant. He
is an author, adjunct professor in communication at the University of Utah and
recipient of multiple prestigious awards.
David Magleby is a distinguished professor of political science at Brigham Young
University (BYU) and formerly the dean of the College of Family, Home, and Social
Sciences at that institution. He is an expert on direct democracy and campaign
finance.
Barbara Smith is the executive communications manager at the University of Utah
and serves as speechwriter for The U President, David Pershing. Prior to working
for the University of Utah, Smith was an anchor-reporter at KTVX-ABC4 in Salt Lake
City.
Smith has also served as an adjunct professor at BYU, a member of the board of
trustees at Utah Valley University (UVU) and spokesperson for the Muscular
Dystrophy Association (MDA).
The UDC is also pleased to announce JTV Productions owner Nathan Hill has joined
the commission to oversee debate production.
Hill recently wrapped up his 11th live broadcast of “Stadium of Fire” – a patriotic
Independence Day celebration in Provo, Utah – and is currently contracted as a
director for the 2016 Olympic Games. The Brazil Games will mark Hill’s 10th time
participating in Olympic events.
The UDC is a consortium of higher educational institutions and media organizations
dedicated to creating and facilitating an ordered, non-partisan and independent
system of debates among qualified candidates for statewide and federal offices in
Utah during each election cycle.
2014 Utah Debate Schedule
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
1st Congressional District
Weber State University
Ballroom B, Shepherd Union Bldg.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
2nd Congressional District
Southern Utah University
Sterling R. Church Auditorium, Sharwan Smith Student Center
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Attorney General
Brigham Young University
KBYU Studios
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
3rd Congressional District
Utah Valley University
Library Lecture Hall
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
4th Congressional District
University of Utah
KUED Studios
For more info, please visit our website:
http://utahdebatecommission.org/schedule/
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