Paul T. Mero, President
Paul T. Mero is president of Sutherland Institute, a conservative public policy think tank in Utah. Prior to his service at Sutherland, Paul was the executive vice president of The Howard Center for Family, Religion, and Society in Rockford, Illinois, where, among other duties, he administered the Second World Congress of Families meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1999. Paul also worked in the United States Congress serving two conservative House members from 1987 to 1997. He has written many articles and given many speeches in his career and has co-authored a book, with Allan C. Carlson, The Natural Family: A Manifesto.He is a graduate of Brigham Young University in Public Policy. Paul and his wife, Sally, have six children and seven grandchildren.
Stan Rasmussen, Director of Public Affairs
Stan Rasmussen directs Sutherland legislative efforts on Utah’s Capitol Hill and coordinates the Institute’s interactions with the Governor’s office and other state and local leaders. With extensive experience in management, training and performance coaching before becoming fully immersed in the world of public policy, he worked with organizations and clients in the legal, healthcare, environmental, banking and manufacturing industries, and with agencies in the public sector. Stan developed and manages the Institute’s award-winning Sutherland Transcend Series, a program for elected officials and interested community and business leaders. He and his wife, Chris, have three sons, two wonderful daughters-in-law, and three beautiful grandchildren.
Liv O. Moffat, Director of Development
Liv Moffat joined Sutherland as development director after fundraising for the Utah Republican Party for three years. She has worked for many candidates ranging from local representatives to President George W. Bush. The 2002 Olympic Winter Games brought the world to Salt Lake City, and Liv helped organize Utah’s Hospitality Center and Governor Mike Leavitt’s opening and closing ceremony parties. She is also involved with the International Model United Nations Association, where she has served for three years on their Board of Directors and is currently chairman. In the summer of 2004, Liv was honored to be named one of “10 Women Sure to Change Utah” by Salt Lake magazine.
David Buer, Director of Communications
David Buer brings a wide range of communications experience in the nonprofit and entrepreneurial realms to Sutherland Institute. After earning a B.A. in communications (public relations emphasis) from Brigham Young University in 2002, Dave worked for four years for the American Junior Golf Association in Atlanta handling media relations and multimedia. In 2005, he created a multimedia company that served clients nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. Over the last decade, Dave’s communications work has spanned video production, social media, public and media relations, website creation, graphic design, copy writing, advertising and marketing. Dave and his wife, Jessica, are the parents of five boys.
Derek Monson, Director of Public Policy
Derek Monson graduated from Brigham Young University in August 2007 with bachelor’s degrees in economics and political science. Derek began working for Sutherland Institute as a policy analyst in May 2007 and brings with him a specialty in quantitative research methods and a background in Utah issues. He is married to Melanie, who graduated from BYU in 2008 with a B.A. in marriage, family and human development.
William C. Duncan, Director of The Center for Family and Society
William C. Duncan is director of Sutherland Institute’s Center for Family and Society and also serves as the director for the Marriage Law Foundation. He formerly served as acting director of the Marriage Law Project at the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law and as executive director of the Marriage and Family Law Research Grant at J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, where he also served as a visiting professor. He has published numerous articles on constitutional and family law issues in a variety of legal journals.
Pamela Whitmore, Editor
Pamela Whitmore joined Sutherland after 20 years as a copy editor at the Deseret News (Salt Lake City), where she wrote headlines, photo captions and edited newspaper stories with an eye toward keeping the writing smooth, correctly punctuated and libel-free. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.A. in journalism. Pamela enjoys reading, hiking, traveling and browsing through dictionaries. She and her husband, Gene, have three children.
Todd Sylvester, Manager of Development
Todd Sylvester has a passion for making a difference in the lives of others, and that’s why he decided to join the Sutherland team as manager of donor relations. Todd founded his own nonprofit company, “Drug Free That’s Me,” through which he has influenced thousands of children to commit to living a drug-free life. The program became one of the most sought-after of its kind in the state of Utah. Todd has more than 20 years of experience as a highly polished, inspirational and influential speaker. This passion has given him the upper edge in successful fundraising and building lasting relationships. Todd and his wife, Bonni, are the parents of 4 children.
Bette Arial, Senior Advisor
Bette Arial joined Sutherland after serving as vice president of legislative and community relations for EnergySolutions. She has also worked as Southern Utah field director for the First Congressional District and as director of public relations/media for the Bureau of Land Management, Arizona Strip. Bette has served on many boards, including the Utah State School Board and the Utah Humanities Council. Bette is married to Rick Arial. They have three sons, one daughter and nine grandchildren. In her spare time she loves to read and play tennis, and she has an extensive collection of WWII movies and books.
Cherstyn Monson Stockwell, Manager of Operations
Cherstyn Monson Stockwell recently joined Sutherland Institute as operations manager. After graduating from BYU, Cherstyn moved to Washington, D.C., where she lived for 10 years, working for two conservative members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. After her time in Washington, she worked with a conservative political action committee in Orange County, California, supporting Republican candidates on the local, state and national level. In 2007, Cherstyn moved to Salt Lake City and joined the Utah Association of Realtors as director of operations, where she worked for six years. Cherstyn serves as a delegate in her local precinct and as a co-chair of her local high school’s community council. Cherstyn and her husband, Matt, are the parents of five children.
