SALT LAKE CITY—Today Sutherland Institute announced Stan Swim has stepped down from its Board of Directors after more than a decade of service. Ron Daw, a seasoned entrepreneur who co-founded Daw Technologies, has taken his place.

“I’m grateful to have served as part of Sutherland’s board for the last 12 years, and for what the Institute has accomplished in that time as we have pursued the vision of my father, Gaylord Swim,” Stan Swim said. “Dad was not a native Utahn, so he looked at our state’s culture and opportunities with a special gratitude. He founded Sutherland 25 years ago to help strengthen what he valued about our people and communities, and I believe he would be pleased with the influence Sutherland has today. He would also keep challenging us to be and do better at what he termed ‘making sound ideas broadly popular.’ Ron Daw brings exactly the perspective and capability to meet this challenge, and I’m confident that he, Rick, and the Sutherland team will continue on with great success.”

“I, along with the other members of the Sutherland board, want to express our deepest gratitude to Stan for establishing a strong foundation on which we will have the opportunity to build,” Daw said. “Sutherland’s future is bright, and I look forward to working with the board and the incredible team at Sutherland led by its capable CEO and president, Rick Larsen.

“My goal is to further establish Sutherland as a respected institution through democratizing its brand in Utah and throughout the United States. I believe that we can be a significant creator and distributor of content that will help people understand the issues that we face today and create an inviting, inclusive platform that will bring people together. We will continue to emphasize our commitment to faith, family and free markets, and to promoting solutions that serve community needs and build on areas of agreement. I, with Sutherland, believe that policy matters, principles matter more, and people matter most.

“My thanks to the Sutherland Board for the confidence and trust they have placed in me. As we move forward into this next chapter, the members of our board will be actively involved in contributing to the success of Sutherland. I am committed to expanding a board that will demonstrate inclusivity and diversity while staying true to our mission.”

“Successful organizations are built on the shoulders of its leaders,” Larsen said. “Stan Swim has ensured that Sutherland will remain true to the vision of its founder – his father, Gaylord Swim.

“Ron Daw will apply these founding principles as we explore new avenues for growth and innovation. The Sutherland mission remains – to serve Utah policymakers by convening voices on all sides of an issue, promoting community-driven solutions, informing public policy with independent research, and empowering informed and engaged citizens. It’s a mission that has never been more important. Thanks to Stan and the Swim family, Sutherland can stand amid division and turbulence, offering a bright hope for this and each subsequent generation’s New Birth of Freedom.”

About Stan Swim:
Stan Swim recently accepted the position of vice president of programs and partnerships at the Bill of Rights Institute. He previously served as the president of GFC Foundation, a Utah-based grantmaking foundation. He was senior analyst for Probity Advisors, a registered investment advisor in Dallas. He worked in the technology industry as a software engineer and database developer. He serves on the board of the State Policy Network and was board chairman of the National Council for Adoption for four years. Stan received an MBA from Southern Methodist University and a BS in computer science from Utah Valley University.

About Ron Daw:
Ron is currently founding partner of Viaggio Resorts, which is developing a network of high-end fractional owned properties throughout Europe. Ron is also a founding partner in Warboy Productions, which is producing an episodic TV series about a 10-year-old boy’s journey to become a man after being separated from his family following an EMP strike in North America. Ron is also a founding partner of a Utah-based film production company making a series about the renovation of a 200-year-old palace in Italy. Previously Ron was CFO of The Chosen LLC, which produced a multi-season TV series on the life of Jesus Christ. Ron was a co-founder, CEO and chairman of Daw Technologies Inc., which was the leading global turnkey supplier of integrated ultraclean manufacturing environments to the worldwide semiconductor market. Ron served on the board of trustees at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, and was a finalist in Utah for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award – an award that recognizes outstanding and innovative entrepreneurial business leaders from nominees in more than 125 cities and 40 countries.