About South Valley Performing Arts

David F. Pack, Ph.D., is an avid supporter of the arts.  David has chaired boards of directors at Empress Theatre and Oquirrh Hills Performing Arts Alliance, is president of Babcock Performing Readers and serves on Hale Centre Theatre Sandy’s board of directors, most notably on the Diversity, Inclusion and Outreach Committee.  He is a member of the Utah Shakespeare Festival Guild.  

Other non-profit board service includes past chairman of Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, rank advancement chairperson for Boy Scouts of America, national ambassador for both the United States Professional Tennis Association and the United States Tennis Association, as well as president of Alpine Acres Homeowners Association. David served as Community Council member and PT(S)A president at his children’s elementary, middle and high schools 15 consecutive years. 

In civic service, David is past chairman of Board of Adjustment, Design Review Committee, Economic Development Subcommittee and Planning Commission, and is a former elected City Council Member for West Jordan, the third largest city in Utah.  He helped establish the city’s Diversity Committee, as well as the construction of the city’s Community Arts Center.

David has been appointed two terms by Salt Lake County Council to serve on the Zoo, Arts and Parks (ZAP) board of directors, with duties include receiving and vetting applications and allocating grants to various non-profit entities in multi-million dollar disbursement budgets.

David helped fund and found Mount Liberty College, a private liberal arts college headquartered in Utah, and serves on Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Management Romney Institute of Public Policy and Ethics Advisory Board. 

He is a founding member and managing partner of Octappella; a state, national and international award-winning a cappella vocal band. David has acted in, produced and directed hundreds of plays and musicals, has numerous radio, television, voice-over, photography and motion picture film credits. He is a volunteer solo a cappella performer of the United States and Canada national anthems multiple times yearly for various professional sports teams, government events, educational entities and military tributes. 

Utah Governor Gary Herbert’s office recommended David for service on Utah’s State Board of Education, Athletic Licensure Board and Electrical Professional Licensing Board. David is a Presidential Call to Service award recipient for volunteerism during the tenure of United States presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden. 

David has been recognized by the Utah Best of State organization with dozens of awards for outstanding educational volunteerism, higher education instruction, sports coaching, civic service, acting/arts performance, vocal group, a cappella group and other accolades.

David earned General Studies credits from University of Utah and Fine Arts credits from Southern Utah University.  He received five Associate degrees in Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, General Studies Arts and General Studies Science from Salt Lake Community College; a Bachelor degree in Communications and Public Relations from Weber State University; a Master degree in Public Administration from Brigham Young University; and a Doctorate degree in Business Administration from California Coast University. 

His public-sector post-doctoral certificates include Leadership, Negotiation and High-quality Decision Analysis from Stanford University, and Non-profit Board Governance, Management and Performance Measurement from Harvard Business School, receiving full scholarships for his work-service study. 

Additional post-doctoral certificates include Business Plan Formulation, Assessment and Management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Impressionist Art History from Oxford University in Cambridge, and Performing Arts Industry Essentials from New York University. 

Robyn Bishop has been involved in speech and drama since she was a child.  She holds a Bachelor’s and Master of Arts Degree in Speech and Theatre. She taught high school theatre for 20 years and has directed over 100 plays and musicals. She has been a school principal and district administrator.  She is currently a teacher specialist in theatre for Jordan School District.

Her honors include Utah Arts Teacher of the Year, Utah Theatre Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and Utah Innovative Principal of the Year.  Robyn has directed productions at Brigham Young University, Murray City, Draper Historic Theatre, Sandy City and Herriman City.

Mike Haynes

Mike Haynes has been an entrepreneur and investor who loves business, education, and community. Mike currently works as the Executive Director of the Jordan Education Foundation. The foundation consists of a 30-member volunteer board of directors from within the community who provide service opportunities and fundraising activities as well as soliciting donations from individuals and businesses to support students in need, teachers and their classroom needs, scholarships for underserved students, afterschool programs for at-risk students and much more throughout the Jordan School District.

Mike has a passion for helping others and serving in the community. He has served as a board member on the Utah State Board of Education, a National Association of State Boards of Education Committee Member, a South Jordan City Planning Commissioner, a South Jordan City Architectural Review Committee member, Jordan Education Foundation President and Board Member, Utah Valley University School of Education Advisory Board member, Junior Achievement of Utah Board Member, Bingham High School Lacrosse Board Member, Bingham High School Grad-Night Committee Vice-Chair, Utah Mother's Association Selection Committee, Utah Council for Crime Prevention

"D.A.R.E." Board Member, Resilient Utah Advisory Board Member and "Uplift Families" Education Committee Member.

Mike Haynes and his wife Melinda have lived in South Jordan City for almost 15 years.

Together they are the parents of three married children who all attended Jordan School District schools and have since graduated from the University of Utah, BYU, and Utah Valley University, respectfully.

Besides serving in the community, Mike enjoys spending time with his family, time in the great Utah Outdoors, and his 20-plus years as a competitive Powerlifter.

Kelly Simonsen brings a deep love for the arts and a strong background in education to her role as a board member for South Valley Performing Arts. She currently serves as principal of Advantage Arts Academy, a K–6 charter school where creativity and the arts are integrated into everyday learning. Since joining the school in 2020, Kelly has led with passion, fostering a culture that celebrates individual expression and artistic exploration.

Kelly holds a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Brigham Young University and a Master's degree in Curriculum & Instruction. Her career spans teaching upper elementary grades in both Texas and Utah, along with experience as a team lead, curriculum designer, instructional coach, and mentor.

A lifelong supporter of the arts, Kelly’s own educational journey included years of music, visual arts, and performance experiences. While at BYU, she participated in an Art History study abroad program, which cemented her belief in the transformative power of the arts. Her leadership at Advantage Arts Academy reflects this conviction, as she works to inspire young learners to embrace creativity, confidence, and collaboration.

Kelly is honored to support South Valley Performing Arts in its mission to bring high-quality theater education and performance opportunities to youth in the community.