Michael Hepner
USEA Executive Director
Email: Michael Hepner
Prior to joining the staff of USEA, Mike worked in Granite School District as an electrician and then as an inspector in the Safety and Compliance Department. While working in Granite School District, he served on the executive board for the Granite Classified Employees Association for six years. Mike started working for USEA as a Labor Relations Representative in 1990 and was promoted to the Executive Director position in 1998. Through his years of service, Mike has represented classified professionals in negotiations, grievances, and other labor related issues in 28 of USEA's local chapters. Mike manages the staff of USEA and serves the Association in the following capacities: USEA Treasurer, Lobbyist, USEA Political Action Committee, Utah Education Coalition, Utah State Classified Productivity Grant Committee, EMIA Board of Directors, and Chair of the EMIA Legislative Committee.

Mike Christensen
USEA Deputy Director
Email: Mike Christensen
Mike started working for USEA as a Labor Relations Representative in 1981. In 1998 he was promoted to the Deputy Director of the organization. Through his years of service Mike has served as the Labor Representative in 35 of the local chapters throughout the state. He also participates at all State Executive Board and Presidency meetings. He is a member of the Budget Committee, works with the Executive Director to prepare the annual budget for presentation to the Board and Delegates, and is the financial controller of the association. He has significant input into decisions made by the Executive Director. He is responsible for approving and monitoring expenses, equipment and other purchases. Mike is in charge of the Special Service Program for the association and makes the arrangements for the annual delegate conference.
Assignments: DATC, Ogden, Park City, & South Summit

Geoff Leonard
USEA Legal Counsel
Email: Geoff Leonard
USEA staff attorney Geoff Leonard has been practicing law since 1986. After graduating from law school at the University of Utah, he worked for a Salt Lake City law firm for six years, handling all types of cases, and continued in private practice on his own for several more years. He investigated charges of employment discrimination for the Utah Anti-Discrimination and Labor Division in 1993 and has since concentrated on employment and labor law. By the time he joined the USEA staff in 1998, most of Geoff's practice consisted of representing teachers in all types of employment-related cases. Geoff now handles employment-related legal matters for all USEA members as well as personal legal matters for those members who have joined USEA's Personal Legal Services Program.

Norbert Bensch
USEA Senior Labor Relations
Email : Norbert Bensch
Norbert has been with USEA since 1993. He was once assigned to all districts south of Nephi and currently works in Northern Utah. He has previous labor representation experience in civil service union work. Norbert is the editor of the USEA Review, compiles the annual salary survey and prepares most of the association's publications. He has completed the two semester mediation course at the University of Utah and serves as a volunteer mediator with Utah Dispute Resolution.
Assignments: Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Logan, Morgan, Murray, North Summit, Rich, Tooele, & Weber

Bryan Sprague
USEA Labor Relations
Email: Bryan Sprague
Bryan Sprague has been with USEA since 1998.  He represents ten districts along the Wasatch Front and Southwestern Utah. Prior to being employed by USEA, Bryan served in various local leadership positions in the Jordan Classified Employees Association. Bryan serves as the USEA representative to the Utah State Paraeducator Conference Committee.
Assignments: Garfield, Jordan, Juab, Kane, Nebo, No. Sanpete, Piute, Sevier, So. Sanpete, & Wayne

Dennis Hayden
USEA Labor Relations
Email: Dennis Hayden
Dennis has worked as a full-time labor representative for over twenty years. His experience includes dispute resolution, grievance processing, arbitrations and health and welfare plan administration. He has also guided his locals through disputes handled by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and by the National Labor Relations Board. He has resolved over 400 negotiation packages while working with a union representing some 12,000 union members. USEA is fortunate to have added an employee of such wide experience and we look forward to the many ways Dennis will be able to help build our organization.
Assignments: Beaver, Granite, Iron, Millard, Salt Lake, & Washington

Brian Christensen
Labor Relations Representative
Email: Brian Christensen
Brian Christensen was hired in November 2002 as our newest USEA Labor Relations Representative. Brian has been involved in USEA since 1991. He has worked for Provo School District and has served on the Executive Board of the Provo Classified Employees Association. He was President of the PCEA prior to his employment with USEA. Brian has also served on USEA's State Executive Board and has served on various USEA committees. Brian has worked as a classified employee and understands the unique challenges facing classified school employees.
Assignments: Alpine, Carbon, Duchesne, Emery, Grand, Provo, San Juan, Uintah, & Wasatch.

Veronica Haas
USEA Legal Secretary
Email: Veronica Haas
Veronica began her employment with USEA on October 31, 1994. She is Legal Secretary/Assistant for USEA's General Counsel, Geoff Leonard, and secretary to Mike Christensen, USEA's Deputy Director. Her primary responsibilities are transcribing dictation of correspondence, memos, meeting notices, and agendas. She also does district newsletters and handles bulk mailings. In addition, she handles the requests for wills, divorces, drafts wills and other legal documents. She is responsible for the legal enrollment and legal billing. Veronica is a notary public and handles all the notarizations for the office. Her other responsibilities are receiving and distributing all incoming mail, ordering office supplies and maintenance calls, doing minutes for staff meetings, and acts as overflow receptionist in answering and directing calls, taking messages, etc. She is responsible for the organization of the filing system and gives back up assistance as needed to other staff.

Lorrie Gilbert
USEA Membership Secretary
Email: Lorrie Gilbert
Lorrie Gilbert is our Membership Secretary. She is responsible for billings, reconciling dues, and reimbursements of local and departmental dues for each district throughout our association. She keeps track of all membership information. Should you have a question in regard to dues, dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, death benefit claims or other membership benefits that we offer, she would be the one to contact. She also handles address corrections, changes to working days and/or department classifications and also cancellations or anything else that has to do with your membership status.