The board seat was vacated by John Pingree after he moved just outside of district boundaries and was forced to resign. The appointment, made by Huntsman, is pending confirmation by the Senate, which is set to meet Wednesday.

Mackey, a 59-year-old corporate attorney who has served as a trustee and board chairman for Salt Lake Community College, said he welcomes the new challenge.

"It's a nice opportunity to serve, but there's a real responsibility that comes with it," he said. "We always need to be asking ourselves what we can do better."

Though he knows change can take time, he would like to improve the treatment of teachers and the size of their paychecks.

"Educators are the real heroes in society, and they tend not to get the credit they deserve," Mackey said.

The Utah native and father of eight - all educated in public schools - wants to beef up the quality of secondary schools so children are better prepared for their futures, irrespective of whether they have college plans.

Mackey holds a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Utah, an M.B.A. from Harvard University and law degrees from Columbia University and Oxford University. He is president of the Salt Lake City law firm of Mackey Price Thompson & Ostler.