Former head of Natural History Museum of Utah is joining The Tribune’s board of directors

Sarah George, who retired in April, said she was happy to hear from a couple of members of The Salt Lake Tribune’s board of directors about possibly joining them.

“They knew I get bored really easily,” said George, who for 27 years ran the Natural History Museum of Utah, and before retirement worked 3½ years as the University of Utah’s chief philanthropic officer.

This month, George joined The Tribune’s board of directors, made up of community leaders and retired journalists, with the task of overseeing the mission and financial success of the nonprofit news organization. George takes a slot left open earlier this year by Ciel Hunter, who left the board to join The Tribune’s staff as Vice President of Development.

“I’m really committed to the success of The Tribune,” George said. “I want to see its impact grow. I want to see its coverage grow. It’s important to have an independent voice in Utah, and this is it.”

Paul Huntsman, chairman of The Tribune’s board, said in a statement, “We look forward to Sarah’s strategic insights and fundraising capabilities. The Tribune is fortunate to have her talents and commitment.”

George moved to Utah from Los Angeles in 1992 to take the executive director position at NHMU. One of her biggest accomplishments in that job was overseeing the building of the museum’s 163,000-square-foot building, the Rio Tinto Center, which opened in 2011 on the University of Utah campus. She left NHMU in 2019 for the philanthropy position at the U.

“I do have many years of fundraising experience,” George said, so she brings “strategy, and connections” to The Tribune’s board. “I suspect that’s the primary reason why they invited me to join,” she said.

George said she has “always relied on The Tribune for really strong coverage of politics, both local and state. … Everything that happens in our communities is affected by politics.”

Because of her science background, George said she has watched intently The Tribune’s coverage of environmental issues, particularly the plight of the Great Salt Lake.

“Maybe my expertise can be helpful there,” George said. “I’m a biologist. I’m a rusty biologist, but I’m still a biologist.”

George joins Huntsman, the board chairman, as well as Tessa Arneson, Randy Dryer, Fred Esplin, Jorge Fierro, Tom Love, Ashish Patel, Dave Patel and Jay Shelledy. The board is looking to fill another vacancy, after the recent resignation of attorney and real-estate executive Erin Laney Barr.