SALT LAKE CITY – May 6, 2025 – The Utah 1033 Foundation has presented 2025 Leadership Awards to three students, all children of Utah law enforcement officers. Each Award carries a stipend of $5,000 to be used for higher education costs, and is given in honored memory of Utah’s fallen law enforcement heroes.
High school and college students from around the State applied for the 2025 Leadership Awards by submitting an essay in response to a prompt that asked them to grapple with the Electoral College in the United States. The winning students were selected on the strength of their essays and for the students’ demonstrated academic achievement and rigor.
The recipients of the 2025 Fallen Hero Leadership Awards are:
- Teagan Biehler; Teagan’s father serves with the Bountiful Police Department
- Madelyn Markland; Madelyn’s father serves with the UTA Police Department
- Sage Wimmer; Sage’s father serves with the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office
“It was a privilege meeting this year’s Leadership Award recipients,” said Utah 1033 Foundation president Dave Kaufman. “Each of them evidenced incredible leadership qualities combined with top-notch academic achievements, and their remarks to the ceremony attendees as they received their respective rewards showed genuine kindness of spirit. They really are an inspiring group, and we look forward to staying in touch.”
Each Utah 1033 Foundation 2025 Leadership Award bears the names of eleven officers killed in the line of duty since the Foundation’s inception in 2011:
- Master Officer Jared Francom, Ogden City Police Department
- Trooper Aaron Beesley, Utah Highway Patrol
- Sergeant Derek Johnson, Draper City Police Department
- Sergeant Cory Wride, Utah County Sheriff’s Office
- Officer Douglas Barney, Unified Police Department
- Officer Cody Brotherson, West Valley City Police Department
- Trooper Eric Ellsworth, Utah Highway Patrol
- Officer David Romrell, South Salt Lake Police Department
- Master Officer Joseph Shinners, Provo Police Department
- Officer Nate Lyday, Ogden City Police Department
- Sergeant Bill Hooser, Santaquin Police Department
Zions Bank hosted the presentation of the Leadership Award program by The Utah 1033 Foundation on May 6th, 2025 at the Zions Bank Capitol View Room in Salt Lake City.
“As always, we’d like to express our gratitude to Zions Bank for hosting the ceremony, and to our amazing donors,” Kaufman said. “The Utah 1033 Foundation couldn’t deliver its programs without their amazing generosity.”