Board of Directors

Andrea Beecher. Born and raised in the Salt Lake City area, Andrea Beecher has become a fixture of the Utah design landscape. After earning her degree in interior design, she immediately set it aside, as she pursued a career in retail management. It wasn’t long, though, before her design skill started forcing its way into her retail world. Soon enough, she found herself being flown to Los Angeles every other month to help create the corporate floor-set that was the the template for all 400+ locations of a major world-wide fashion retailer. When she finally gave in and devoted herself to interior design full-time, she quickly became one of Salt Lake’s go-to designers, especially for modern and midcentury looks. Along with countless private homes, Andrea’s work includes local favorites like Table X, Laziz Kitchen, and Spitz restaurants, Salon O, Image Studios, and Keller Williams’ new Sugarhouse offices. 

Now she has branched out again, teaming up with local design luminaries Brian Garrett and Jason Frederick to form M3LD (pronounced Meld). While continuing the interior design work that Andrea has become known for, M3LD also offers a whole line of modern home furnishings and lighting. M3LD has garnered accolades and features in magazines and websites across the country, and their line is carried in stores nationwide, as well as being available through several major online retailers. 

Secretary of the Board HEIDI WESTFALL finds inspiration in remote places that bring us together in an urban world. A native of British Columbia, Heidi now calls Salt Lake City home. With a rural upbringing planting the seeds of constructive creativity, making due with less led to an early entrepreneurial spirit and successful business career that took her around the world.  As a financial Advisor with Waddell and Reed creating structure that has balance comes naturally. Specializing in the art of numbers and logistics, Heidi brings a focus to the world of the creative arts that helps provide growth and direction. Described as inspiring, empowering, energetic and thought provoking yet caring Heidi lets others explore deeper levels of self-awareness and experience how this leads to greater personal and business success. With over 15 years of successful business ownership, Heidi helps create a solid business culture while supporting the creative process, that brings out peoples innate ability to deliver an outstanding experience.

KATE CREWS-LINSLEY has just joined Nashville Ballet and was previously the Dance Department Chair at The Waterford School, as well as the Director of the Waterford Dance Academy in Sandy, Utah.  Kate started working at Waterford in 2012.  Kate was a soloist dancer with Ballet West for ten seasons retiring in June of 2010.  She was a corps de ballet dancer with Kansas City Ballet from 1995-2000.  She has also performed with AVA Ballet Theater and SB Dance Company.    Ms. Linsley trained with State Ballet of Missouri School under Todd Bolender and The Pacific Northwest Ballet School.  Ms. Linsley currently performs in Salt Lake City with NOW-ID Dance company.

Professionally Kate has been highlighted in works in the following world renowned dance festivals and tours: Edinburg International Dance Festival in Scotland, Dance Across America in Washington DC and Fall For Dance in New York City.  She has been on staff locally at Creative Arts Academy, Ballet West Academy, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, Salt Lake Ballet, Utah Regional Ballet and The University of Utah.  

Kate recently was the Chairman of the Board of Inbody Outreach after five years as working as the Executive Director for the non profit. Inbody Outreach is a local nonprofit supplying qualified yoga instructors to populations in need.  She has served on staff in the yoga community at Centered City Yoga, The Yoga Center, University of Utah and small group youth classes at Primary Children’s Medical Center.  She is certified to teach Vets through the Yoga Warriors Program.  Kate has led mindfulness sessions on trips traveling with River’s of Recovery.  Kate is also certified to teach at-risk youth under the Street Yoga training.  She has completed the on-line course for Mindful Schools to implement mindful teaching in schools.

Marc Christensen is the managing member of Dented Brick Distillery in Salt Lake City and was previously the Founder and Former CEO of OTW Safety. Marc has over 20 years experience as a developer of safety devices and as a business owner. 

Marc has been a supporter of NOW-ID from the beginning and we are very excited to have him join the Board.

Board Chair Colby Brewer is known for his site-responsive artworks which challenge fixed ideas of interactional spaces by engaging institutions and their architecture. He produces ambitious sculptural installations that change the spatial dynamic of the site in which they are placed and at times, offer opportunities for audience interaction. Colby’s studio practice involves a constant mix of drawing, collage, sculpture, and video explorations. He has exhibited in galleries and museums in New York, Budapest, and Salt Lake City. In 2009, he was named Visual Arts Fellow for the Utah Division of Arts and Museums. He holds an MFA from Pratt Institute. Colby teaches drawing at Waterford School where he is Chair of the Visual Arts. He also organizes Waterford School’s Visiting Artist Program which has hosted nationally renowned artists like Sheila Pepe, Leighton Pierce, Burk Uzzle, and more.

acting treasurer

ROBERT WOOD, ACCOUNTANT / LEGAL ADVISOR / BOARD TREASURER

Robert Wood is a Venture Partner of RenewableTech Ventures. He previously was a consultant to EPIC Ventures (formerly known as Wasatch Venture Fund). Robert has consulted for several venture funds in Utah and has taken management and board positions in venture fund portfolio companies including Crystal Canyon, Industrial Training Corporation, eTagz, IntelliSchematic, First Choice Solutions and CopperKey.

Prior to his 21-year consulting career, Robert cofounded and served as CFO for 10 years and as CEO for a short period of time for a publicly traded independent power company that developed and financed renewable energy power projects with capacity of over 300 MW and financing lines of over $400 million. Robert also previously served as the CFO for a real estate development and consulting company, a tax specialist at a major CPA firm and a senior researcher for a university based economic and business research bureau.

Robert's current non-profit activities include serving as Immediate Past President of the Board of Directors for the Utah Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, where he has served as President, Treasurer and has been a board member for 12 years. He also teaches as an Adjunct Professor in the Global Program at Sofia University (formerly known as the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology). He has served on the Boards of Trustees for Rowland Hall St. Marks Schools and the Legal Aid Society.

Robert holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, and a Master of Science degree both in Economics from the University of Utah and a Master of Business Administration degree and a Juris Doctor degree both also from the University of Utah. Additionally, Robert has a Ph.D. in Psychology from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology and a Master of Arts in Transpersonal Psychology from Naropa University.