Laura and her husband, Dave, met in religion class at BYU, and were married in 1982. A few years later Laura and Dave became the parents of triplets: Paige, Cliff and Sierra. Born prematurely, the triplets faced a lot of challenges, but today they are normal, healthy, beautiful 21 year olds. Next year, they – along with younger son Marc, will all be attending colleges in Utah.
Laura paid entirely for her own education through her military service and a variety of jobs. As many young, busy mothers often do, she squeezed in study and class time during lunches, after work, and after the kids were in bed. With her youngest child still just six months old, Laura completed her degree from BYU Law School in 1994.
After completing law school and serving as a clerk for Judge Ray Harding, Sr., of Utah’s 4th District Court she accepted a job as an Orem City Prosecutor – learning first-hand the legal challenges involved in managing a city. Following her time with Orem City ,Laura joined the Utah County Attorney’s office. Among the cases she handled for Utah County were the prosecution of the “gentleman” bank robber who shot a BYU police officer as part of a cross country crime spree, as well as the high-profile MovieBuffs pornography case.
Laura is now a Partner with the respected Provo law firm of Esplin|Weight.
While still in college, Laura joined the Army Reserves – in which she still proudly serves. While admittedly drawn in part to military service by a sense of adventure and love of challenge, her fundamental motivation in serving in the Reserves is a deeply felt responsibility to country. She strongly believes that those who have been blessed have a responsibility to give back.
While in the Army Laura quickly learned discipline and gained confidence. After basic training she returned to BYU and enrolled in ROTC as the only female in the program that year. Laura continues to support and encourage young women in the military and has taught in the ROTC program at Brigham Young University. Having experienced first-hand the evolution of the reserves and National Guard from “standby” forces to essential and active elements of America’s front-line military, she knows and has lived the challenges faced by Utah’s many service families and the communities in which they live and work.
Laura now holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Laura’s unique life experiences have made her an effective leader. Working hard; dealing with challenges; managing career, service and family – all of these give Laura the understanding, the skills and the values to help lead Provo to an even better future.
