“Where does the time go!” 

Those are the first words out of Rich Thorn’s mouth as I strolled into his office at the Associated General Contractors of Utah’s Salt Lake headquarters on a chilly January morning, a couple of days after the association’s 101st Convention—Thorn’s 43rd overall and final one as President/CEO, as he plans to officially retire own March 31. 

Convention time is “go time” for AGC of Utah staff, an extremely busy event with four main events and breakout sessions over two days, and a time where Thorn shines as the consummate ringleader. The past two conventions—2022 was the AGC of Utah’s 100th anniversary—have been particularly special, and he admitted it was a bit of a challenge keeping his emotions relatively in check. 

“It was exciting in that it was our 101st convention, and it was emotional because it was my last one,” said Thorn, who was presented with the Eric W. Ryberg Award at the Installation Banquet, the chapter’s highest individual honor and a fitting capstone to an impactful career.

“It’s the ‘Oscar’ in our industry—I was taken aback when they told me,” he admitted. “To be recognized by your peers is something I’ll forever be grateful for. We’ve had the rare privilege of working with the best of the best in this industry.”

He continued, “When I walked into Little America Thursday morning [Jan. 19]—the day of the awards breakfast—I took a lap and just reminisced on all the good times. At the end of Friday night, I did a similar thing—walked into the ballroom, looked around, and thought, ‘This is it.’ It was an extraordinary experience and I think we delivered. I work with truly caring professionals that take pride in their job and deliver the highest quality possible.”

Thorn was hired in 1980 and worked under chief executive Horace “Hod” Gunn for two years. When Gunn retired in the fall of 1982, the 25-year-old Thorn confidently put his hat in the ring to be the chapter’s next top executive. 

“As we marched down that interview path, I said, ‘If we have an opportunity, we’ll make the best of it.’”

And best of it he did over four-plus decades as the face of the organization, which has grown to include nearly 650 total member firms statewide that are supported by AGC’s Salt Lake campus (headquarters and training center) and St. George office. Thorn takes pride in the fact that association members account for the “lion’s share” of vertical and horizontal commercial construction in the state and their collective contribution to society. 

“I’m proud of what the organization has evolved into,” Thorn said. “I cannot take credit for that. I give our membership the credit. I just happened to be in this seat. AGC has literally been my entire professional career. Not many can say that.” 

Scott Parson Assumes Chair Role

Following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father—Jack B. Parson Sr. and Jr.—Scott Parson, CEO of Ogden-based Staker Parson Materials & Construction was installed as AGC of Utah 2023 Chair. 

“I hope to follow their example of service, engagement, and relationship building,” said Parson.

After receiving the “AGC Hammer” from 2022 Chair Troy Thompson of Salt Lake-based Big-D Construction, Parson told AGC members in attendance that he is “honored and humbled by the opportunity to serve” and quoted his grandfather who was known to say, “the bucket fills one drip at a time” to illustrate that “small things matter” and “consistency is important.” 

From his father, he “learned the importance of putting people first—family, customers, employees, and industry associates,” he said. “These lessons have influenced me and continue to guide me.” 

Jack Sr. served as AGC President (now Chair) in 1971 and Jack Jr. in 1993, which Parson said coincided with his full-time entry into the family business after earning an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago.   

Parson said his father quickly indoctrinated him on the finer points of the AGC, with the pair attending local and national conventions, tri-state meetings, and other fly-ins to Washington, D.C. He even sported his father’s AGC pin that features the U.S. Capitol, a “fitting reminder of how important advocacy is as one of the AGC’s important functions.” 

He also paid tribute to his mother, DeAnne, who was in attendance. “My mom is 88 years young. Other than Rich and Sherrie Thorn, I’d wager she’s possibly attended more AGC conventions than anyone in the room.” 

Parson said the construction industry faces big challenges with labor creation and retention; in relation to that, AGC is well-positioned to make a positive impact this year. 

“We are all facing a shortage of skilled workers and need to reimagine and develop new ways to increase exposure to the construction industry in general and, more specifically, the many great career opportunities available,” Parson stated. “AGC has never been in a better position to do this. Our new training center and recent staff additions will enable us to do and try things we've never done before. To tackle this daunting challenge, we will need the engagement, insights, and collaboration of our members across Utah. I envision continuing to expand the #WeBuildUtah campaign which is bringing life and exposure to the great people and job opportunities available in construction.” 

Gilbert, Camp Primed to Lead AGC

Beginning early last year, Thorn began what he calls a “farewell tour” and handed off more and more of his duties—board meetings, business plans, budgets, lobbying—to Joey Gilbert, who has served as Vice President for 25 years and will take over as President/CEO, and Melissa Camp, a 20-year AGC vet who last fall was named VP of Finance and Operations. 

Gilbert has long been primed to succeed Thorn, with a “handshake” deal initially coming about 15 years ago, followed by an official agreement three years ago. 

“It’s been a more formalized transition the past three years,” said Gilbert. “Rich is here intermittently, but the transition has already happened. I’ve loved working for Rich. Our convention was great. Each year you conduct a convention, the biggest concern is, how are we going to top what we did the previous year? Each year it seems to get better. The cool thing for me and the AGC family was to see the amount of love and admiration for Rich through the Ryberg Award, and his outgoing speech. Those were goosebump moments.” 

“The torch is being passed to Joey Gilbert,” said Thompson. “We’re sad Rich is going, but happy he can enjoy his grandkids and participate in their functions. He will be sorely missed. We’re excited to have Joey step in and be President/CEO.”

Thompson relished the opportunity to serve as Chair and believes construction in Utah will continue to flourish and attract a new wave of workers. 

Labor “is the biggest issue of our time,” he said, with over 40% of the current skilled workforce retiring by 2031. “We’ve got a lot to do, and AGC is leading the way. We’ve seen a lot of change over the years. Wages and salaries are high. It’s a great place to have a career—we can all attest to that.” 

In addition to Parson, the AGC announced its 2023 Board of Directors, including Vice-Chair Slade Opheikens, President/CEO of Ogden-based R&O Construction. 



“I believe at this stage of my career, I have more to contribute by sharing lessons learned from our company’s good and bad experiences,” he said. “AGC and other industry associations allow competitors to come together and openly discuss issues that negatively affect us all. We may not be able to resolve them to each member’s preference, but together we can improve the industry. I enjoy the open discussion that can occur when we each show up as a member of the team, rather than guarded competitors.”