Rick Larsen, who was president and CEO of the Sutherland Institute for six years, will step down from his position on Jan. 1 to focus on a personal health challenge.
Larsen will continue to offer strategic support to his team as president emeritus. The board has begun a transition process to select a new president and CEO.
“This is not retirement,” Larsen said. “My passion for this work remains strong, and I will continue to support the Institute’s mission and a new chapter of leadership. The times we live in constantly remind us that Sutherland is more vital to our state and nation than ever before.”
During his tenure at the Sutherland Institute, Larsen oversaw research and writing on the Constitution, education and family values.
Board Chairman Brent Andrewsen said under Larsen’s leadership the Sutherland Institute has strengthened “the foundations of our constitutional republic by measurably improving protections for religious freedom and free elections, elevating the institution of the family in policy debates, empowering parents as decision makers in the education and care of their children, and securing reforms that will advance opportunity and upward mobility in Utah and beyond.”
“Leading Sutherland Institute has been an honor,” Larsen said.
Larsen also praised his team, calling them “the most capable and committed group of professionals that I have ever had the privilege of working with.”
“The times we live in constantly remind us that Sutherland is more vital to our state and nation than ever before,” Larsen said.