Kent & Gina Woolf

Kent and Gina Woolf have been named Springville’s 2023 Citizens of the Year by the Springville-Mapleton Chamber of Commerce.

Kent was raised in Provo, the fifth of 11 children, by Vern Woolf and Marlene Thomas. He graduated from Provo High School where he took state in swimming in 1984. After a semester of study abroad in Israel, he served a two-year mission to Spokane, Washington (Spanish speaking), for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Upon returning, Kent attended Brigham Young University and earned his degree in mechanical engineering in 1992. Kent was Provo High’s swim team coach for a year and later worked his way through school in a BYU chemical engineering lab designing and setting up lithium battery and cold fusion experiments. He also worked for two seasons as an EFY games coordinator.

Gina was born in Salt Lake City, the second of five children, and raised in

Sandy by Kenneth and Louise Cook. She graduated from Hillcrest High School and worked in retail. Kent and Gina met while they attended BYU. They married in 1990, finished school, then moved to San Diego for Kent’s employment opportunities. While there, Kent worked to develop a medical infusion pump and a dental implant system while Gina cared for their five children.

After 13 years in San Diego, Kent and Gina felt strongly it was time to return to Utah and did so in November of 2006 after Kent accepted a job working for Flowserve. Kent is now a global product resolution engineer at Flowserve here in Springville.

Kent and Gina have lived in Springville for the past 16 years. Their children are Brianna (married to Nathan St. Andre), Julie, Gavin (married to Sadie Conover Woolf), Heather and David (who is currently serving a mission in the Guatemala City Central mission). They have three granddaughters and a grandson.

All five Woolf children graduated from Springville High School. Gina has spent 20 years volunteering in the Woolf kids’ school classrooms, coaching Jump Club teams at Hobble Creek Elementary for five years and serving in various PTA capacities in California and Utah. Gina is currently an SHS Key Club advisor. Gina has worked for more than 14 years at the Springville Museum of Art. She is currently the event coordinator. She has conducted hundreds of tours showcasing the museum for events. Gina has also helped hundreds of couples arrange for their wedding celebrations at the museum.

Gina enjoys helping the museum staff with museum events, including the Art Ball, the Children’s Art Festival during Art City Days, exhibitions, the Sunday Concert Series, Springville Historical Society presentations, the Halloween Party, the $100 Show and the Mayor’s Reception for the World Folkfest.

Kent and Gina have been members of the Springville Kiwanis Club for 11 years. Kent served for two years as president during the pandemic and helped Kiwanis open the Springville food pantry. Through the Kiwanis club, the Woolfs have worked at and helped manage the Kiwanis Scone Booth during Art City Days. This raises funds for Sub for Santa. They have also participated in and helped organize the Kiwanis Community Food Drive and Sub for Santa event each December.

Gina has served as a Key Club advisor for the past 10 years at SHS. Key Club is a youth service organization operated in partnership with the local Kiwanis Club. Kent and Gina love working high school students in this service capacity. With the Key Club, they have helped organize and facilitate many SHS and community service projects. A favorite activity has been transforming the indoor track at Springville High School by cleaning it and painting Red Devil school spirit murals.

They have loved working alongside hundreds of students and many community volunteers. Each year, Gina and Kent help train Key Club students in principles of effective leadership so they can carry out meaningful service projects.

Kent and Gina love attending all things SHS: games, plays, concerts, assemblies, homecoming festivities and graduations (even though their kids have all graduated). They love to see the amazing high school students in action.

They have helped with the World Folkfest and hosted dancers from 10 different countries, many of whom remain life-long friends. They served as emcees for the Art City Days Talent Festival in 2015 and 2016. Gina also had the opportunity to serve on the Rivoli Theater restoration committee. Kent and Gina are both CERT-certified. They also enjoy city council meetings.

They have served in various church callings, their favorites being in Scouting and Young Women and as Primary music leaders.

Though otherwise healthy, Kent began experiencing a life-threatening health crisis in 2016 that required a miraculous life-saving kidney transplant. Kent’s brother Troy generously donated his kidney in 2017, giving Kent new lease on life. This increased both Gina and Kent’s outlook regarding the deep value of faith and our relationships with people. They love the Springville community spirit and the people who make Springville the greatest place to live.