Micah Paul Keith - Homecoming Young Alumnus

Micah Paul Keith is a man of exceptional energy and optimism, two traits that have served him well in his life, and which portend a continuation of soaring successes that have flowed to and from him since boyhood.

SUU’s 2015 Young Alumnus of the Year made his mark on campus powerfully en route to his 2006 graduation as he served as the student body’s vice president of student involvement and as president of the Associated Students in successive years, all the while embracing his chosen philosophy of never falling prey to a stereotype and of exceeding the expectations of others. Through an ever-positive attitude, he elected to invent a life of rich and receptive openness. In so doing, he has found himself in the most admirable of circumstances: performing a job he loves.

As the innovation marketing manager of the Nestle baking division located in Solon, Ohio, Micah has responsibility for the growth of Nestle Tollhouse, Libby’s Pumpkin and Carnation Milk. That task involves accomplishing strategic objectives and supervision of a core school recruiting team, which places him with students who see him as a mentor and allows him to extend his own rewarding educational experiences. He reached his current position—which he has held for the past year—after more than a year as marketing manager for Libby’s Pumpkin, and a stint working with the Buitoni brand of Nestle.

Previously, he was an associate brand manager for two elements of the H.J. Heinz Company. His first experience with Heinz was as an intern while studying in the Tepper School of Business of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, earning his MBA.

Micah was born and raised in Arizona locales as the third of six children of educators and considered a future as a doctor or lawyer or, as he says, a racecar driver, depending on the day. While in the 7^th grade, he read the book “The Girl Who Owned a City.” He was highly intrigued by the fictional tale of a young person who rebuilds the economic and social structure of a town amid a devastated world. Enthralled by the challenge of joining disparate components to form an effective and unique ensemble, and by the idea of creating something and deciding just how it will operate, Micah determined that the world of business was the ideal setting for such a pursuit.

By the time he entered high school, his family had relocated to another desert area, St. George, and Micah stood out as an athlete in basketball, football, and track and field at Snow Canyon High School. Again, eschewing stereotypes, he also engaged in drama, student government, and a variety of clubs before deciding to continue his education at SUU. Following his first semester, he served an LDS mission in Portland, Oregon, then after considering a career as a seminary teacher, entered his study of business, eventually majoring in finance. As he tells it, one can’t go wrong with a degree in a business field from SUU, where instruction is highly dynamic and the entire faculty is counted as mentors. He cites as another guide then-adviser to student government Mindy Benson, who, he says, enriched his collegiate life. Immediately following his graduation from SUU, he served as a consultant for two southern Utah concerns before enrolling at the Tepper School.

Married to the former Sarah Lawson, he enjoys his growing family as he enjoyed an active family life growing up. He avidly seeks out family adventures and finds pleasure playing basketball and board games as well as working in a variety of service roles. He embodies the concept of ever evolving and contributing to society and thus is an entirely fitting representative of SUU as its Young Alumnus of the Year.