Governor Gary Herbert has selected David Damschen as the state’s new treasurer.
Damschen will replace retiring treasurer Richard Ellis, who served in the position for seven years. Damschen was Ellis’ chief deputy during that time and before that worked as the senior vice president of AmericanWest Bank. He says he’s ready to step into the role of state Treasurer.
“I’m very blessed to have worked under treasurer Ellis’ tutelage these past seven years," Damschen says. "I tell people often he’ s the best treasurer we will ever have. I’ll strive to try to come anywhere close during my tenure.”
The state treasurer is responsible for managing state investments, issuing debt obligations, and dealing with unclaimed property. Governor Herbert says he believes Damschen will be a great fit to move the office forward.
“And I think, David, you’ll find epitomizes, really, the conservative approach to government that we take here in the state of Utah and again our fiscal prudence,” Herbert says.
Damschen will finish out Ellis’ term and will also run for the position in the 2016 election.