Rick Steiner spent 35 years at the university of Utah as Associate Chair of the chemistry department and Associate Dean of the graduate school (3 years), was the Founder and first Director of the undergrad research program and he started a training program for international teaching assistants. He has been backcountry skiing, mountain biking and hiking in the Wasatch and mountain west for 35 years. He was a member of a 4-person team of backcountry skiers that met with Wasatch powderbirds (Ralph Becker as mediator) to try to resolve conflict in the winter backcountry. He also was a member of a group trying to negotiate with canyons concerning the placement of the 9990 lift. He was awarded the Alexis Kelner Environmental Award by the Wasatch Mountain Club for his many efforts advocating smart recreational use of the tricanyons. He lobbied Mendenhall and the City Council to get the trail system plan going.
Del also serves on the board of Friends of Alta and as a representative of the Alta Community on the Stakeholders Council of the Central Wasatch Commission. He has served on the Boards and been Board Chair of Planned Parenthood of Utah, the Colorado Plateau Archeological Alliance, and the Utah Petroleum Association. He also served on the Board of the Utah Museum of Natural History. Del lives with his wife Mary in Salt Lake and has two daughters, Phoebe and Abby, who he can no longer keep up with when hiking or skiing.
