Steve Starks

Before joining LHM Group, Starks worked as managing director for the Utah Policy Partnership, a public-private partnership dedicated to improving the quality of public policy in the state.[2] [3][4]

Starks was a friend and protégé of the late billionaire Larry H. Miller. He joined the LHM Group in 2007. Starks was initially hired with no job title but with a notion to integrating him into the business as dictated by his competencies.[2][5][3][4]

Starks worked in mergers and acquisitions for LHM Group. He worked on the acquisitions of Saxton Horne Communications and Total Care Auto.[2][4]

Starks became president of the Sports and Entertainment Division of the LHM Group in 2015. Assuming this role put him in charge of the Salt Lake City Stars minor league basketball team, the Salt Lake Bees minor league baseball team, the Vivint Smart Home Arena, Megaplex Theatres, the Tour of Utah bicycle race, and the 1280 AM radio station. Most importantly, this promotion made him head of the Utah Jazz.[1][2][5]

Starks served as president of the Utah Jazz professional basketball team that was owned by the Miller family for several decades. He also served as the alternate representative of the Jazz to the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Board of Governors. Starks is known for exerting much more control than the typical team president in the NBA.[1][2][5][6]

One of Starks’ most important achievements as head of the Jazz was his leadership of the renovation of the Vivint Smart Home Arena. This was a $125 million project to remodel what was one of the oldest arenas in the NBA. Starks completed the project in 129 days. The Jazz were also much more successful in terms of games won and winning playoff berths after Starks assumed control.[1]

Starks succeeded Clark Whitworth as CEO of the LHM Group in 2019. Starks was selected after a national search that included numerous internal and external candidates and a rigorous interview process. He is head of all companies in the LHM Group.[1][2][5][6]

In 2004, Starks served on the campaign transition team of governor-elect Jon Huntsman.[2][5][3]

Starks has served as chairman of the Salt Lake Chamber’s Board of Governors. He also served as a trustee of Weber State University.[1][2]

Starks served as a trustee for the Road Home from 2013 to 2014.[2]

Starks graduated from Weber State University with an undergraduate degree in business in 2003.[5][3][4]

Starks and his wife have three children. As of 2017, he lived in South Jordan.[7]

Starks was named a “Forty Under 40” awardee by Utah Business Magazine in 2012.[3]

Starks was named to the “Forty Under 40 Sports Executives” by Sports Business Journal.[8]