Eric Bjorklund President Eric is a member of DCFS State Quality Improvement Committee, Governor's Commission on Women & Families, Utah Coalition on Families (Vice Chair), Utah State Bar Committee on Children, Utah Youth Private Providers Network (Executive Committee). Eric was previously the Chairman of the 8th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect; President of the Utah Youth Private Provider Network; Governor's Commission on Crime and Juvenile Justice; Dissemination Chairman of the National Teaching-Family Association; President of Utah Coalition of Child Advocates; Child Abuse and Neglect Advisory Committee of the Division of Family Services; State Advisory Council to the Utah Center for Families in Education; Chairman of the 1993 Governor's GIFT Conference on Families; Governor's Commission on Drugs; State Representative, National Association of Homes and Services for Children; Private Practice of Law with primary emphasis in Estate Planning, Securities Regulation and Litigation; Assistant Attorney General for Utah, serving in the Education Division with assignments as general counsel for Weber State University and Assistant Counsel for the University of Utah; Owner of Tin Lizzie Cookies and Balloons; Legislative Assistant for U.S. Representative Dan Marriott; Administrator of LDS Language Training Mission at Rick's College. Eric received a B.A from the University of Utah; and a Juris Doctorate (Cum Laude) from Brigham Young University.

Shanna Draper Chief Operations Officer Shanna graduated magna cum laude from Southern Utah University in Psychology and Physical Education, with an emphasis in Sports Medicine. She was the first female at SUU to receive a full-ride athletic scholarship, and was a four-year starter on the women’s basketball team. After graduation, Shanna completed a two year Sports Medicine internship and became a National Board Certified Athletic Trainer in 1994. She later received a master’s degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix. At the collegiate level, Shanna coached basketball for two years and was an athletic trainer for football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, gymnastics, and track and field. For nearly 12 years, Shanna has worked for Utah Youth Village, the parent organization of Alpine Academy.

Janet Mulitalo Program Director Janet has lived a life of commitment and compassion for kids and their families. Since 1994, she has dedicated herself to helping better the lives of others in multiple social service environments. Janet worked as a treatment parent for almost 8 years; living and working with a variety of young people in residential treatment settings. She was instrumental in the early development of a treatment program for adolescent male sex offenders at Utah Youth Village. Janet has earned multiple certifications as a therapeutic treatment provider with the Teaching-Family Association. The Mulitalo family spent five years at a large faith-based social service agency in Mississippi. While there, Janet provided direct care services, then advanced to other responsibilities such as direct care staff supervision, program development and quality assurance. She served as both the training and evaluation coordinator at that site. Additionally, she represented this agency on the national ethics committee and was certified as a site/program evaluator with the Teaching-Family Association. Since 2002, Janet has been a part of the Alpine Academy team. Initially, she supervised several of the facilities, managing the residential staff and overseeing treatment for the girls. Over the years as Alpine Academy has grown, she has served as the parent liaison, intake coordinator, and as assistant to the program director. She was honored to assume the responsibilities of program director in 2006. Janet is the proud mom of three amazing kids: two teenagers and a pre-teen. Often, her free time is spent traveling to various sporting, academic and church events with her kids. She believes that her work ethic, values and compassion are just some of the gifts she received from her parents and hopes to instill the same in her children and the others that she influences in her life's work. She serves as a youth leader for the teenage girls in her church community. Additionally, she is currently attending Utah State University, working on a degree in Business Management.

Christian Egan, CPCI Admissions Director Christian began working with Alpine Academy’s parent organization, Utah Youth Village, in 2003 after receiving a Bachelor’s Degree from Brigham Young University in Marriage, Family, and Human Development. He worked as a Families First Specialist for two and a half years, delivering the principles of the Teaching-Family Model to families in their homes. He holds a Master of Counseling degree through the University of Phoenix and is licensed as a Certified Professional Counselor Intern. Christian’s experiences growing up in a loving and nurturing home have inspired him to seek to help children and families to achieve the same joy he has experienced in family relationships. His greatest happiness now comes from his own little family. Christian is a proud husband and father of two great boys, ages four and two.

Nikki Preece, LCSW Clinical Director Nikki Preece began her work in the residential treatment setting when she was hired as an assistant family teacher at our parent company, Utah Youth Village, in 2002. She worked as an assistant in the boys homes for over a year, became certified in the Teaching-Family Model, and supervised a home that specialized in treatment of conduct-disordered adolescent boys. In 2005, she was recruited to joint the Alpine Academy team. She provided supervisory services for several of the homes on campus before accepting the duties as clinical director in 2006. Nikki graduated with a Bachelor's degree in social work from the University of Utah in 2004. She continued her schooling at Brigham Young University and graduated with a Master's degree in social work in 2006. She is currently a practicing as a certified social worker. Because of the variety of work experience she has in treatment settings, she contributes a great deal of expertise in both clinical and milieu settings. Nikki oversees all clinical components at Alpine, including providing specialty group therapy for girls who struggle with drug and alcohol dependence. Nikki enjoys spending time with her family, especially her nephew, Gage. She is the proud parent of a very large, well-loved cat. One of her greatest strengths is her direct, yet compassionate approach with her clients and their families.

Corrie Norman Director of Operations Corrie is originally from Farmington Utah, a small suburb outside of Salt Lake City. She and her husband, Brad, have three beautiful children Averie, Boedi, and Lucas. She received a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Utah State University and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of Utah. Corrie has been working for the parent company of Alpine Academy, Utah Youth Village, since 1998 and made the transition to Alpine in 2006. Corrie began her employment with the Village as an Associate in a group home for adolescent boys with offending behaviors. From there, she moved to the Families First program where she worked as a Specialist providing services to needy families in the Salt Lake Area. Corrie became a supervisor in the Families First program where she worked with a team of Specialists for four years. After working outside of "the trenches" for a while, Corrie had the desire to work more closely with youth again and made the move, along with her family, to Alpine Academy to work as a Family Teacher in one of the group homes there. She and her husband, Brad, ran a successful program at the Oak Ridge home for over 3 ½ years before their growing family influenced them to accept administrative positions. Her current position is to oversee all of the day-to-day operations at Alpine Academy. She is a firm believer in the power to create change for children in a family environment. As a firm believer of the precepts found in the Teaching-Family Model, she has been certified as a practitioner seven times. Corrie is very happy for the opportunity to continue working with the girls at Alpine Academy and looks forward to being able to be a positive influence in their treatment success at a different level.

Angie Alvey Academic Director Angie earned a Bachelor's degree in English at Southern Utah University with a minor in Physical Education and Secondary Education. She also has a Master's degree in School Counseling from Utah State and a School Administration Endorsement from SUU. She has been in the educational field for twelve years working as a teacher, a counselor, a coach, and most recently, a high school principal. By making research-based decisions and efficiently using data, she directed a highly successful school for two years before joining Alpine Academy in 2006. Her experience has taught her that high achievement truly is possible for all students, and effective schools foster a learning culture in every facet of the program. She has a firm belief that school success is not a destination, but that true accomplishment comes in the journey of constant school improvement. Angie Alvey has been chosen to serve on a school improvement committee at the Utah State Office of Education. Her development and implementation of a plan to improve the basic reading, writing, and mathematical skills of high school students in Garfield County has received state wide recognition. Before she joined Alpine Academy, the students at Mrs. Alvey's high school had improved their scores on end-of-level testing at a remarkable rate, making Escalante High one of the highest achieving schools in the state. Over 90% of the students participating at EHS in the program she developed are currently at or above proficiency level in language arts, mathematics, and science. Myron Cottam, the Associate Superintendent of Schools, asked Mrs. Alvey to share with schools throughout the state the program she helped to write as a teacher and then implemented as a high school principal. She joins the committee as a representive of Alpine Academy and will investigate new resources to address the basic academic needs of all students, whether public or private.

Jason Stout Residential Supervisor Jason was born in Mesa, Arizona; he has also lived in Missouri, Arkansas and Mexico during his growing up years with his family. Jason comes from a large family of six children, of which he is the third. Jason's hobbies are varied; he loves all sports and outdoor activities, finds time to enjoy reading, and thanks to Crystal, is gaining a great love for the fine arts. Jason graduated from Brigham Young University in 2007 with a degree in Spanish and Business Management. He and his wife, Crystal, began working for Alpine Academy in June 2007. From the summer of '07 until the summer of '09 they were Family Teachers in the Gene Smith Home. While in the group home at Alpine they were blessed with their first child, a boy named Rockland. He is truly a joy and treasure for them both. Shortly after leaving that position Jason was happy to have the opportunity to return to Alpine as a Residential Supervisor. Jason has always enjoyed working with children and adolescents in a variety of settings; from daycare and afterschool programs to teaching ESL and coaching various sporting activities.

Brad Norman Residential Supervisor Brad is a native of New Mexico and grew up in the four corners area of the state. After living in Georgia for two years serving a mission for his church, he relocated to Utah to be near friends and family there and attend college. He met his wife, Corrie, in 1997 and they were married in 2000. He is the proud father of three beautiful and active children: Averie, Boedi, and Lucas. Brad began working at Alpine Academy in 2006 as a Family Teacher in the Oak Ridge home. During his time there Brad was able to take his passion for athletics to a new level by incorporating physical fitness activities into the program and starting a community-based soccer team for the Alpine Academy student body. He continues to coach the team and finds it rewarding to help the girls experience athleticism, as it contributes to their own feelings of success and improves their emotional outlook. Brad is certified four times in the Teaching-Family Model and is currently pursuing a degree in Social Work at Utah State University. He and his wife were also the recipients of the Teaching-Family Distinguished Service Award in 2008. This experience along with his commitment to improving the lives of families in need have influenced him to take his talents and skills to a new level, as he became a Residential Supervisor in the fall of 2009.

Helaine Sandler Outreach Coordinator Helaine has spent the last 20+ years working in corporate America in sales, marketing, and analysis, as well as being involved in numerous successful volunteer efforts including Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, PTA Treasurer, and Lay Board member of the Diabetes Care Center at Tarzana Regional Medical Center. She has effectively worked to raise needed funds for the causes that are meaningful to her personally. She comes to Alpine Academy with a passion for helping girls and their families that has developed over the past few years. She is so excited to be part of a program where she can help to enhance lives and personal well-being for others. Helaine's oldest daughter graduated from the treatment program at Alpine Academy recently; she came away from the experience with the tools to move forward in the world, with strength she never knew she possessed. This experience was life changing, not just for her daughter, but for their entire family. After her daughter returned home, Helaine was determined that she needed to be doing something more meaningful in her life, committed to the idea that she could have a positive effect on others. Because of this amazing experience, she has chosen to take a different direction with her career. She has discovered that what makes life rewarding is being able to help others through difficult times -- to help to give hope to families. She knows what a difficult, heart-wrenching time it is for the entire family when their teenage daughter has started heading in the wrong direction and wants to be a support to those that are now going through what she and her family have gone through. Helaine lives in Southern California with her husband, Scott, her daughters, Hannah and Della, and their two Basset Hounds, Abby and Lola.

Polliann Pierce Office Manager Polliann grew up on a farm in Rush Valley, Utah. She is the youngest of four siblings. Her hobbies include riding horses, dancing, hunting, and enjoying the outdoors, but her favorite pastime is making people laugh. She spends her free time with her three girls, Shontae, Brook and Mckell, traveling to school activities and Rodeo's where her two oldest compete. Before her time with Alpine, Polli worked for several years in the administrative field at various military installations. Polli is grateful for the opportunity to work here at Alpine, and she looks forward to being a positive influence that is never forgotten.

Alpine Academy Staff