Utah Board of Pardons & Parole
Board Members
Board Chair - Scott Stephenson
Scott Stephenson most recently served as the executive director for the Utah Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and owns a consulting business. Previously. he served as the director of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) with the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS), where he oversaw curriculum development, training, and certification of all of Utah's law enforcement including basic and in-service training, police dog handlers, instructors, judges, and canines. During his 28 years in law enforcement, he served as a municipal patrol officer, state and county corrections, and state law enforcement.
Scott was an adjunct professor at Weber State University and currently teaches at Salt Lake Community College in Utah. He earned a bachelor's degree in Business from the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah and a Master of Criminal Justice degree with an emphasis on Constitutional Foundation and Behavioral Social Theory. Stephenson is studying to become a clinical mental health therapist and anticipates graduating with a Master of Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree form Liberty University in 2024. He has lectured on multiple areas of law enforcement and also lectures and teaches courses in the following areas: leadership, ethics, community policing, crisis intervention, conflict management, and administrative investigations and processes. He most recently earned an Advanced Specialist certification issued by Force Science.
Governor Spencer J. Cox appointed Scott as Board Chair in October 2023.
Board Vice Chair - Melissa G. Stirba
Melissa G. Stirba was born and raised in Utah. Melissa earned a B.A. in philosophy from Bates College, in Lewiston, Maine. Melissa graduated with honors from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
During law school, she interned for the Hon. David Nuffer in the United States District Court for the District of Utah and for the Hon. J. Frederic Voros in the Utah Court of Appeals. She completed a year-long internship with the Utah Federal Defenders Office and was a law clerk in the Salt Lake Legal Defender Association's appellate division. Melissa was a William H. Leary Scholar, received the David T. Lewis Award for Achievement in the Clinical Program, and received numerous other awards. Prior to her appointment to the Board, she was a felony trial attorney with the Salt Lake Legal Defender Association.
Governor Spencer J. Cox appointed Melissa to the Board in March 2021.
Board Member - Carrie L. Cochran
Carrie L. Cochran was born and raised in Utah. She spent nearly 26 years employed with the Utah Department of Corrections (UDC) prior to her appointment with the Board.
While employed with UDC, she served as a correctional administrator for Adult Probation and Parole, appointed as director of the Community Programming Unit. She spent several years serving as the assistant regional administrator directing the Orange Street Community Correctional
Center and the Fortitude Treatment Center. For eight years she worked as a staff supervisor in various field supervision units and also at community
correctional centers within the Adult Probation and Parole division. She spent approximately ten years as a probation/parole officer working a variety of assignments and several years as a correctional officer working in the Institutional Parole Unit, the Fugitive Unit, and community correctional
centers.
She started her employment at UDC working as an office technician. She received a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration (2011) at University of Phoenix and a Master of Public Administration (2016) from University of Utah, graduating with Pi Alpha Alpha achievement. She obtained her Correctional Officer/Special Functions certification in 1992 and Utah Peace Officer certification in 1995.
Carrie was appointed to the Board by Governor Gary R. Herbert in February 2017. She served as Board Chair from January 2019 to October 2023.
Board Member - Blake R. Hills
Blake R. Hills was born and raised in Utah. He receives a B.S. in economics and geography from Weber State University and J.D. from the University of Utah College of Law
Blake worked as an appellate clerk for the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals for approximately two years after graduating from law school. He then spent approximately twenty-one years working as a prosecutor for the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s office and the Summit County Attorney’s office.
Blake was appointed by Governor Spencer J. Cox in March of 2021.
Board Member - Greg Johnson
Greg Johnson was raised in Utah and graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Psychology. He also has a Master’s degree in education.
Greg worked for the Utah State Court system for 19 years. He served in several capacities including chief probation Officer in the Third District Juvenile Court.
Greg began working for the Board of Pardons and Parole in 2013 as an administrative coordinator. He also served as director of administrative services before being appointed as a Board member in February 2019 by Governor Gary R. Herbert.