Yet even this year, as he prepares to become one of the highest elected official in the state, Valentine points to his continued work as a member of the Search and Rescue team as the area of service where he does the most good. After all, when you pull a technically dead boy out of a lake — as he has done — and revive him, it's practically impossible to find anything more rewarding.

He joined the search and rescue unit in 1980, four years after he started practicing as a tax attorney in Orem. Since them, he has remained a licensed emergency medical technician and now, as a lieutenant in Search and Rescue, often oversees searches.

Throughout his time with the department, there have been the difficult searches, including last year's loss of three teenage snowboarders in an avalanche. But thankfully, there are more saves, which is what keeps him going.

"There are the sad ones, like the avalanche victims, and at those times you especially feel for the families," he said. "But when you save somebody, it makes it all worthwhile."

It's worthwhile enough that his wife, Karen, joined the Search and Rescue squad two years ago, and he has a trained search dog, Chicory, as the family pet.

"I've really loved it," Valentine said. "It's not only the knowledge, it's the feeling that you've really made a difference."

Of course, he is very cognizant of the importance of his position as the Senate president, although he admits that it did not really sink in until the morning after the leadership elections.

"The next day, I felt the weight of the office," he said. "It's a big responsibility, and not only because under the Constitution you're the third in line for succession. The people really expect you to accomplish something."

As president, he expects to continue former Senate President Al Mansell's, R-Sandy, reputation for "shared responsibility" among senators, as opposed to a more dictatorial style of leadership. He expects that during his tenure he will work to allow both sides the time to argue their points, much like a judge manages a courtroom.

"I have almost a judicial temperament, because of my law background," he said. "I like to see a reason for any policy."

That "judicial background" stems from almost 30 years as a practicing attorney, all of it with the same firm — Howard, Lewis, & Petersen — where he is a managing partner. His primary focus, as it has always been, is tax law, especially for businesses.

Valentine has led a steady life that in many ways reflects his calm demeanor. Born in Anaheim, Calif., he fell in love with Utah when he came to Brigham Young University as an undergraduate. After serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England, he returned to finish his bachelor's degree at BYU and then became part of the university's first law school class.

Since then, he has raised six children — one of whom is an attorney, while another is finishing medical school at Tulane University in New Orleans — and also has four grandchildren.

He expects that his personal and professional background will help him lead the Senate, especially during the more controversial and partisan issues.

"There's always two sides to an argument, and I like to hear both sides," he said. "There will be times when we disagree, and that's fine. It's part of the process."

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E-mail: jloftin@desnews.com