Robert Mendenhall

Utah's top entrepreneurs honored

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah has long been recognized for its strong entrepreneurial spirit and business-friendly environment. That atmosphere has led many to take the risk to build companies from the ground up in various industries from education to manufacturing.

Entrepreneur Of The Year finalist: Robert Mendenhall, Western Governors University

When Western Governors University opened its virtual doors in 1999, the nonprofit, all-online university founded by a bipartisan group of 19 U.S. governors was surviving on grant money and struggling to "sell" an unproven academic model to potential students.

Western Governors University expanding to Washington state

Higher education

I applaud Matt Holland's far sighted leadership of UVU during this period of dramatic growth, yet I find it ironic that he would spotlight increases in Medicaid spending without admitting the dramatic increases in spending for higher education. Both are equally guilty of running up their budgets.