Executive Board

The Executive Board is charged to carry out the mission and purposes of the organization including maintaining the organizational bylaws and strategic plan. The Executive Board is also responsible to manage the administrative affairs of the organization including preserving the genealogy and family history records, financial accounting, maintenance of website and social media,  maintenance of the non-profit status, filing annual IRS forms, and preserving the organization’s history. The Executive Board meets quarterly and endeavors to increase membership and participation in the organization. The following are the current officers serving on the Executive Board:

Derek John Tolman

Derek John Tolman

President (15 September 2015 to the Present)

Derek was born in Provo, Utah. He is a descendant of both Cyrus and Judson Tolman. He served an LDS mission to Bahia Blanca, Argentina (1983-1985). He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Brigham Young University (1993) and a Master’s Degree from the United States Army War College (2011). He served a full-time career in the Utah National Guard for nearly 30 years. During his military career he was deployed to Iraq (2003-2004) and Afghanistan (2008-2009).  As a member of the 300th Military Intelligence Linguist Brigade, he was involved in managing intelligence operations in over 40 languages. He currently works for Triple-Strand LLC which provides language, intelligence, security, and training solutions. He has gained a deep appreciation for the legacy of the Thomas Tolman Family Organization and has been inspired by the stories of his ancestors. He is happily married to the former Carolyn Camilla Hammond who is a professional genealogists and currently works as a project manager for Legacy Tree Genealogists. Derek and Carolyn are the parents of five children: Nathan, Allison (spouse:Josh Brimhall), Laura, Anne, and Daniel.

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Past Presidents and Years of Service

Judson Tolman  8 April 1903 to 6 July 1916

David Roy Tolman  1916 to 1935

Judson Adonirum Tolman  6 April 1935 to 7 April 1940

Austin Smith Tolman  7 April 1940 to 4 October 1947

Ephraim Tolman  4 October 1947 to 1 October 1949

Howard Milton Tolman  1 October 1949 to 23 July 1953

Joseph Osborn Tolman  23 July 1953 to 17 June 1957

Bion Tolman  17 June 1957 to 7 July 1978

Leo Ronald Tolman  7 July 1978 to 4 October 1981

Onan Tolman Mecham  4 October 1981 to 3 April 1994

Thomas B. Tolman  3 April 1994 to 14 October 2000

John Odell Tolman  14 October 2000 to 15 September 2015

Reference: Thomas Tolman Family Organization: A One-Hundred Year History compiled by Loraine Tolman Pace, June 2003, page 10.

Rick Tolman

Rick Tolman

Vice President-Cyrus Line (13 Nov 2016 to Present)

Stephen Richard “Rick” Tolman is the grandson of Cyrus Henry Tolman and a descendent of Cyrus Tolman. He was born in Wendell, Idaho, but grew up in California. He served an LDS mission to the Philippines. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.S. in Agricultural Economics. He also earned an M.S. in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University. Rick retired in October of 2014, after 14 years as Chief Executive Officer of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), in St. Louis, MO. Prior to joining NCGA in September, 2000, Tolman worked 18 years for the U.S. Grains Counci in Washington, DC. During the last nine of those years as the Executive Director. Before joining the Council in 1982, Tolman was marketing planning manager for the Advanced Harvesting Systems Group at International Harvester Co. Tolman also worked as a market research analyst for the Gehl Co., of West Bend, WI. Rick now resides in Liberty, Utah with his wife Linda. He and Linda have five children and 12 grandchildren. Linda and Rick enjoy mountain biking, hiking, snow shoeing and camping and love living in the beautiful Ogden Valley.

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Allyson Schmid

Allyson Schmid

2nd Vice President-Cyrus Line

Allyson was born and raised in Dallas Texas. Cyrus Tolman is her fourth great grandfather.  She married Steve Schmid, who is from St. Charles Missouri, in 1995 and moved to Utah where she currently resides.  She is a stay at home mother of 4 children.  Her love of family history goes back to when she was a young child. One of her favorite things to do as a child was to look at old pictures and imagine what the people in them were like.  As she grew older she began to preserve her own family’s history though scrapbooks, newsletters and blog posts. She loves documenting every day life through pictures. One of the things Allyson feels strongly about is preserving the stories of her ancestors.  She recently wrote a short book, intended for her children, about her father-in-law’s conversion to the Mormon church. She hopes to write more books on her ancestors that children can read and enjoy.  Although she has always been drawn to family history, she didn’t begin a more serious study of it until 2013.  Her father passed away in 2008.  He knew every name and date and story there was to know about a person.  Unfortunately he passed away before Allyson was able to take advantage of his vast knowledge.  She feels it a tragedy that he passed away and none of his memories were preserved or recorded. She now recognizes how valuable these stories are and how important it is to document and record them. One of her favorite quotes is from Sue Monk Kidd  “Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can’t remember who we are or why we’re here.”

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Ben Baker

Ben Baker

Vice President-Judson Line (15 September 2015 to Present)

Ben is a great grandson of William Alvin Tolman and Hattie Naomi Tolman and thus is a descendant of both Judson and Cyrus Tolman.  He served as an LDS missionary in the Taiwan Taichung mission from 1995-1997.  Ben is a Computer Science graduate from the University of Utah and also has an MBA from Brigham Young University.  He has worked in the software industry for over 15 years and has been at FamilySearch since 2010. He has given several presentations on how to use FamilySearch more effectively, including for the family organization. Many of these presentations can be found at https://slideshare.net/bakers84. Ben and his wife, Mickelle, live in Riverton, Utah with their 5 children.

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Todd Merrill

Todd Merrill

2nd Vice President-Judson Line

I am descended from the Judson line.  I was born in Utah County and served a mission in Madrid Spain from 1990-1992.  I married my wife Leilani in 1995 and we have 5 boys and 1 girl and we currently live in Davis County.  I received a degree in Spanish from BYU and am currently working on an MS degree.  I have been an avid family history participant for many years and have attended many reunions through the years in Bountiful at my grandparents where I got to meet many relatives.

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Nolan Mecham

Nolan Mecham

3rd Vice President-Judson Line

My name is Nolan Davis Mecham.  My wife is Roberta Comish Maughan.  I am  the son of Onan Tolman Mecham and Nola Saville Davis,  the grandson of Charlotte Mae Tolman Mecham Higginson and Leonidas Smart Mecham, and the great-grandson of Judson Adonirum Tolman and Mary Ann Howard. I graduated from North Gem High School in 1952 after which I attended Idaho State University graduating in 1956.  I served two years in the military,  stationed in El Paso,Texas after which I returned to Idaho State University and earned a Master’s Degree. I was hired by the Snake River School District in the fall of 1959. I retired from the District in the spring of 1997 after spending 19 years as a teacher and coach and 19 years as an administrator. Roberta and I have five children, 15 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. We retired 19 years ago. Since, that time we have served as temple officiators except when we were on our missions to Portland, Oregon and Hamilton, New Zealand.  Since then we have served three church service missions and currently have primary callings.  Roberta is the assistant activity day leader for the 8 and 9 year old girls and Nolan is the assistant Webelo  leader. Scouting has been my primary hobby. Except for our two full time missions I have served in scouting since I was twelve years old. I have appreciated the efforts of my Uncle Devon Mecham and my father and have been feeling a need to learn more and serve more in family history. I hope to be a credit to the Thomas Tolman family organization.

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Dawnine T Mills Johnson

Dawnine T Mills Johnson

Vice President-Benjamin Line (15 September 2015 to the present)

Dawnine was born November 8, 1945, in Ogden, Utah. She is the oldest child of John G.  and Dawn Tolman Mills and the oldest grandchild of Abinadi and Ellis Wirthlin Tolman. She retired from Utah Housing Corporation in 2011 and then she and her husband, Kent Boyd Johnson, served a 2-year MLS mission in the Milwaukee Wisconsin Mission. They are currently serving as Church Service Missionaries as Assistant Housing Coordinators with the Utah St. George Mission. They are also serving as Family History Consultants in their ward. This is the third ward they have served in this calling and have seen how FamilySearch has changed over the last 10 years. Dawnine recalls many fond memories of sitting with her grandfather, Abinadi, and listening to his tales and stories of the Tolman family.  When she became the vice president of the Benjamin Hewitt Tolman family, she was charged with producing a book about Benjamin’s short life.  The book, “Benjamin Hewitt Tolman, Brother, Pioneer, Husband, Father”, was published and distributed to family members in October 2014.  Many hours were lovingly spent on getting to learn about the short life and trials of Benjamin and his small family for which she is very grateful. (The organization still has some books for sale.) She and Kent Boyd Johnson just celebrated their 50th anniversary. They are the parents of 8 children, 4 boys (Brad, Kyle, Alex and Preston) and 4 girls (Stephanie, Mary, Jennifer and Camille). They enjoy visiting with their family members who live in 5 different states. They currently live and enjoy Southern Utah.

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Mary Touchet

Mary Touchet

2nd Vice President-Benjamin Line (15 September to the present)

Bio requested.

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Currently Vacant

Currently Vacant

Vice President-Tolman Lines At Large

There is currently no Vice President for the Tolmans-At Large position on the Executive Board. If you are interested in serving in this position, please contact us as soon as possible. Judson Tolman formed this organization in 1903 and named it the Nathan Tolman Family Organization after his father.  The organization has always been closely tied to the Family History and Genealogy program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1962, William O. Tolman (Family Genealogist from 1959 to 1980) proposed that the organization change its name to the Thomas Tolman Family Organization after our immigrant ancestor. William often expressed his love for all of his cousins regardless of their faith or background. That sentiment persists today.

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Currently Vacant

Currently Vacant

2nd Vice President-Tolmans-At Large

There is currently no 2nd Vice President for the Tolmans-At Large position on the Executive Board. If you are interested in serving in this position, please contact us as soon as possible. Judson Tolman formed this organization in 1903 and named it the Nathan Tolman Family Organization after his father.  The organization has always been closely tied to the Family History and Genealogy program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1962, William O. Tolman (Family Genealogist from 1959 to 1980) proposed that the organization change its name to the Thomas Tolman Family Organization after our immigrant ancestor. William often expressed his love for all of his cousins regardless of their faith or background. That sentiment persists today.

Contact 2nd VP-Tolmans At Large
Jenn Tolman Allen

Jenn Tolman Allen

Family Genealogist (2016 to Present)

Jennifer Tolman Allen is a descendant of both Cyrus and Judson Tolman.  She has been passionate about genealogy her whole life and has been deeply fascinated with family history work for 25+ years.  She promised her grandfather, William Odell Tolman, as a young child that she would follow in his footsteps in regards to family history work, and she is happy to have the opportunity to keep that promise.  Jenn lives in Ballston Lake, New York with her husband, Spencer Allen.  They are the parents of five children: Jessica, John, Summer, Sawyer, and Savannah.  Jenn is only a few short hours from many of the dwelling and resting places of her New England ancestors. She has enjoyed visiting many of those cities and towns in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, and Maine since moving to New York.  Visiting these hallowed places has given her a deeper appreciation and  a greater affection for her ancestors.  Jenn is currently teaching Early Morning Seminary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Her favorite pastimes are gardening, novel writing, and researching her family history, especially in the United Kingdom.

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Past Family Genealogists and Years of Service

Judson Tolman  1903 to 1916

Elmyra (Myra) Tolman Patterson  Assisted her father Judson, took over 1916 to 1959

Williams Odell Tolman  1959 to 1980

Arlene Kelley Tolman  Genealogist as large 1962 to 1998

Genevieve Tolman Hofhine  1980 to 1994

Loa Don Hofhine Glade  1980 to 1996

Loraine Tolman Pace  1996 to 2016

Jenn Tolman Allen  2016 to Present

Reference: Thomas Tolman Family Organization: A One-Hundred Year History compiled by Loraine Tolman Pace, June 2003, page 11.

Currently Vacant

Currently Vacant

Treasurer-Currently Trent Larsen is serving as Acting Treasurer

We are currently in need of a new treasurer to serve on the Executive Board. Please contact us as soon as possible if you are interested in serving in this capacity. The duties including the following: The Treasurer receives and keeps an accurate account of all donations, income, operating costs, and other receipts. All expenditures and disbursements are made by the Treasurer and only as directed by the President based on majority vote of the Executive Board. The Treasurer makes a financial report at each meeting of the Executive Board and posts on the Thomas Tolman Family Website an annual report in January, which summarizes the financial transactions for the previous year. The Treasurer helps maintain the organization’s 501c3 non-profit status including submitting annual fees to the State of Utah and filing an annual Form 990 with the IRS by 15 May of each year.

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John Odell Tolman

John Odell Tolman

Advisor (15 September 2015 to Present)

John Odell Tolman was born January 11, 1935 in Pocatello, Idaho to William Odell and Opal Adams Tolman.  He is a descendant of both Judson and Cyrus Tolman. He graduated from Idaho Falls High School in 1953 and attended Brigham Young University one year before serving as a missionary in the Northern California Mission (1955-1957). John graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.A. Degree in History and later a M.A. Degree in Ancient Near Eastern Studies. He retired from the Church Education System in the year 2000 after having worked as a seminary teacher, curriculum writer, seminary principal, and as Administrative Assistant to the Area Director over all the seminaries and institutes in the South Salt Lake Area.  He supervised the camp kitchen on a number of CES Pioneer Treks. Prior to being sustained as President of the Thomas Tolman Family Organization in October 2000, John served 6 1/2 years as the Vice-President of the Cyrus Tolman line.  After serving a mission with his wife in the New York Rochester Mission, primarily in Palmyra, New York (2005-2006), he was called to serve for the second time as President of the Thomas Tolman Family Organization. He and his wife, Joan, are the parents of 7 children.  There posterity also includes 31 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren, and with spouses totals 76 members in their immediate family.
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Tom Tolman

Tom Tolman

Public Affairs

I was born in Salt Lake City, Utah only because there wasn’t a hospital in Bountiful on May 30, 1943. I am the 3rd child and third son of Eric Hogan Tolman and June Barnett Tolman. My grandparents are Ephraim and Phebe Hogan Tolman and Thomas W. and Ruby Georgehanna Wright Barnett. My great grandparents are Jaren and Mary Ann Briggs Tolman and Eric Hogan and Profinda Hatch Hogan; Thomas and Harriet Rosina White Barnett, and George and Rachel Mary Shreeve Wright. My great great grandparents are Judson and Sarah Lucretia Holbrook Tolman and Eric G.M. and Helge Knudsen Hogan (Haugen). I currently live in my step great grandfathers home, Albert Shirley; he built in 1867 from my mother’s side of the family. Albert married my great grandmother Harriett Barnett after she lost her husband in a well digging accident.  I have lived in this house my entire life except for 4 years. (2 years mission and 2 years military). I have been schooled in Bountiful at Stoker School Elementary, (built by Jaren Tolman in 1905), South Davis Jr. High, and graduated from Bountiful High in 1961. I then attended Weber State College (now a University) and graduated in 1971 with a BS degree with an Art Major and Photography Minor and a Teaching Certificate. I served an Mission for the LDS Church to the Northwestern States Mission headquartered in Portland Oregon and included the three states of Washington, Oregon and Idaho, from July 1962 to July 1964. I was married to Carol Anderson Tolman on October 6, 1966 and we have 5 wonderful children, 3 girls and 2 boys and now we have 12 grandchildren…6 of each kind that bring us much joy. We just celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary this year. I was drafted into the Army the start of my junior year of college and served for 2 years from October 1966 to October 1968. I served in Viet Nam for 9 months in 1968 as a Battalion Chaplain’s Assistant and reporter and photographer with the 86th Engineer Battalion located mostly southeast of Saigon and in the Mekong Delta regions. After graduating from college I began teaching Art and Photography at Bountiful High and Woods Cross High Schools for three years. I then went into the commercial art and display business working for a group in Salt Lake City called Exhibigraphics as an artist and photographer for about 6 years. We produced many Visitor Centers and Bureaus of Information for the government throughout the United States. I started my own business in 1979 named Designs & Signs producing many architectural signs for businesses, clinics, hospitals and post offices throughout the intermountain west. We also produced many exhibits, displays and interpretive trade show exhibits for many companies. I retired in 1999 and in 2001 I was elected to the Bountiful City Council and ended up serving there for 12 years. My main goal in serving the citizens of Bountiful was to record and preserve the history of my home town. I have done that and I continue to do this as my current position is the Chairman of the Bountiful Historical Preservation Foundation that oversees the history of Bountiful. We are currently building a new museum; the first for Bountiful in an 1893 home; soon to be open in the spring of 2017. I have been involved with our Tolman Family Organization for over 53 years. I have been the family photographer, publications director/printer, former president from April 1994 to October 2000, 6 ½ years. Thought all my time with the family I feel I have helped in many aspects of our organization and keeping the wheels of motion active and moving forward. I am pleased to still be a part of our wonderful heritage.

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Tricia Tolman Leslie

Tricia Tolman Leslie

Historian

Tricia Tolman Leslie, daughter of John and Joan Tolman is a descendant of both Cyrus and Judson Tolman.  Since her move to Bountiful 18+ years ago Tricia has been on the Executive Board of the Tolman Family Organization. Beginning in  1998 she served as the Family Home Hostess for four years, followed by the last 14 years as the Facilities Manager.  As the facilities were no longer needed and sold in 2016, Tricia is now the Tolman Family Historian. She and her husband Don live in Bountiful and have 4 wonderful children, Kirsten, Sara, Tyler, and Gavin.  Aside from her family, her true passion lies in Ballroom Dance.  She has her own Ballroom Dance Studio located in Bountiful, Utah that focuses on teaching classic ballroom and latin in a safe and wholesome environment where virtue, honesty, high moral character, confidence, modesty and respect are key to her program.

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Trent Norman Larson

Trent Norman Larson

System Administrator (2008 to the present)

Trent is a Cyrus Tolman descendent. He lives in Bountiful where he found some of his Tolman and Noble family histories, and he is inspired by all his ancestors’ lives.  He has one wife (1991), two daughters out of high school and two sons just entering their teens in time to enjoy basketball, camping, snowboarding, and boating together.  He earned his Computer Science undergraduate degree from the U of U (1995) and then his PhD from BYU (2002); he is now working in industry to bring distributed technologies like Bitcoin to various areas of life.  He believes the best future for our children lies in a society where local relationships are valued above economics, toward a stateless society.

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Trent Badger

Trent Badger

Webmaster (2016 to the present)

A descendant of both Cyrus and Judson Tolman, Trent, a twin, was born in Denver, Colorado to Dennis and Shirley Badger. His twin, Trena born 14 minutes later. His family moved often throughout his childhood until the age of 19, living in Burley, Idaho (twice), Roseville, Minnesota, Richland , Washington (twice), and Salem, Oregon as his father transferred as a result of his employment with Boise Cascade. Trent attended Ricks College prior to serving an LDS mission to the Belgium Brussels mission. He attended Brigham Young University, and studied Industrial Design and Transportation Design. While at BYU he met his future wife, Dorothy Muckleroy. His career started at Novell, Inc. as a technical illustrator, and then on to Interaction and Interface Design, and Product Management in software development the next 29 years. He now works for Echostar and Sling TV as a Principle Interaction Designer. He and his wife have three awesome children and spouses, (Joshua) & Jillian Badger, (Carlee) & Brett Carroll, and (Parker) & Jade Badger, with two wonderful grandchildren.

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