Our Team

Alan Matheson - Executive Director (The Point)

Alan Matheson is the executive director of The Point of the Mountain State Land Authority. He is charged with preparing for and overseeing the development of nearly 600 acres of state land called The Point. Matheson previously served the State of Utah as Executive Director of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Senior Environmental Policy Advisor to Governor Gary R. Herbert, and State Planning Coordinator.

Before joining state employment, Matheson worked in the private sector focusing on regional planning and law, serving as Executive Director of Envision Utah, founding Director of the Utah Water Project, shareholder in a Phoenix law firm, Senior Attorney and Environmental Policy Advisor for Arizona’s largest electric utility, and law clerk for a federal Court of Appeals judge. Matheson holds an A.B. in International Relations from Stanford University and a J.D. from the UCLA School of Law, where he was an editor of the UCLA Law Review. He has served on dozens of community and state boards and has consulted with several regions around the country on strategies to address the challenges of growth.

Don Willie - Director of Operations (The Point)

Don Willie is the Director of Operations for The Point. Don is a business expert with extensive experience managing complex, multimillion dollar projects across the state. His decades-long career encompasses a wide variety of work in both the public and private sectors. 

Most recently, Don served as the chief operating officer (COO) and vice president of marketing for the South Valley Chamber of Commerce. In this capacity, Willie oversaw organizational streamlining and efficiency improvements, established branding and marketing guidelines, and helped to grow the Chamber’s membership through mission aligned programing and initiatives. 

Prior to his work at the South Valley Chamber of Commerce, Willie served as the president and chief executive officer (CEO) for the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce, accomplishing similar successes. In addition to his leadership experience at chambers of commerce, Willie has worked as an entrepreneur and small business owner. He has provided organizational management consulting to a diverse range of clients, helping them develop effective, data-driven strategies that elevate their profile and impact.

Don holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Utah, which he earned in 2014. Don also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with a Minor in Asian Studies, from the same institution in 2011.

Jefferson Moss - Innovation District Project Director (USHE)

Jefferson Moss is The Point’s Innovation District Project Director. In this capacity, he leads the Utah System of Higher Education‘s involvement in the major economic development efforts at The Point. Moss is responsible for overseeing the strategic initiatives and day-to-day operations at the Innovation District. He will work in close consultation with The Point Executive Director and Operations Director to help implement practical solutions that improve Utahns’ quality of life.

Formerly, Moss served as AVP of central advancement at UVU and the COO for the UVU Foundation. In these positions, he launched the UVU Wolverine Fund, a student-run venture capital fund, and the Excellence and Innovation Initiative. Prior to UVU, Moss served as a wealth strategist at Key Bank and Credit Suisse and launched several successful businesses. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Master of Business Administration from Brigham Young University. He currently serves in the Utah House of Representatives and previously served on the Utah State Board of Education and the Saratoga Springs City Council and Planning Commission. Learn more about him and his role at ushe.edu/ushe-staff.

Steve Kellenberg - Planning Director (Kellenberg Studios)

Steven Kellenberg is the planning director for The Point of the Mountain State Land Authority. He oversees planning efforts for The Point. An urban planner and designer with over 40 years of experience in new communities, mixed use town centers, business parks and large-scale development, Kellenberg brings a crucial level of expertise and leadership to The Point.

He heads Kellenberg Studio, a boutique planning and urban design firm that provides senior advisory and urban design services on unique town planning and redevelopment projects. Prior to joining The Point, Kellenberg assisted Daybreak Communities in Salt Lake City as well as Rancho Mission Viejo in California and Banning Lewis Ranch in Colorado as Senior Planning Advisor. Steven also served the Irvine Company in Newport Beach as Senior Vice President leading their Community Planning Department. He holds a B.Sc. degree in landscape architecture and urban planning from Iowa State University and a Master’s degree in urban design from Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

Muriel Xochimitl - Communications Consultant (X-Factor)

Muriel Xochimitl is the President of X-Factor Strategic Communications, a full-service communications firm specializing in public education campaigns, media relations, stakeholder facilitation and grassroots public involvement. Before founding X-Factor, Muriel served as the Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC) communications and government affairs director. In this capacity, Muriel was the liaison on behalf of the organization to federal, state and local elected officials across the Wasatch Front.

Prior to working at WFRC, Muriel served as a communications manager in the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) Planning Division. She has also served as UDOT Regional Communications Manager, overseeing the media relations and public involvement on behalf of UDOT for six counties. Muriel has worked as a Project Manager for The Langdon Group, managing the company’s strategic communications efforts in Salt Lake and Utah Counties.

Before moving to Utah, Muriel served in Congress as a staffer for the House Foreign Affairs Committee and worked as a legislative consultant in the travel and tourism industry. She is a contributing writer to Utah Policy, Utah’s premier news source for policymakers, and has served as an Eagle Mountain City Planning Commissioner. She holds a B.A. in political science from Brigham Young University and an M.A. in international development from The Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies.

Erin Talkington - Real Estate Strategist (RCLCO)

Erin Talkington is a Managing Director based in RCLCO’s Washington, DC office. Since joining the firm in 2010, Erin has engaged with a wide variety of clients in both the public and private sectors to provide market and economic analysis that guides development and planning decisions. Her experience includes highest and best use analysis for large mixed-use sites, downtown and corridor revitalization studies, and regional growth analysis. Applicable to projects of all types and scales, Erin’s strength is her ability to quickly synthesize the key market opportunities and strategic positioning for a particular site and communicate that vision to project team members, clients, and community stakeholders.

She has been part of regional growth and visioning exercises in Utah since 2013 and was part of the Envision Utah team that worked with the State’s development commission to create the vision for The Point of the Mountain area in 2016-2018.

Erin draws upon a broad background in planning and real estate development. Prior to RCLCO, she gained project management experience for The Reinvestment Fund Development Partners and exposure to transportation planning at Kittelson & Associates. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. Erin is a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), and part of the ULI Washington district council’s Advisory Board and ULI’s Technology and Real Estate national product council.

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