Dr. Rick Robins
Superintendent
Dr. Rick L. Robins is the superintendent of Canyons School District. Dr. Robins, who was selected by the Canyons Board of Education after a national search, brings 24 years of experience as an educator to his role as the chief executive officer of Utah’s fifth-largest school district. Prior to joining Canyons, Dr. Robins, who earned an Ed.D. from the University of Las Vegas, for six years was Superintendent of the Juab School District, based in Nephi, Utah. While there, Dr. Robins, who also was the Juab High School Principal from 2009-2013, helped oversee efforts to improve the district’s graduation rate to 97 percent, a double-digit increase over a 10-year period. Other innovations he led in Juab included a partnership with Arizona State University for blended-learning opportunities; the launch of a districtwide competency-based personalized learning model driven by a 1:1 technology initiative and standards-based reporting system; and the construction of the STEM-focused West Campus Innovations Center, funded largely through private and corporate sponsorships. Dr. Robins began his career as a history teacher at Copper Hills High in the Jordan School District and has worked as an assistant principal and principal in the Alpine, Nebo and Juab school districts. He was the 2012 Utah High School Principal of the Year for the Utah Association of Secondary School Principals, and in 2014 earned the Lexington Institute Superintendent Fellowship Award presented to innovative superintendents across the country. Dr. Robins was starting quarterback for the football team at Southern Utah University Thunderbirds from 1991-1995, and in 2013 was inducted into SUU’s Athletic Hall of Fame. He has four children and one grandchild.
Leon Wilcox
Business Administrator and CFO
Leon Wilcox is a seasoned professional with 20 years of governmental accounting experience, with an emphasis on financial reporting, budgeting, and auditing. As Canyons District’ Director of Accounting from 2009-2013, Wilcox was intricately involved with the 2009 division of $1.5 billion in assets of the former Jordan School District, and was responsible for establishing Canyons’ original and subsequent budgets. Wilcox, a certified public accountant who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from Utah State University, also has worked nine years in the Granite School District and six years in the State Auditor’s Office.
Supervises: Accounting and Budget Services, Facilities and Maintenance, Insurance, New Construction Budget, Nutrition Services, Purchasing, Payroll
Dr. Robert M. Dowdle
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and School Performance
Robert Dowdle has a Doctor of Education degree with an emphasis in Educational Leadership and Policy from the University of Utah, and more than 31 years of experience as a teacher and educational leader. He began his career at Mount Jordan Middle School, where he taught Earth Science, English and Social Studies. He later taught Advanced Placement Economics, U.S. History and World History at Bingham High School, and served as Principal of Jordan High School and Assistant Principal for Alta High School and Brighton High School. Dowdle has served in the District office for 11 years as Assistant Superintendent. This role has included various leadership responsibilities, including Chief of Staff and Chief Operating Officer. Dr. Dowdle currently serves as the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and School Performance.
Annual Conference! I always come away feeling inspired and empowered to make a difference in our schools. It was a true pleasure to spend time with my Canyons Board of Education colleagues and learn from other school board members from around the nation. #NSBA2023 #publiceducation 
It was such a great experience to attend the Brighton High Feeder School luncheon, which was held recently. I loved getting to know other parents and administrators who care about Canyons schools as much as I do. We discussed the legislative session and got updates on Brighton High. Thanks to the Brighton School Community Council for bringing us all together! Shout out to the incredible students that made our meal! The churros were so yummy!
But in Canyons, we are building communities of readers with activities like the annual Book Blitz and Book Blitz Jr. contests — and it’s a community that anyone can join! Book Blitz is a Jeopardy-style competition where student teams are challenged to answer questions about the characters and plots of pre-selected books. I had the pleasure of observing the District-level contest this year and was so impressed by the students’ grasp of the smallest details from the books they read. Keep in mind, many middle school students read all 20 required books and a good number of elementary students read all 12 of their required books. Congratulations to all who took up the reading challenge, and kudos to this year’s winners:
I had a great time at the Glacier Hills Elementary Spring Fling! It was wonderful to see our community come together, exploring and appreciating the school’s facilities. The kids had a blast participating in entertaining games, and the food trucks were on hand to serve up some tasty treats. The atmosphere was energetic, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Witnessing such enthusiasm and dedication to education in our community is truly motivating. As we continue supporting our local schools, we reinforce the importance of education to our children. Here’s to a successful event, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a memorable gathering!
I had the pleasure of attending the Book Blitz Jr. championship event and am delighted to offer my heartfelt congratulations to the amazing team from Sunrise Elementary for their exceptional victory in the districtwide competition. It was inspiring to see young students embrace the joy of reading and challenge themselves to explore new books and genres.
It’s truly inspiring to witness the passion and dedication of our young leaders as they strive to make a difference in their school community. I recently had the pleasure of spending some time with the Glacier Hills Elementary Student Council, and I can confidently say that the future is in good hands.
These young visionaries have undoubtedly laid the groundwork for a strong foundation in leadership and community service.
Spring must finally be here! I recently attended Glacier Hills Elementary’s Spring Fling open house. They opened the building to those in the community who live in the area but do not currently have students attending the school. They showcased student artwork and writing down the hallways. Teachers were running games outside. There were booths for AVID, the PTA, and Alta View Hospital, and of course, food trucks. The Yeti was wandering around for photos. Purchasing school t-shirts proved to be a big hit with the parents. It was a wonderful way to build school-to-community connections.
Finally, I had the opportunity to participate in a Zoom presentation on “The Weight of Injustice: Exploring the Intersectionality of Fatphobia, Racism, and Mental Health” presented by the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC). This provided an interesting perspective on historical and present-day causes of some of the mental health issues facing children. Knowledge is the first step as we strive to always improve in supporting all students to reach their potential.
