Leadership, service, and a shared commitment to education have brought three generations of one family together within the Utah Chapter of the ARCS Foundation.

Kim Hood’s professional journey has long bridged research, public service, and higher education. While a graduate student at the University of Utah, her research in healthcare connected her to then-Governor Mike Leavitt’s office of data analytics. After graduation, Hood continued working in government and later served as a Cabinet member for Governors Jon Huntsman and Gary Herbert.

As Hood began considering retirement, a longtime friend suggested a new path forward. Nancy Spetzler, an active ARCS member in Arizona and former National President, encouraged her to explore the Utah ARCS Chapter. One phone call to Cece Foxley, then Utah Commissioner of Higher Education, led to a warm welcome. Today, Kim Hood serves as President of ARCS Utah.

Hood soon recruited two familiar and trusted collaborators: her daughter, Diane Feinauer, now a member of the Utah ARCS Board, and her granddaughter, Isabella (“Bella”) Feinauer, a Young Professional member. Together, the three bring complementary skills and perspectives to the chapter.

“I love working alongside my mom in anything that she does, and now getting to work alongside my daughter is a really fun and exciting adventure,” Diane says.

She sees ARCS as a natural extension of her own work in alumni engagement and nonprofit leadership.

“What my mom is trying to do is on point—finding people who want to give back in meaningful ways at different stages of their lives. That’s the foundation of what will strengthen this chapter,” Diane says.

Diane brings extensive experience in promotional marketing, brand building, and nonprofit leadership, having worked with Fortune 500 companies and mission-driven organizations alike.

Bella represents the next generation of ARCS leadership. A recent graduate of Baylor University with degrees in biology and economics, she now works at the University of Utah Hospital as a clinical research coordinator. Her focus within ARCS is on engaging younger members and modernizing outreach.

“Right out of college, it’s nice to find places where you can speak intellectually about what you’re passionate about and continue learning,” Bella says.

She supports the chapter through social media strategy, technology tools, alumni outreach, and speaker topic development, often with an eye toward issues that resonate with younger professionals.

For Hood, the multi-generational collaboration strengthens both the chapter and its reach.

“We’ve got the full demographic covered,” she says. “There’s no reason we can’t refresh, renew, and energize this organization, and it’s already happening.”