GET TO KNOW OUR EXECUTIVE TEAM

The Executive Leadership Team manages the day-to-day activities of the association. This team includes the President, Vice-President of Memberships, Memberships Director, Executive Director and our Board Members.

2025 EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM

president

MATT ATKINSON

Matt Atkinson has been financing it, fixing it, flipping it, or renting it for over 21 years, having amassed a rental portfolio consisting of 100+ properties valued north of $29M. Add another $7.5M in flips and well over 30,000 hours of experience and that just about starts to round out the profile.

In addition to educating others on how to invest in real estate (MJA REAL Consulting), Matt also owns and operates MJA REAL Property Management and MJA REAL Estate and has been a mortgage lending professional for over 23 years.

For over 10 years, Matt has served many roles throughout his tenure at Utah Valley Real Estate Investors Association (UVREIA), including President four times.

In addition, Matt has been a board member of the Salt Lake Real Estate Investors Association (SLREIA) for 13 years, a member of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) for 9 years and the Utah Association of Mortgage Professionals (UAMP) for 8 years.

BEN LAKEY | VP, EXPERIENCE

Ben began his real estate career flipping homes in 2002. He was deployed with the Utah National Guard in 2006, and after returning home Ben returned to real estate with a few small development projects until the market crashed in 2007. Throughout the recession he worked on distressed asset projects, while also attending Brigham Young University (BYU) Law School from 2010-2012. In 2013, Ben opened his own law firm specializing in real estate law and continued to flip houses, develop land into commercial and residential properties, structure real estate investments, and manage self-storage facilities.

Ben is a principal of DL Asset Management and Build Vacations. Ben’s primary areas of focus are land acquisition, development, and legal affairs. Ben continues to manage his own real estate investments. As an attorney, Ben handles real estate development and investments.

GRADEN OSTLER | VP, MEMBERSHIP

Graden grew up in Orem, Utah and is now settled down with his family in Vineyard. Graden personally owns and manages 12 doors in Utah County, an estimated 4 million dollars in real estate that generates $60,000 a year in passive income. He is a certified Continuing Education Instructor at the Division, teaching his popular class, ‘Buy and Hold’. He has Personally executed a 1031 exchange and has helped clients do the same. He has been personally investing for over 12 years, has extensive property renovation experience, knows the Utah county rental market very well, which all further qualifies him to help people buy and sell as a Realtor.

CARMEN HALL | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Carmen is a mother of 4 amazing children and has been married for 20 years. She immigrated from South Africa at the age of 17 along with her family, because of this she understands what it is like to start over and work hard to build a future. She readily expresses gratitude for the opportunities this country has given her and for those who selflessly protect the freedoms she enjoys.

KRISTIN HACKING | DIRECTOR, SOCIAL MEDIA

Kristin was born and raised in Vernal, Utah. She moved to the big city in 2006 to fulfill a full-ride softball scholarship at Salt Lake Community College.

Kristin is the epitome of a Property Management Professional. Accumulating 12 years of Management experience, she specializes in managing both single family and multi-family portfolios, all while bringing on new owners into management. Kristin has gained valuable experience and knowledge being an active part of groups such as UVREIA, NARPM, The Utah Apartment Associations and holds a Utah Professional Rental Operator Designation. Kristin has served on the board of UVREIA for going on her 3rd year.

Kristin has been a member of the MJA Real Group team since 2019. Kristin also holds an active real estate license since 2015 and specializes in selling tenant occupied homes, assisting in acquiring additional rental income properties for investors, and analyzing rentals for the best possible cash flow.

KELLY OVARD | DIRECTOR, MEMBERSHIPS

As a military spouse, Kelly Ovard traveled the country and world for 20 years before settling in Pleasant Grove, Utah. Each place she moved her family, they bought, sold, and rented – and in doing so became very familiar with the stresses changing homes creates. Her realtors became invaluable resources to help ease that stress and ensure the real estate part of the move became as simple as possible. When she settled in Utah in 2012 it was only natural for her to become involved in real estate as well- this time as an investor herself, and a resource for others looking to invest, as the buying and selling process is unique from an investors perspective.

T.W. TAYLOR | DIRECTOR, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

T.W. has been a real estate investor in Utah and other states for 20+ years; he is also a licensed general contractor in Utah. Prior to moving to Utah, T.W. spent 22 years in the military serving in several different states and countries. Upon moving back to the states, he began to invest in real estate and has over a dozen properties in several different locations throughout the states. His interests are helping others achieve their goals and dreams, spending time with family and friends, anything outdoors and helping others connect family history with relatives.

ADAM YORK | DIRECTOR, SPONSORSHIPS

Adam bought his first rental in 2012 and has acquired 51 investment doors since. His experience ranges from house-hacking, to buying, selling, fixing, flipping, and holding single-family, multi-family and furnished rental investment properties. Adam’s experience has been shaped by successes, failures, wins, losses, and valuable lessons learned.
Passionate about empowering others, Adam dedicates time to mentoring fellow investors and entrepreneurs, sharing his expertise to help them navigate the complexities of real estate and achieve their goals with confidence.

BOARD MEMBERS

JORDY CLARK | BOARD

Jordy Clark, Associate Broker at eXp Realty, launched his real estate journey in 2009 when a mentor invited him to San Diego to renovate houses and surf. What started as a temporary gig ignited a lifelong passion. After a stint as a loan officer at a local credit union, Jordy transitioned to real estate in 2014, seeking a more dynamic career. Since then, he’s played a key role in over 750 transactions, earning a reputation as a dedicated broker who guides clients—both new investors and loyal repeat/referral partners—toward building wealth through real estate.

Beyond his brokerage work, Jordy is an accomplished investor, owning approximately 42 rental properties. Recently, he expanded his entrepreneurial portfolio by acquiring a men’s health clinic in Montana. When he’s not strategizing real estate deals or growing his latest venture, Jordy cherishes time with his three children—Brinley (9), Noah (5), and Amelia (2)—and embraces the outdoors. Whether mountain biking, boating, hiking, hunting, or camping, Jordy lives life to the fullest!

STEVE GARRETT | BOARD

Steve was raised on a horse and cattle ranch in central Texas. His first experiences with negotiation were watching his father over the bed of a pickup truck, arrange to buy and sell everything from vehicles to livestock. Often his father told him stories about owning property that he long since sold in the 50’s and 60’s and how much more money it would be worth years later. Steve bought his first home for $43,500 @ 8.5% interest in 1995 at the age of 20. Steve’s first rental home was renting a primary residence he decided to hold in 2007 after deciding to move to a new home. Since then he has been involved in dozens of real estate transactions. Some of these have included purchases made “subject to” with and without additional notes or creative methods of finance. He has gotten paid money at closing to buy his first apartment complex. Steve loves buying real estate with little to no money down. Between 3 transactions he has secured over $2 million in cash flowing real estate with a net positive amount out of pocket at time of purchase between the 3.

Steve also serves as Vice President of Nu-way industries a California based real estate corporation with holdings in Utah, Colorado and California. These include triple net leases on properties leased by business with household names.

Steve most enjoys seeing his wife and family with smiling faces and seeks to use real estate as a tool and a path to secure wealth to help bring life to his family’s dreams.

DEREK SMART | BOARD

Derek is fortunate to have been involved with real estate from the day he was born. From the time of his childhood, his family has been farming raw ground, holding the land while it increases in value and developing it into its highest and best use.
Although he enjoyed rising early to work with his hands on machinery and livestock, he chose to pursue a university education and graduated from both Snow College and Utah State University.
While finishing his business and finance degree at Utah State, he read the book “Rich Dad Poor Dad” and became more excited about real estate and investing personally.
This helped him realize the importance of cash flow, owning assets, and tax planning which led him and his wife to purchase investment properties.
Derek enjoys helping others through real estate financing as a mortgage loan officer with Independent Home Loans as well as tax planning and preparation with The Jones CPA Group.