Lisa Gough

2017 SLCC Distinguished Alumni

Lisa Gough returned to school after she was passed up for a promotion at a local HVAC company solely because she didn’t have a college degree. “The day my boss told me I wouldn’t be considered is the day that I enrolled at SLCC,” Gough recalls. She enrolled at Salt Lake Community College and received her associate’s degree in business in 1995. A single mother at the time, she credits the college for accommodating students who are trying to balance work and family by offering a wide range of class availability. “It was flexible, which helped tremendously because I was a nontraditional student at the time,” Gough says. “I thought the small class sizes made a big difference. They created a great learning environment.” Gough says that many of the classes at SLCC helped teach fundamental skills such as public speaking, communication and collaboration, all core skills she continues to use today.

She continued her education and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Utah in 1997, the same year she was hired as a staff accountant at Sysco Intermountain. She earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Westminster College in 2007, walking on graduation day with her son, Justin.

Gough went on to hold several high-ranking positions before being promoted to president of Sysco Intermountain in 2010. She was elevated further to corporate vice president of Sysco in 2015.  

She has been featured as one of Utah's 30 Women to Watch by Utah Business in 2009. In 2013, the Salt Lake Chamber honored Gough by naming her a “prominent woman” in local business. Gough has volunteered with The First Tee of Utah and donated to a variety of local charities each year.