Wikipedia:Steve Starks

Steven E. Starks (born 1979) is an American businessman. Starks is CEO of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies (LHM). Starks was president of the Utah Jazz professional basketball team.

Career
Before joining LHM Group, Starks worked as managing director for the Utah Policy Partnership, a public-private partnership dedicated to improving the quality of  public policy in the state.

Starks was a friend and protégé of the late billionaire Larry H. Miller. He joined the LHM Group in 2007. Starks was initially hired with no job title but with a notion to integrating him into the business as dictated by his competencies.

At LHM Group, Starks led mergers and acquisitions and oversaw various business units in the organization. In 2015, Starks became president of the Utah Jazz professional basketball team and Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment where he served as an alternate governor for the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Board of Governors. In this role, he oversaw the Salt Lake City Stars minor league basketball team, the Salt Lake Bees minor league baseball team, the Vivint Smart Home Arena, Megaplex Theatres, the Tour of Utah bicycle race, and the 1280 AM radio station.

Starks led several initiatives as president of the Jazz including leading the award-winning renovation of the Vivint Smart Home Arena. This was a $125-million project to renovate one of the oldest arenas in the NBA which was completed in 129 days. The Jazz also secured the NBA All-Star Game in 2023 and returned to the playoffs under his leadership. Starks later negotiated a majority sell of the team to technology entrepreneur Ryan Smith. Starks was known for being actively involved in both the business and basketball side of the Utah Jazz during his time as team president.

Starks succeeded Clark Whitworth as CEO of the LHM Group in 2019. Starks was selected after a national search that included numerous internal and external candidates and a rigorous interview process. He is head of all companies in the LHM Group.

Public service
In 2004, Starks served on the campaign transition team of governor-elect Jon Huntsman.

Starks has served as chairman of the Salt Lake Chamber’s Board of Governors. He also served as a trustee of Weber State University.

Starks served as a trustee for the Road Home from 2013 to 2014.

Early life, education, and family
Starks graduated from Weber State University with an undergraduate degree in business in 2003.

Starks and his wife have three children. As of 2017, he lived in South Jordan.

Recognition
Starks was named a “Forty Under 40” awardee by Utah Business Magazine in 2012.

Starks was named to the “Forty Under 40 Sports Executives” by Sports Business Journal.