Alumni and Friends Directory

Lynnette Thorne Hansen

Lynnette Thorne Hansen

Title: Owner

Company: Wasatch Property Management

Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

Educational Background

MS, Business Education, Utah State University, 1974
BS, Business Administration, Utah State University, 1973


Huntsman School Interactions:

National Advisory Board Member 2007 - 2021
Spirit of Old Main Recipient - October 11, 2013
Dean's Convocation Speaker - September 28, 2011
Executive Leadership Speaker - April 8, 2009
Professional Achievement Award Recipient - 2007
USU Distinguished Alumni Award - 2007

Biography

Lynnette Hansen was in third grade when a teacher got her excited about teaching. As she set her sights on becoming a teacher, she excelled academically. She graduated from Sky View High School in 1969 with a 3.9 GPA and was voted the "Most Outstanding Senior."

Ms. Hansen, a Cache Valley native, said that when she went to school at Utah State University she felt the college opened up a world of possibilities to her. She earned her bachelor's degree in business administration and graduated cum laude in 1973. She earned her master's degree in business education at USU and graduated in 1974.

After working for Thorne & Wilson Investment Securities and working as a teaching assistant at Utah State University, she got a job in the San Diego Community College District. Eventually, she was teaching various business courses at Mesa College in San Diego.

After serving as the financial manager of a material supply business and working for seven years in marketing real estate in San Diego, Ms. Hansen moved back to Utah to work with her father in 1990. She was preparing to take over as chief financial officer when her father sold his firm, Thorne & Wilson Investment Securities, to A.G. Edwards. She worked for A.G. Edwards as an investment broker for five years.

In 1997, Wasatch Property Management managed 2,000 apartment units in Arizona and California. Now, several years later, with the help of hundreds of employees, the firm manages 10,000 units in Tucson, San Diego, Sacramento, Fresno, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Seattle. The firm owns several key buildings in downtown Salt Lake City, including the Wells Fargo Tower, the Ken Garff Building, and the Chase Building. Wasatch Property Management also owns a commercial development called The Woodlands in Salt Lake City and developed the Riverwoods business park on 700 South and Main Street in Logan. Riverwoods features several businesses including a Marriott Suites, an Elements Restaurant, a convention center, and offices for Wasatch Property Management.

The Hansen Charitable Support Foundation donated to the North Logan Library in memory of Ms. Hansen's father, James P. Thorne.

Ms. Hansen said she feels investing in students is an effective way to help people in need because a higher education "teaches them to fish," allowing them to be self-sufficient leaders who can contribute to the community.

In 2007, Utah State University honored her with the prestigious Distinguished Alumnus Award, recognizing vocational success and contributions to the community.