Utah Unclaimed Property Administrator named President of National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators
SALT LAKE CITY – January 22, 2018 – The Office of the Utah State Treasurer today announced that Utah Unclaimed Property Administrator Dennis Johnston will serve as the 2018 president of the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA).
As an affiliate network of the National Association of State Treasurers (NAST), NAUPA increases awareness of unclaimed property as a vital consumer protection program.
Millions of dollars in lost or unclaimed property is turned over to the State of Utah every year. This money comes from places like dormant bank accounts, old stock certificates and uncollected insurance checks.
“Recent technology improvements have enabled our division to maintain record levels of unclaimed property payouts to rightful owners,” Johnston said. “It is an honor to lead this national network and collaborate with other states on ways we can continue to improve our efforts to get lost property back where it belongs.”
Under Johnston’s leadership, the number of paid unclaimed property claims in Utah has quadrupled, and more than 50 percent of claims are paid in just one week. Utah continues to lead the nation in its efforts to improve unclaimed property processes, including through its 2017 adoption of the revised Unclaimed Property Act.
“I have worked with Dennis in his role as senior vice president at NAUPA and as the Western Region vice president. I look forward to his continued leadership at NAUPA,” NAST President and Vermont State Treasurer Beth Pearce said. “Under the leadership of both Treasurer Damschen and Dennis Johnston, it is no surprise that Utah became one of the first states in the nation to adopt the revised Unclaimed Property Act.”
This is Johnston’s third year serving in NAUPA leadership and sixth year as Utah’s Unclaimed Property administrator.
Lost or abandoned property can be found by searching mycash.utah.gov or by calling 801-715-3300.
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Utah State Treasurer named Senior Vice President of the National Association of State Treasurers
SALT LAKE CITY – January 22, 2018 – The Office of the Utah State Treasurer today announced that Treasurer David Damschen will serve as 2018 senior vice president of the National Association of State Treasurers (NAST).
NAST is a bipartisan association comprised of state treasurers and state finance officials with comparable responsibilities.
“NAST provides a wealth of knowledge and resources to treasurers across the country, enabling us to administer sound financial policies and programs,” Treasurer Damschen said. “It is an honor to serve in this national leadership position, as Utah continues to collaborate with other states on shared fiscal opportunities and challenges.”
The association serves its members through educational conferences and webinars, a variety of working groups, policy advocacy and publications that provide information about developments in public finance. As senior vice president, Treasurer Damschen will be responsible for coordinating the association’s annual conference, serving as liaison to the Corporate Affiliate Board and acting on behalf of the president in her absence.
NAST President and Vermont State Treasurer Beth Pearce said, “Treasurer Damschen is a national leader in public finance and an expert on banking and treasury management. He is a dedicated public servant and a person of integrity. I am proud to serve with him at NAST.”
Treasurer Damschen served as the 2017 chairman of the NAST Legislative Committee, where he helped shape the association’s federal policy agenda and worked with the association’s National Executive Committee to coordinate federal advocacy efforts regarding state financial issues in Washington, D.C.
To learn more about the Office of the Utah State Treasurer, visit: treasurer.utah.gov. Additional information on NAST and its 2018 legislative priorities is available at nast.org.
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