Clark L. Whitworth
Chief Financial Officer
Larry H. Miller Group of Automotive Companies
Centerville, Utah
Dean’s Convocation – Friday, January 27, 2006
Decide what you are and make it work for you.
Clark Whitworth began his career with the Larry H. Miller Group (LHMG) in 1987 working on special projects including Delta Center finance as well as 401K and financial administration, culminating in his appointment as chief financial officer in the early 90’s. Among his many responsibilities, he oversees insurance, risk management, banking relationships and securitizations.
Clark had an aptness for education and in 1982 he graduated in just three years with his degree in accounting as well as a minor in Spanish. Clark credits Larzette Hale–Wilson in USU's School of Accountancy as being instrumental in setting up an interview for him with Peat Marwick & Mitchell in New Orleans. He worked there a year and a half before taking a position with Deloitte Haskins and Sells in public accounting. Two years later he moved to the Rick Warner Auto Group, which gave him his background in the automotive industry. Three years later he had the pleasure of meeting Larry H. Miller.
The Larry H. Miller Group is one of the ten largest retail automobile operations in the United States. Larry and his wife, Gail, also own the Delta Center arena in downtown Salt Lake City; the Utah Jazz (a National Basketball Association team); numerous Fanzz sports retail stores; and KJZZ, a Utah television station. Most recently they have acquired the Jordan Commons companies, an office/entertainment complex in Sandy, Utah, which includes the Mayan restaurant, and 17 movie theatres, plus 12 theatres at the Gateway in Salt Lake City. The LHMG has acquired more than 40 dealerships in six states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah, which sell nearly every vehicle make and model. Sales for LHMG exceeded $2.5 billion in 2005.
Clark has served his community in many ways over the years. He was a member of the board for the LHMG Charities and served on a sub-committee of the Centerville Planning & Zoning and with various church affiliations as well as a scout master. Clark met his wife, Jennifer (Rasmussen), in a statistics class while they were both attending Utah State University. They and their children enjoy both summer and winter sports–snow, water and golf. Of their five children, their oldest son is currently attending USU studying accounting just like his father and his grandfather. Clark recalls a photograph hanging on the wall in the School of Accountancy of his father taken in 1952, recognizing him as the top graduate in accounting for that year.
The presentation was videotaped, and you can view this entire presentation by clicking here: watch video