David Kitchen: Always Destined for Public Service

David Kitchen has always been drawn to service-oriented work.

As a teenager, for instance, the Vernal, Utah native was given the choice of selling chocolates or doing yardwork to raise money for an upcoming band trip.

“I chose the yardwork,” says Kitchen now.

Another example: as an undergraduate at Brigham Young University, Kitchen began studying engineering. But he also wanted to explore teaching and communications.

“Even in my final year, I wasn’t sure what career path I wanted to pursue,” says Kitchen, who went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in communications from BYU.

In the face of that uncertainty, though, he felt a pull toward the human resources function.

“Like many people, I didn’t know what HR involved, so I met with a career counselor who suggested I buy a used textbook on Amazon to learn more,” says Kitchen, referring to The Management of Human Resources, by David Cherrington, a 691-page, research-based textbook designed to impart the basic principles of the HR function.

“I did exactly that, and I loved it.”

Kitchen is currently the human resources director with Lehi City, Utah. He’s held that role since March 2013, and is also a partner with Compensation Survey System, where he creates compensation survey systems and HR tools for public sector agencies.

His first role in HR, though, was as a recruiter with a software company, “where I learned about relationship building and marketing,” says Kitchen. Soon after starting in that role in 2007, Kitchen earned a master’s in public administration from BYU, “which aligned with my interests and gave me practical knowledge and tools to support employees in the public sector.”

Kitchen’s other public sector HR roles include stints as an HR technician and a research/quality assurance consultant with the Utah Department of Human Resource Management.

Spending the last roughly 20 years working in state and local government “has become a dream career I didn’t know I had,” he says, “supporting and advocating for the often overlooked yet invaluable teams who provide essential services to our communities.”

Kitchen has been an integral part of the PSHRA community since becoming a member in 2017, serving as president of the Utah Chapter from 2018 to 2020, and currently serving as a PSHRA West Advisory Committee member.

“As I started my career, I quickly recognized the value of networking,” says Kitchen, who also taught an executive MPA human resources class at BYU in 2019.

“I landed my first job out of graduate school through alumni connections. As I progressed, I also learned how much experienced professionals could accelerate my growth. They had ‘been there, done that,’ and knew what truly mattered.”

Connecting with PSHRA “became an essential part of that success,” he adds, expressing his gratitude for the relationships he’s built through PSHRA chapters, regional committees and national conferences.

“Belonging to PSHRA has supercharged my development and opened doors I never expected. It has not only helped me achieve my personal goals, but has also inspired me to set even higher ones.”