Dave Buhler, longtime commissioner of higher education and politician, dies at 67

SALT LAKE CITY — Dave Buhler, a longtime politician and former Utah commissioner of higher education, has died at the age of 67.

“Dave Buhler was a pillar of the community who was dedicated to public service,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox wrote in a statement posted Wednesday to the social media platform X. “Abby and I are grateful for his friendship, his generosity and his commitment to our state. We send our deepest condolences to his family and offer prayers of gratitude for his life well lived.”

Buhler — a Salt Lake City native and career Republican — was named Utah’s eighth commissioner of higher education in 2012 after serving as the associate commissioner for the previous 12 years. He held the role of commissioner for over seven years before stepping down in 2019.

“Serving as commissioner has been the professional opportunity of a lifetime. After more than 19 years in the Utah System of Higher Education, over seven of those as commissioner, my family and I concluded it was time to begin a new chapter in our lives. I believe change is good for organizations and individuals,” Buhler said in a statement at the time of his resignation.

Prior to his stint as commissioner, Buhler taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Utah from 1990 to 2006 and served as a Utah state senator from 1995 to 1999.

He was executive director of the Utah Department of Commerce from 1989 to 1992 and served on the staffs of Gov. Norman Bangerter from 1985 to 1988 and Sen. Orrin Hatch from 1979 to 1984.

Continuing his political journey, Buhler was a member of the Salt Lake City Council from 2000 to 2008.

Read the full story and more from Logan Stefanich on KSL.com.

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