Mike Southwick: Lehi Rodeo & City Council History | Roots & Branches

Lifelong Lehi resident Mike Southwick shares 50 years of rodeo leadership, 12 years on city council, and stories of community service in this oral history interview with Ryan Harding.

Mike Southwick: Lehi Rodeo & City Council History | Roots & Branches

Lifelong Lehi resident Mike Southwick shares 50 years of rodeo leadership, 12 years on city council, and stories of community service in this oral history interview with Ryan Harding.

Mike Southwick on a Lifetime of Service, the Lehi Round-Up Rodeo, and Keeping Lehi's History Alive

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Who Is Mike Southwick, and Why Does His Story Matter?

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Episode Overview

Guest Name

Role in Lehi

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Episode Highlights

Key Stories from the Interview

Following a Father's Example of Service

12 Years on the Lehi City Council

Nearly 50 Years with the Lehi Round-Up Rodeo

The Invisible Army of 300+ Volunteers

Concession Proceeds That Fund Parade Floats

What This Interview Teaches Us About Lehi

Community & Legacy Themes

Memorable Quotes

Related Lehi Topics & Archive Connections

Explore More Stories from Lehi

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A lifelong Lehi resident reflects on 12 years of city council leadership, nearly 50 years preserving the beloved Round-Up Rodeo, and the family legacy of showing up to serve.

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In this episode of Roots & Branches of Lehi , host Ryan Harding sits down with lifelong resident Mike Southwick , a man whose life and service are deeply woven into the fabric of Lehi. Having lived in Lehi his entire life, Mike shares a perspective that stretches from a small town of just a few thousand residents to the thriving, fast-growing community it is today. His story reflects the values that have long defined Lehi — hard work, family, and a deep commitment to community.

From a 35-year career as an electrical contractor to 12 years serving on the Lehi City Council, Mike has consistently answered the call to serve. His passion for preserving local history and strengthening community ties is evident in his continued involvement with Lehi's historical preservation efforts and city programs. But perhaps nowhere is his impact more visible than in the beloved Lehi Round-Up Rodeo — a cornerstone tradition that brings together families, neighbors, and visitors each summer.

This conversation highlights not just the evolution of Lehi, but the importance of keeping traditions alive — whether through rodeo, parades, or simply showing up to serve. Mike's story is a reminder that community doesn't just happen; it's built, maintained, and passed down through generations. For anyone interested in Lehi, Utah history , community stories , local leadership , rodeo traditions , or the Roots & Branches of Lehi podcast , this interview offers a vital piece of the city's living archive.

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Mike Southwick

Former Lehi City Council Member; Rodeo Committee President; Electrical Contractor

1960s–present

Ryan Harding

Mike traces his ethic of service directly to his father, a volunteer firefighter and rodeo committee leader who eventually served as rodeo president. As a boy, Mike would ride along with his dad to hang banners down Main Street. That early exposure to volunteerism shaped a lifetime of answering the call to serve — from the city council to the rodeo grounds — proving that family legacy is often the seedbed of community leadership.

During three terms on the council, Mike was assigned oversight of the city museum, historical archives, and the preservation committee. He pushed to keep Lehi's physical and documentary history intact so future citizens could learn from the past. Even after stepping down, he continues to serve on those committees — a testament to his belief that institutional memory requires guardians who refuse to let it fade.

Mike joined the rodeo committee at age 22 and has served for 48 years. After years as a committee member and vice president under Stan Lewis, he became president. Under his leadership, the rodeo expanded from three nights to four to meet overwhelming demand — yet tickets still sell out by March. The event now features a drone show and national television exposure on the Cowboy Channel, all while remaining a nonprofit run entirely by volunteers.

Each rodeo night requires roughly 120 concession volunteers and 250 additional volunteers for parking and ticketing — all unpaid. Mike notes that volunteers often return year after year because of the camaraderie, even though the only "payment" is sometimes a hamburger. Without this invisible army, a cornerstone of Lehi culture would simply cease to function.

One of Lehi's most distinctive traditions is the miniature float parade. For generations, local church wards have staffed rodeo concessions, and the proceeds — now roughly $1,000 per participating group — go directly toward building parade floats. This elegant system links two traditions together, turning volunteer labor into creative community celebration.

Mike Southwick's memory is a living archive of Lehi's transformation. When he was young, the city held roughly 6,500 residents — a tight-knit community where neighbors knew one another and civic institutions were small enough to touch. Today, Lehi nears 90,000 residents, a figure that would have seemed unimaginable six decades ago.

Despite that explosive growth, certain traditions have survived precisely because people like Mike insisted on preserving them. The Lehi Round-Up Rodeo is perhaps the most vivid example. While other cities might have allowed such events to be squeezed out by development or commercialized beyond recognition, Lehi's rodeo remains a nonprofit, volunteer-driven celebration with deep roots in the pre-growth era.

The interview also reveals how municipal leadership functioned during a period of rapid change. Mike's oversight of the museum and historical preservation committee shows that Lehi has actively tried to protect its documentary and physical heritage — not as an afterthought, but as a formal priority within city governance. For researchers and residents interested in Lehi city council history , historical preservation in Utah County , or the evolution of Utah County communities , his account provides firsthand insight.

Additionally, the conversation documents the practical challenges of maintaining shared spaces. The rodeo grounds face encroachment from new rail lines, requiring restroom relocation, bleacher reconstruction, and land negotiations. These mundane details illustrate the constant work required to keep heritage institutions functioning in a modernizing landscape.

Finally, Mike's reflections on civic service — that half the people will dislike any decision, and that complaining without contributing is empty — capture a pragmatic philosophy that has historically sustained small-town governance. As Lehi moves further from its small-town origins, preserving that ethos may be as important as preserving any building or tradition.

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This episode connects to broader themes explored across the Roots & Branches of Lehi archive. Listeners interested in Mike's story may also want to explore these related subjects from other interviews:

The Roots & Branches of Lehi archive captures the voices of educators, entrepreneurs, public servants, artists, farmers, and families who have shaped the city. Each episode adds another thread to the story of who Lehi is and who it is becoming.

To enrich this archival page and preserve the visual history of this conversation, the following images would complement the written record:

This transcript has been lightly formatted for readability while preserving the complete conversation. Speaker labels and paragraph breaks have been added; timestamps have been removed.

An oral history archive capturing the stories, people, and traditions that make Lehi, Utah unique. Hosted by Ryan Harding.

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Mike Southwick: Lehi Rodeo & City Council History | Roots & Branches