Meet the Huntsman Family
Their passion for this mission and for this movement is as vast as the grief they hold for losing a beloved family member to the challenges around mental health disorders. Stigma held their voice captive for some time but they refuse to let it any longer. They now dedicate that powerful voice to erasing stigma.
"Stigma is the number one reason why people don’t get help."
Christena Huntsman Durham
Executive VP, Huntsman Foundation
David H. Huntsman
David H. Huntsman is President, Chief Operating Officer and Director of The Huntsman Foundation. David currently serves on the Board of Trustees at Utah State University and was a former Trustee at the University of Utah. He has served on a number of other community, state and national boards. He is the father of eight children and eight grandchildren.
Christena Huntsman Durham
Christena Huntsman Durham is the Vice Chair, Executive Vice President and Director of The Huntsman Foundation. She currently sits on the boards of the National Ability Center, Moran Eye Center, Catholic Community Services, The Road Home, Huntsman World Senior Games and the Jon M. Huntsman Community Shelter Trust. She is mother to seven children and grandmother to twelve beautiful grandchildren and a service dog.
Their Story
"We’ve seen the destructive power of mental health issues in our own families and it’s something that affects us all in one way or another. While some people might be lightly impacted, others suffer in a lonely silence of darkness and despair, without seeing a clear path forward in their lives.
Through their philanthropy, our parents dedicated their lives to relieving human suffering of all kinds around the world—donating millions of dollars to establish the Huntsman Cancer Institute, as well as to support survivors of domestic abuse, earthquake and flood victims, international relief efforts, and many other causes.
After our father’s death, we came together as siblings and directors of the Huntsman Foundation to continue his legacy, placing our focus on mental health because of its widespread reach. We determined that the best way to help end the suffering associated with homelessness, addiction, and suicide is by investing in mental health research and treatment.
And while our goals to eliminate stigma, discover new treatments, grow the mental health workforce, and provide equitable care for those in need are challenging, we’re inspired and humbled by the difference we can make, especially when we bring others along to work together.
We invite you to reflect on your own story and join us in our mission to end stigma and change the future of mental health."