Lehi People
Chick-Fil-A Citizen of the Month: Lehi’s Janys Hutchings’ legacy of community service
Janys Hutchings has actively served the community of Lehi for over 40 years. She has spent countless hours organizing parades and learning and applying the Lehi development code. She has seen firsthand the opportunities and challenges of the growth Lehi has experienced while serving on the Lehi City Planning Commission for 18 years. Prior to her service on the Planning Commission, Janys served for four years on the Board of Adjustment.
“Serving on the Planning Commission was rewarding for me. It was always thrilling when I could see a project come together and visualize how it would benefit the community,” said Janys. “Thanksgiving Point was a project in which I could see the potential benefits for the community. It was exciting when it came to fruition because it really enhanced the community and has made it a more positive place to be.”
Janys served on the Lehi City parade committee for 14 years and “loved every minute of it.” She said, “I have always wanted to make a contribution to the community I have grown to love.”
Janys married Lehi resident Bret Hutchings and moved to Lehi as a new bride over 40 years ago. She values community engagement and the ability to strengthen relationships through community service and has always sought out opportunities to volunteer.
“I love Lehi. There is a strong community spirit in Lehi with family-friendly neighborhoods and city events. I really felt the urgency to get involved and do my part to support the community,” she said. “When I moved to Lehi, I volunteered to work with the parade committee and being involved really made me feel like I belonged here.”
As a successful business owner of Hutch’s Home Furnishings for 42 years, Janys valued customer service and strived to provide positive experiences and build relationships with the public.
“As a business owner in Lehi, I enjoyed working with the public. I loved hearing their stories and sharing their love for the community. People desire the feel of a hometown, and Hutch’s tried to provide that with a high level of customer service,” said Janys.
She also worked as an educator for Alpine School District. She spent 30 years teaching geography and social sciences to junior high school students and dedicated her efforts to providing a “meaningful and educational experience” to every student who graced her classroom.
“You never have a boring day at junior high school,” said Janys. “That is what made it not only fun, but interesting.”
While teaching, Janys was one of 20 educators selected countrywide by National Geographic for an educational trip to Iceland. The Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship provided educators with a circumnavigation of Iceland and included sessions on storytelling, biomimicry and story mapping.
“I felt blessed for the opportunity to travel to Iceland to study tourism and gain a better understanding of the inherent dangers in the beauty of landscape,” said Janys. “This allowed me to become a better geography teacher and to teach about the natural dangers in our environment.”
Janys and her husband raised four children in Lehi and she feels “grateful” for a community of such support and love.
She believes that volunteering your time to participate in local initiatives provides opportunities for people to connect with one another. “Serving in your community can foster trust and you can gain a better understanding of those you serve,” said Janys.
“I would encourage everyone to seek out opportunities to engage and serve. If you want to contribute to the community, get involved. You will make lasting friendships and feel a sense of belonging,” Janys added.
In honor of Janys Hutchings’ legacy of community service, Chick-fil-A in American Fork has graciously provided a celebratory meal for the Hutchings family.
