by Jessica Neal – Orem News Report
It was when Crystal Muhlestein was standing on the freeway, alone with her kids, facing a blown out tire, that she realized the importance of being able to pivot.
“Rarely when you’re travelling does everything go exactly as planned,” she said.
She had taken her kids on a several-week road trip when her husband had to work. They travelled down the coast of Washington, Oregon and California when she was forced to fix her flat tire.
Welcoming a change in plans, Crystal Muhlestein took on a new role as an Orem City Council Member this January.
“Being able to pivot from thing to thing, that’s something that I’ve worked to teach my kids,” she said, recounting the trip.
When she lost her first campaign for city council, Muhlestein knew she needed to shift her goals and continue working.
“It was a little bit discouraging,” she said, regarding the loss. “But at the same time it opened a lot of doors for me to do other things.”
She spent the time between elections involved in local politics through the Utah County Republican Party, getting to know local legislators.
Outside of her time in government work, Muhlestein keeps a busy schedule with her family.
She grew up in Central Valley region in California, and was the youngest of eight kids. She said that it was always a party. She came to Utah to attend college at Brigham Young University, where she studied exercise science.
She met her husband, Jordan, and moved from Utah to Ohio, where he attended law school and got a masters degree. Following his graduation, they moved back to Utah, where Jordan started working for Intermountain Health, and they’ve been here ever since.
“The longer we lived here, the more we all grew to love Orem and I can’t imagine having raised my kids anywhere else. This is home, and it’s the longest place I’ve lived in my whole life,” she said.
Muhlestein has spent most of her adult life being a stay at home mom. “Being at home with my kids has been my top priority,” Muhlestein said.
She spent a lot of time in their schools, involved in the PTA and volunteering in the classroom. She also got certified to substitute teach when the principal of her kids’ elementary school said they were in need.
That’s how she originally got involved in government processes, as the school district tried to close five schools, one of which being her kids’ elementary school.
“I knew that closing the school was not the right decision, they would detrimentally impact the neighborhood and community,” she said.
With a coalition of parents, Muhlestein was able to save three schools from closing.
“Through that process…I just realized I needed to be more involved in my local community,” she said.
Muhlestein decided to get involved locally, which eventually led to her current position on Orem’s City Council.
“I really love learning about all of the different things that the city is doing to serve the people who live here, it’s amazing to see,” she said.
When asked about her plans for the term, Muhlestein said her goal is to “represent the people of Orem.” She said she did not come into the council with a particular project she wanted to accomplish, but her excitement has grown as she’s learned more about the city.
“I definitely have imposter syndrome,” she said. “I will give it my all and do my best.”
Muhlestein is the youngest person on the city council, and said she’s grateful to represent a younger demographic.
“We see things differently in different ages in our life, and so being able to have a bigger variety represented is helpful,” she said.
She also credited her role as a mom in her ability to understand key issues facing Orem and take on necessary qualities of a successful leader.
“When the plan changes, you change with it,” she said.
Muhlestein is prepared to take that attitude to city council, she said she is ready to embrace whatever is headed her way.
“If at the end of this I can say that I listened and represented the needs and viewpoints of residents in Orem, then I have succeeded.”