Kurtis Fredericks

Kurtis Fredericks is the founder and president of North Davis Project Illumination. He is a licensed Civil Engineer and currently works for Dominion Energy as the Supervisor of Distribution Engineering. He graduated from the University of Utah in 2011 with a B.S. Civil Engineering and received a Master of Business Administration degree from Weber State University in 2018. He also holds a Graduate Certificate in Contract Management, and an Associate of Science degree in Design Graphics Engineering Technology. Kurtis is also a licensed Fireworks Display Operator in the state of Utah and works for Vortex Productions, working on many of the city fireworks displays in Utah. 

Kurtis is the father of five children and enjoys spending time with his wife and children - especially lazy movie nights! He enjoys music and plays the trumpet and Irish tin whistle. He is also the designer and head pyrotechnician for the Illumination fireworks display.

Why Illumination? "I saw a strong need for mental health to be addressed in our community. I am not a professional working in this field, so I needed to surround myself with people who are - which I have had the blessing to work with some of the most amazing people. The message I wanted to spread is that we all have a light inside of us just waiting to grow. When we find our light and allow it to grow, we find a sense of purpose and meaning. When we feel like we mean something to the world we feel a sense of purpose, we are happier, and can begin to thrive." 

"I want Illumination to be a celebration of good mental health, not just another boring conversation about what we should be doing - but an interactive and fun way to learn about what we can be doing daily to improve our mental health and well-being."

"Why a fireworks display? Well, fireworks are one of my "sparks" or that light inside of me - so I want to share it. What better way to demonstrate what the world would look like if we all shared our "sparks" - each with a different color, a different purpose, a different sound, a unique effect. It is beautiful! And I can't wait to see the display that our community will be when we all find and share our "sparks" with each other."