Meet Erik Crawthorne

Born and raised in West Point, Erik Craythorne’s story is deeply rooted in the community he has always called home. He is a proud graduate of Clearfield High School and the University of Utah, where he earned a degree in Business Management. Not long after high school, Erik chose to serve a two-year mission in South Korea. That experience broadened his perspective, strengthened his faith, and helped shape a lifelong commitment to service and community.

In 1995, Erik married his first-grade girlfriend, Jil. Together, they built a life centered on family, faith, and giving back. They raised their six children, four boys and two girls, in West Point, believing strongly in the values of hard work, responsibility, and community involvement. Today, Erik and Jil are proud grandparents to six grandchildren, with a seventh on the way. Becoming “Grandpa” has been one of Erik’s greatest joys. He is quick to say that none of his years of public service would have been possible without the constant love, patience, and support of his wife, Jil.

After completing college, Erik returned home to work alongside his family in businesses firmly rooted in the local community. He joined Craythorne Inc., an excavation company, and Craythorne Construction, a custom home-building business, both based in Syracuse. Working side by side with family, building homes, and helping shape neighborhoods gave Erik a firsthand understanding of the challenges facing local businesses, working families, and growing communities.

Erik’s commitment to public service began early. In 2001, at just 27 years old, he was elected to the West Point City Council. Over the next seven years, he worked collaboratively to address growth, infrastructure, and public safety. When then-Mayor John Petroff was elected to the Davis County Commission, Erik was appointed Mayor of West Point. He ultimately served in that role for 13 years.

During his time as mayor, Erik helped guide West Point through significant growth while working to preserve its small-town character. He was a founding board member of the North Davis Fire District and served on its board for 15 years, focusing on strong emergency services for residents across the region. His leadership extended beyond city boundaries through service with the Davis Council of Governments, the Wasatch Integrated Waste Management District Board, and the Wasatch Front Regional Council representing Davis County. He also served on the newly created UTA Local Advisory Council and was an active participant on the Legislative Policy Committee for the Utah League of Cities and Towns, helping ensure that local governments had a voice at the state level.

After more than two decades of service to West Point, Erik made the decision not to seek re-election in 2022. He chose instead to step back, spend more time with family, and consider how else he could continue serving his community.

Outside of work and public service, Erik feels most at home outdoors. He loves hunting and fishing with his family and has been fortunate to experience those adventures across North America and Africa. Still, his favorite moments are much closer to home. Ice fishing with his kids and grandkids, or sitting quietly in a ground blind beside his oldest grandchild as he harvested his first turkey in Kansas at just six years old, are memories he treasures most. For Erik, those moments reflect what matters most: family, tradition, and passing values from one generation to the next.