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ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
• US Ghost Adventures, a tourism company offering ghost tours in the U.S., has launched 12 new locations, with one being downtown Salt Lake City. Tour guides deliver accounts derived from historic research, as well as interviews of firsthand accounts from those who have witnessed the unexplained. US Ghost Adventures launched on the East Coast and started by operating tours and experiences in 20 cities. The company currently operates tours and experiences in more than 50 locations and owns and operates the infamous Lizzie Borden House.
• Hundreds of young ballet dancers ages 9-19 from throughout Utah will audition for Youth America Grand Prix scholarships during the 2023 regional semifinals taking place at the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center in Taylorsville through Jan. 17. They hope to receive scholarships to top schools and companies. Participants have gone on to dance professionally for American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, New York City Ballet and more. Since YAGP’s founding in 1999, over 200,000 young dancers have participated in YAGP’s international workshops, audition classes and dance awareness events.
CONTESTS
• SelectHealth, a Murray-based nonprofit health plan in Utah, Idaho and Nevada, has announced it is accepting submissions for the SelectHealth Awards, a program that will recognize organizations working to build strong communities and helping those in need. SelectHealth will acknowledge 10 organizations this year with $3,000 and a marketing package valued at over $20,000 to further their cause. Submissions are being accepted through Feb. 28 or until 200 submissions are reached. Submissions can be made at selecthealthawards.org. A wide range of organizations have received the SelectHealth Awards since it was first introduced in 2008.
CORPORATE
• The Larry H. Miller Co. has named Alex Dunn as a managing partner. As part of this transition, David Smith, former chief strategy officer, has been promoted to managing partner. Dunn will provide executive leadership throughout LHMCO’s portfolio of businesses and help lead the organization’s growth and investment strategy. He most recently formed and served as the CEO of Executive Network Partnering Corp., a special purpose acquisition entity, which led to the acquisition of Granite Ridge. Dunn also served as president of Vivint SmartHome, co-founder of Vivint Solar, deputy chief of staff to Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, entrepreneur-in-residence at General Catalyst Partners, and co-founder and CEO for Lavastorm. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University. Smith joined the Larry H. Miller Co. in 2013 as director of mergers and acquisitions. He has held increasing roles of responsibility, including overseeing the risk/safety, IT, human resources and communications functions, as president of Prestige Financial, and as interim CEO. Prior to joining the company, Smith was the head of M&A for Leucadia National Corp., director of business development for Koch Industries, and worked for Ford Motor Co.’s Divestitures Group. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in political science/economics from the University of Utah and an MBA from Brigham Young University.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• The average Utahn has a 2023 savings goal of $8,355, or $696 per month, according to a survey by coupon and deals discovery engine CouponBirds. The national average is $8,082. The largest amount is in Nebraska, at $16,092.70. The smallest is in North Dakota, at $1,565. Details are at https://www.couponbirds.com/research-center/data/have-you-set-your-new-years-solution.
• Washington County had the nation’s top luxury second-home market in 2022, according to a study by Pacaso, a real estate platform for people to buy and co-own a luxury second home. The county had an average luxury second-home price of $1.3 million and its share of luxury second-home mortgage rate locks was up 10.3 percent year over year. To determine the top U.S. markets, Pacaso analyzed second-home mortgage rate lock data, an indicator of second-home buying activity. Utah, Florida and California saw the biggest gains in the nation when it came to the number of people purchasing luxury second homes as compared to 2021. For comparison, Osceola County, Florida, had a 6.1 percent increase and Nevada County, California, saw a 4.5 percent rise. The study defined luxury second homes are as homes sold for $1 million or more that are designated for seasonal and/or recreational use. Details are at https://www.pacaso.com/blog/top-second-home-markets-2022.
• Salt Lake City is ranked No. 34 and West Valley City is No. 50 on a list of “Best Cities for Ice Skating,” compiled by LawnStarter. It looked at the 200 biggest U.S. cities and rated them for access to ice rinks, skating lessons and hockey equipment. It also considered climate conditions and local popularity based on hockey teams, figure skating competitions and Google searches. The top-ranked city is St. Paul, Minnesota. The bottom-ranked cities are Lancaster and Palmdale, both in California. Details are at https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/studies/best-cities-ice-skating/.
• West Valley City is ranked No. 30 and Salt Lake City is No. 38 on a list of “Best Cities for Cookie Lovers,” compiled by Lawn Love. It looked for cities with great access to tasty cookies, including late-night cookie vendors and Girl Scout Cookie booths. It also considered TimeOut’s list of “the best cookies in the US,” as well as local interest indicated by Google searches. On breakout lists, West Valley City tied for No. 2 with several cities for fewest food delivery services. The top-ranked city is Seattle. The bottom-ranked city is Amarillo, Texas. Details are at https://lawnlove.com/blog/best-cities-cookie-lovers/.
• Given a choice to move to another state in 2023, Utahns would select Hawaii, according to a survey by FamilyDestinationsGuide.com, a vacation ideas site. Among locations abroad, they would choose New Zealand. Details are at https://familydestinationsguide.com/family-relocation-poll/.
• Salt Lake City is ranked No. 122 and West Valley City is No. 190 on a list of “Best Cities for Bagel Lovers,” compiled by Lawn Love. That puts West Valley City as the 10th-worst city for bagel lovers, tied with Waco, Texas, and Miramar, Florida. Lawn Love ranked 200 cities based on an abundance of high-quality bagel shops and an enthusiastic bagel-loving community, with extra points for hosting a Bagels & Bites Festival. The top-ranked city is New York City. The bottom-ranked city is Shreveport, Louisiana. Details are at https://lawnlove.com/blog/best-cities-bagel-lovers/.
EDUCATION/TRAINING
• 101 Financial, an Orem-based company focused on providing financial education to individuals and families, has promoted Lei Akina to vice president of instructor development. Akina has been with the company for over 10 years as a master instructor and in instructor leadership.
ENVIRONMENT
• Forty-one percent of radon test results in Utah equal or exceed the Environmental Protection Agency action level, according to the Lung Association’s “State of Lung Cancer” report. Exposure to radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer and is a naturally occurring radioactive gas emitted from the ground. Radon can enter a home through cracks in floors, basement walls, foundations and other openings. Do-it-yourself radon test kits are simple to use and inexpensive and high levels can be mitigated.
GOVERNMENT
• Rachel George Terry has been appointed director of the Utah Division of Risk Management, part of the Utah Department of Government Operations. Terry succeeds Brian Nelson, who served as the division director since 2016 and retired after a 20-year career with the state. The division works to insure and protect state assets, promote safety, and help prevent losses for State Risk Fund participants, which include state agencies, state institutions of higher education, school districts and participating charter schools. Terry’s experience includes serving as the deputy director of the Utah League of Cities and Towns and as an attorney for the Utah State Office of Education.
HEALTHCARE
• R1 RCM Inc., a Murray-based company that provides solutions designed to transform the patient experience and financial performance of healthcare providers, has appointed Jennifer Williams as chief financial officer and Kyle Hicok as chief commercial officer. Williams and Hicok succeed Rachel Wilson and Gary Long, respectively, who will step down from their roles and remain with the company in advisory roles to ensure a seamless transition. Williams has more than 20 years of experience in financial planning, accounting, M&A and operational finance leadership across several healthcare revenue management, data analytics and technology businesses. She joined R1 following the acquisition of Cloudmed, where she served as chief financial officer since July 2020. Prior to Cloudmed, Ms. Williams served as senior vice president and chief financial officer of corporate functions for Change Healthcare. Earlier in her career, she was the corporate controller and global finance leader at First Advantage and held financial leadership positions at LexisNexis Risk Solutions for over 10 years. She began her career with Ernst & Young. Hicok joined R1 following the acquisition of Cloudmed, where he served as president and general manager. Prior to Cloudmed, Hicok has served in numerous positions where he was responsible for multi-state revenue cycle operations, national consulting and shared service operations, including as vice president of revenue cycle management at Optum360 from 2014-17, in various roles at MedeAnalytics from 2011-13, Huron Consulting Group Practice from 2008-09, and Stockamp from 2001-08.
• Health Catalyst Inc., a South Jordan-based provider of data and analytics technology and services to healthcare organizations, has announced that Paul Horstmeier will transition from his full-time position as chief operating officer to that of a senior advisor, effective March 31. The leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has called Horstmeier to serve for three years as the mission president of the Puerto Rico San Juan Mission, beginning in late June.
INSURANCE
• Sentry Insurance has opened a regional office in Denver to better serve businesses in the Mountain states, including Utah. It offers insurance products to companies in construction, manufacturing, retail, wholesale, distribution, real estate, golf courses and service industries (financial, hospitality, restaurants, etc.). The Sentry Mountain region is led by regional executive Paul Boehm, who joined Sentry in 2021 and oversees underwriting, sales and distribution for the area. Boehm has more than 30 years of experience working with insurance companies and has provided insurance services in the region for more than 17 years. He continues to hire new associates to help serve area businesses. The office will work with locally based insurance agents, which currently include Buckner, Moreton and USI. Based in Wisconsin, Sentry employs more than 4,300 associates across the country.
INVESTMENTS
• DW Healthcare Partners, a Canada-based, healthcare-focused private equity firm with an office in Park City, has completed its investment in Med Learning Group LLC, based in New York. MLG, previously a division of Ultimate Medical Academy, is a medical education company. The amount was not disclosed.
• Savory Fund, a Lehi-based private equity firm that invests in emerging restaurant concepts, announced that it hired more than 6,100 employees across its 10 brands, as well as more than 50 employees at the corporate level, in 2022. For 2023, the company expects to hire 11,000 employees, including more than 100 corporate positions across its portfolio.
LAW
• Armstrong Teasdale has announced that nine attorneys have been elected to the firm’s equity partnership, including Brennan Moss in Salt Lake City. Moss has experience spanning the corporate, real estate, litigation and white-collar defense areas. His education includes a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Utah.
MEDIA/MARKETING
• Utah Business has appointed Burke Olsen as publisher and hired Melanie Jones as vice president of content and marketing. Olsen succeeds Donnie Welch as publisher. Olsen has been involved in digital media at the Deseret News for the past decade and also has worked in marketing and public relations in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors, including at the Pew Research Center and PR firms in Washington, D.C., and Utah. His work at the Deseret News included serving as the head digital officer and as general manager of digital products and digital content director. Jones has been involved in marketing and content for Utah businesses, including Ultradent and Younique, where she most recently was vice president of global CXM and planning and chief of staff to the chief marketing officer. For the past five years she also has been a volunteer with TEDxSaltLakeCity, where she has selected and coached more than 50 speakers and performers.
PARTNERSHIPS
• Omada Health, a virtual, integrated chronic care healthcare provider, and Castell, Intermountain Healthcare’s value-based care subsidiary, have entered into a partnership that expands the access of Omada’s Diabetes Prevention Program and Diabetes Program to patients and caregivers receiving care from Intermountain Healthcare’s primary care providers within its Utah Medical Group. Castell will help to target and enroll eligible patients through their existing care pathways. Patients who have, or are at risk for, diabetes will be proactively contacted by Castell care coordinators and Intermountain providers to give them the option to enroll into the appropriate Omada program.
REAL ESTATE
• A joint venture between San Diego-based RedHill Realty Investors and Cleveland-based Citymark Capital has sold Downtown 360 to HSR Income and Value REIT2, a subsidiary of Los Angeles-based Hill Street Realty. Financial terms were not disclosed. Downtown 360 is a 98,662-square-foot, 151-unit apartment community at 360 S. 400 W. The five-story building was 98 percent leased at the time of the sale. The sale was arranged by CBRE. Patrick Bodnar of CBRE represented the joint venture.
RECOGNITIONS
• ChamberWest has announced that Jon Butterfield has been selected to be the Hall of Fame Award recipient for 2023. He will be inducted in August. Butterfield has been president of the Jordan Valley Medical Center since May 2018. His earlier experience includes serving as administrator/CEOO and director of emergency services at the medical center and director of nursing at the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Butterfield also served as a member of the ChamberWest board of directors for five years and has been a member of the West Jordan Chamber of Commerce. His education includes an MBA from Western Governors University, an associate’s degree in registered nursing from Weber State University, and a bachelor’s degree in registered nursing from the University of Phoenix.
• The Ogden-Weber Chamber of Commerce has announced that Sara Buehler Toliver will receive the 35th annual Athena Leadership Award during a luncheon Jan. 24, 11:30 a.m., at the Timbermine restaurant in Ogden. Toliver is president and CEO of Visit Ogden, the destination marketing organization for Weber County. An Ogden native, Toliver serves on the Destination International Small Bureau Task Force and is the current past president of the Destination Marketing Association of the West. The chamber said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, she sought and wrote grants to support not only Visit Ogden but other small businesses and organizations in the community while also helping other organizations write grants. She was able to secure almost three-quarters of a million dollars. She also was among those who established the Harvest Moon Celebration, an annual event that brings thousands of people to Ogden each year. Toliver received BS and MBA degrees from Utah State University before opening three retail stores on 25th Street in downtown Ogden.
• The Davis Chamber of Commerce Women in Business has announced that Kearston Cutrubus will receive the 24th annual Athena Leadership Award at a luncheon Feb. 23, 11:30 a.m., at the Davis Conference Center in Layton. Cutrubus is the customer and community relations director for her family’s multiple automotive dealerships in Northern Utah. She serves on various boards and committees for community organizations. Cutrubus in 2021 was elected as chair of Weber State University’s Board of Trustees. She was appointed to the board in 2016 and also served as vice chair. Cutrubus attended WSU.
• Impartner, a South Jordan-based channel management platform and partner relationship management provider, has started the year ranked No. 1 in multiple categories by software marketplace G2. In its Winter 2022 Report, G2 ranked Impartner No. 1 in Enterprise Partner Management and in Mid-Market Partner Management, and as a leader on the TCMA Grid. Companies achieve leader status by receiving positive reviews from verified business professionals compared to similar products in the category.
RESTAURANTS
• Beard Papa’s, a cream puffs chain, has opened its first location in Utah. Beard Papa’s Sugarhouse Salt Lake City is at 905 E. 2100 S., Salt Lake City. Founded in Japan in 1999, the dessert chain now has more than 400 locations in 15 countries and territories.
• Jinya Ramen Bar has opened a location at 3725 N. Thanksgiving Way, Lehi. The location, which will serve ramen bowls, is the company’s third in Utah and 49th systemwide. It was founded in 2010.
• Deer Valley Resort, Park City, has opened the Cast & Cut restaurant at its Snow Park Lodge. It is led by Executive Chef Peter Menteer and Executive Sous Chef Chris Gibson. It will be open for the winter season through April 16.
TECHNOLOGY
• Eltropy, a California-based company with an office in Lehi, announced that in 2022 it completed two company acquisitions, unified the company under one brand, forged multiple key partnerships and saw record-breaking customer growth. Eltropy offers a digital communications platform for community financial institutions. The 10-year-old company now works with more than 550 credit unions and community banks across the United States and Canada.
• Enveyo, a Provo-based provider of logistics data management, visibility and shipping optimization software, has hired Nate Endicott as senior vice president of growth. Endicott has more than two decades of global logistics and supply chain experience, most recently serving eight and a half years at RateLinx as senior vice president of global sales, marketing and partnerships. He also worked at Control Pay, Intelligent Audit and Trax.