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ASSOCIATIONS
- The Salt Lake Chamberand Utah Community Builders have released the “Fair Chance Hiring Guide,” a new resource for the business community to learn about hiring individuals previously involved with the justice system and make a positive impact on the lives of those seeking a second chance. That hiring can benefit both employers and society as a whole by bringing diverse skill sets, strong work ethics, loyalty and dedication, and community reintegration, among others, they said. The “Fair Chance Hiring Guide” provides steps and resources for employers to use when in the hiring process, such as reviewing and adapting policies to remove barriers, developing onboarding programs that provide training and support, and sourcing talent from a variety of channels. The guide also provides insights into the legal aspects of fair-chance hiring, ensuring businesses operate within the bounds of Equal Employment Opportunity laws, local ordinances and state regulations.
- The Utah Black Chamber of Commerce has launched 2024 as the “Year of Wealth Esteem,” a year-long initiative focused on building, growing, managing and sharing wealth within the Utah black community and beyond. The kickoff event took place Jan. 20 in Salt Lake City with a private screening of “Rebuilding Black Wall Street,” followed by a fireside chat with its producer, Morris Chestnut. Activities also included a panel of experts discussing the initiatives, strategies and insights that influence and build wealth in black communities. Panelists included Shayla Morrisette, chief minority and Workforce Division Office of Economic Impact and Diversity at the U.S. Department of Energy; and Lael Alexander, Urban EdgeNetworks Inc. and CEO of Noitavonne Inc. & Co. The Year of Wealth Esteem is a precursor to the 2024 Utah Black Wealth Conference, scheduled for August in Salt Lake City. It will serve as a platform for national and local thought leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals to exchange ideas, strategies and resources aimed at fostering economic growth and financial empowerment within the Utah black community.
- ULI Utah (Urban Land Institute), which works to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide, has three new members of its board: Teri Klug, Programs Committee co-chair, national director of business development at Big-D Construction; Jason Boal, Community Outreach Committee co-chair, urban planner at Snell & Wilmer; and Gretchen Milliken, co-chair of the Women’s Leadership Initiative Committee, consultant at Milliken Design Development.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
- Utahns worked a total of 687 million more unpaid hours in 2023 than in 2022, according to a study by Rebel’s Guide to Project Management. That is a 422 percent increase. Nationally, the 2023 total was 46 billion unpaid overtime hours. On average, workers contributed an additional 4.5 hours per week for no compensation, totaling an extra 233 hours annually. Utah workers worked an extra 6.3 hours per week of unpaid overtime last year, compared to 2022, placing it fourth among states. That equates to 329 hours per year per employee. The highest figure was in New Hampshire, where workers worked nearly 10 extra hours of unpaid overtime each week. Meanwhile, Montanans experienced slight decrease (36 minutes per week) in such hours. Details are at https://rebelsguidetopm.com/the-great-power-shift/.
- The average Utah worker is predicted to “burn out” on July 26, which is 208 days into 2024, according to a study by SoftwareConnect.com. “Burnout” is a state that straddles the line between stress and a depression borne of overwork, it said. Nationally, the threshold will occur July 1, which is 183 days into the year. For legal professionals, burnout occurs June 10. The earliest day is in Delaware, March 19. Details are at https://softwareconnect.com/reports/usa-burnout-rate/.
- Utah is ranked No. 3 on a list of states for people playing video games during work hours, compiled by Sweepstakes Casino. It says 86 percent of Utah residents admit to playing video games at work, and 46 percent say they play games on the boss’s time two to three times per week. The highest number at 88 percent, is in Colorado. The lowest, 20 percent, is in New Mexico. Sixty-four percent of working Americans play video games during work hours, it found. Of all professions, marketers tend to engage in this behavior the most. Eighty-three percent of workers have considered taking a sick day or have actually done so to make time for gaming during work hours. Details are at https://www.sweepstakescasino.com/magazine/gaming-at-work/.
- Salt Lake City is ranked No. 88 on a list of “most lead paint-vulnerable cities,” compiled by Paint Gnome. Several other Utah cities were in the rankings. Paint Gnome compared the 500 biggest U.S. cities based on two categories: the number and share of homes built in the years when lead paint use was common. It also considered access to certified lead-based paint inspection, risk assessment and abatement firms. The most vulnerable city is Cicero, Illinois. The No. 500 city is Frisco, Texas. Details are at https://paintgnome.com/blog/studies/most-lead-paint-vulnerable-cities/#rankings.
- Utah is ranked No. on a list of states with people most afraid of flying, compiled by Upgraded Points. It assessed each state’s fear score using three factors: the percentage of respondents afraid of flying in each state, their level of fear on a scale from 1 to 10, and how early they typically arrive at airports. The state with people the most afraid of flying is Florida. The least-afraid people live in New Mexico. Details are at https://upgradedpoints.com/travel/which-us-states-are-most-afraid-of-flying/.
- Utah is ranked No. 38 on a list of states with the most responsible dog owners, compiled by Forbes Advisor. The top-ranked state is Washington. The bottom-ranked state is Arizona. Details are at https://www.forbes.com/advisor/pet-insurance/states-with-most-responsible-dog-owners/.
- Utahns’ new favorite hobby for 2024 is aquascaping or aquarium-keeping, according to a survey by ModestFish.com. The second-place new hobby is beekeeping, followed by falconry, lapidary (the art of cutting and polishing stones) and metal detecting. Details are at https://modestfish.com/survey-americas-top-alternative-hobbies-for-2024/.
ENVIRONMENT
- Two Utah school districts will receive funding for a total of six buses through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s first Clean School Bus Program Grants Competition. The awards, which are made possible through Pres. Biden’s Investing in America agenda, will help selectees secure clean school buses provided by transportation company Highland Electric Fleets. Highland will receive more than $12.2 million to purchase six clean school buses for school districts in Utah and 49 clean school buses for school districts in Colorado. In Utah, Guadalupe Schools has been selected to receive four clean school buses, while the Morgan District has been selected to receive two clean school buses. The EPA’s Clean School Bus Program is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides an unprecedented $5 billion of funding to transform the nation’s fleet of school buses.
GOVERNMENT
- The Utah Homelessness Council Executive Committee has added three members and announced a new co-chair. The Utah Impact Partnership appointed current member Randy Shumway, a representative of the private sector, as co-chair alongside Whitney Clayton. Additional new members are Spencer P. Eccles, a statewide philanthropic leader, appointed by the Utah Impact Partnership or the partnership’s successor organization; state Sen. Lincoln Fillmore; and Ogden Mayor Ben Nadolski. The council plays a crucial role in overseeing the homeless services budget, strategic plan and allocation of funds for homeless services statewide.
- U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) has announced changes to his communications staff. Paige Waltz is communications director. She has worked on Romney’s communications team since he took office in 2019, starting as digital director and most recently serving as deputy communications director. She has previously served as communications director of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies for the 59th Inaugural Ceremonies and as a communications aide to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). Arielle Mueller is deputy communications director. She previously served as Romney’s press secretary, as well as on the executive board for the Senate Press Secretaries Association. Prior to Romney’s office, she worked in the communications shop for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). Dilan Maxfield is press secretary and digital director. Maxfield started his career on Capitol Hill as a staff assistant for Romney and most recently served as Romney’s digital director and deputy press secretary. Maxfield received a B.A. in communications from Brigham Young University.
HEALTHCARE
- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has hired Dr. Angela Dunn, executive director of the Salt Lake County Health Department. Dunn will remain in Salt Lake County as she joins the CDC team. Her role at the CDC will be to ensure state and local health departments nationwide have the resources they need to effectively and efficiently investigate and respond to public health threats. Her last day at SLCoHD will be Feb. 16. Dunn joined SLCoHD in June 2021 in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and led the department through the latter half of the pandemic, as well as a department reorganization. Prior to joining SLCoHD, she was state epidemiologist at the Utah Department of Health and an epidemic intelligence service officer for the CDC.
- Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital’s second campus in Lehi, the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Campus, is scheduled to open to patients Feb. 12. Public tours will be available Feb. 3. Tour reservations are strongly encouraged and can be made at PrimaryPromise.org. The 38-acre Miller Family Campus brings the first comprehensive children’s hospital and outpatient services based in Utah County. It will offer nearly all the same world-class specialty pediatric services patients receive at the Primary Children’s Hospital campus in Salt Lake City. The campus includes an Outpatient Center; a medical office building; and a five-story, 66-bed, 486,000-square-foot Primary Children’s Hospital, where medical staff will be fully integrated with clinicians at the Salt Lake campus.
INVESTMENTS
- Savi Solutions, a Bountiful-based company offering a cloud video and AI operations platform for distributed enterprise teams, has announced a $12 million Series A funding round. It was led by Next Coast Ventures, with participation from Rock Creek Capital and existing investors. Savi said it will use the funding to expand into new markets, grow partnership and reseller channels, and continue innovating its cloud video and AI platform.
LOGISTICS
- The Utah Inland Port Authority board has two new members: Jefferson Moss, associate commissioner of innovation with the Utah System of Higher Education and majority leader of the Utah House of Representatives, and Jonathan Freedman, CEO of World Trade Center Utah. The board also has elected Abby Osborne, chief of staff for the Utah House of Representatives, as the board chair, and Ryan Starks, executive director for the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, as vice chair. Moss has experience in economic development, venture capital and public service, including serving as project director of The Point’s Innovation District. Freedman co-established Downeast Outfitters, acquired in 2020 by Malouf Cos. Osborne’s experience includes serving as senior vice president of public policy and government relations for the Salt Lake Chamber and Business development and public affairs manager for Granite Construction. Starks’ experience includes serving as managing director of growth and innovation in the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity; working for the U.S. Government Accountability Office in Washington, D.C.; serving as the executive director of the Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce; and serving as the founding director of the Wasatch Center for Advanced Professional Studies. He also taught as an adjunct professor of management for 10 years in the BYU Marriott School of Business.
NATURAL RESOURCES
- Sage Potash Corp., based in Canada, has received all required governmental approvals for two Class V exploration wells at its Sage Plain Potash Project in Utah’s Paradox Basin. It is a step necessary for pilot-scale potash mining and processing activities. The Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining and the Division of Water Quality issued tentative approvals for both surface (drill pads and access roads) and underground (wells) activities. Formal drill permits will be issued once bonding is received and approved and the company has received written acceptance from UDOGM, as well as other applicable agencies. The company said the wells will allow for determination of injection capacity and hydraulic behaviors of the potash and potential disposal formations, as well as providing management with geological data through examination of the drill core, as part of test cavern development for potash recovery from the Cycle 18 potash beds. Once the data from the exploration wells is gathered, the company will apply to convert these wells into UIC Class I and Class III wells for the purpose of injection, production and disposal, allowing for potash brine fluids recovery.
NONPROFITS
- Utah Global Diplomacy, a nonprofit committed to promoting respect and understanding between the people of Utah and other nations, has launched the International Leadership Academy along with four complimentary programs that provide education, resources, and connections to international career opportunities worldwide and in Utah. The academy prepares Utahns for opportunities to engage in citizen diplomacy and/or navigate a career in international relations by providing hands-on experience through immersive activities and world affairs education through training from local experts. The programs include citizen diplomacy certification, international relations professional development, global mentorship opportunities and international relations job connections. Academy registration is open, and applications are accepted on a first-come-first-served basis. The Citizen Diplomacy Certificate program is a 10-week course, beginning Feb. 8. Details are at www.utahglobaldiplomacy.org.
PARTNERSHIPS
- SnappConnor PR, based in Lehi, has announced a partnership with the US Customer Experience Awards, a platform that celebrates and honors exceptional CX initiatives throughout the United States. Cheryl Snapp Conner, founder and CEO of SnappConner PR, has been selected to join the panel of judges for the US CXA Awards Final on May 15.
- Kinect Capital, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and preparing founders to receive capital, has announced a pending strategic partnership with Mountainside Mentoring and Nathan Walker, a leader in coaching and crafting pitches and presentations. The partnership aims to provide a comprehensive support system for Kinect Capital’s founder base, helping those from underserved markets to navigate the fundraising process with confidence and expertise. Under this collaboration, Mountainside Mentoring will bring its expertise in pitch execution and presentation coaching to Kinect Capital’s network of founders.
RETAIL
- SIXT USA, a Florida-based subsidiary of SIXT SE, has opened a car rental branch at 395 N. Wright Brothers Drive near Salt Lake City International Airport. It is SIXT’s first branch in Utah. SIXT operates more than 100 rental branches in 23 states, employs more than 1,700 team members, and now serves 44 airports in the U.S.
SERVICES
- Tanner LLC, which provides audit, tax, transaction advisory, technology, cybersecurity, strategic planning and leadership development services, has named Kathryn Fargam as an audit partner of the firm. Fargam has over 14 years of accounting experience and has serviced a variety of privately held and SEC-reporting companies. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accountancy from Utah State University. She also is a board advisor for the Utah chapter of Financial Executives International, a member of Women’s Tech Council, and serves on the audit and finance committee for World Trade Center Utah.
- Your Concierge Connection, a Salt Lake City-born hospitality and guest service management provider for more than 20 years, has announced a new offering: luxury transportation services. Launched on a pilot basis at the Zions Bankcorporation Technology Campus in Midvale, the company’s offering since August allowed Zions Bank employees and guests to ride around campus in a luxury van. The company is ready to fully roll out the new offering to provide clients with a luxury upgrade to their transportation needs.
TECHNOLOGY
- Instructure, a Salt Lake City-based education technology company, has named Rachel Orston as chief customer officer, with Melissa Loble, former chief customer experience officer, assuming the newly created role of chief academic officer. Orston has over 25 years of experience strengthening customer relationships in various organizations. Prior to Instructure, she served as chief customer officer at SmartRecruiters. She previously served as chief customer officer at BetterCloud. Orston also has experience in blogging and public speaking and is an investor and founding member of CS Angel. In Loble’s new role, she will work to further elevate the educator experience and surround customers with academic expertise.
- Enveyo, a Provo-based provider of logistics data management, visibility and shipping optimization software, has hired Buck Brewer as senior vice president of sales. Brewer has over 25 years of global logistics and supply chain experience. Prior to joining Enveyo, he spent seven years at Green Mountain Technology in various business development roles, most recently as executive vice president of commercial development. He also spent time at Versant Supply Chain and AT&T, executing logistics optimization strategies across third-party logistics, shipper and service-based capacities.