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ACCOUNTING
• Tanner LLC, a Salt Lake City-based public accounting firm, has named Mark V. Erickson as managing partner. He succeeds Jeffrey G. Bickel, who will continue as a senior partner of the firm. Erickson will oversee more than 200 employees and be responsible for the vision, strategic direction, and growth of the firm. Erickson has been with the company more than 25 years. He will continue to serve as the head of the firm’s Transaction Advisory Services Group. He began his career in public accounting with Tanner LLC. After four years with Tanner, he accepted a position with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. After spending two years with the SEC, Mark rejoined Tanner in 2000 and soon thereafter was promoted to partner. Erickson received a Master’s of Accountancy in 1995 from Utah State University.
BANKING
• FinWise Bank, a subsidiary of Murray-based FinWise Bancorp., has appointed Meg Taylor as senior vice president and chief accounting officer. Taylor has over 30 years of experience in the finance and accounting industries, most recently serving as senior vice president and treasurer at Capital Bank. Prior to that, she was executive vice president and chief financial officer at Access National Bank. Taylor also worked at DHG LLP, working her way from senior accountant to partner in 10 years.
• Bank of Utah, Ogden, has hired Cameron Jensen as a mortgage loan officer in the Utah County market. Jensen will help individuals and families secure home financing through the bank’s Orem branch and will provide service in Provo and Lindon branches as well. Jensen has worked in the banking and finance industry for over seven years, including previously working with First Colony Mortgage as a loan originator.
CAPITAL
• Walker & Dunlop Inc., a Maryland-based provider of capital to the commercial real estate industry in the United States, has hired Adam Cornelius as a senior director of capital markets. Based out of the company’s Lehi office, Cornelius will work in debt brokerage and arrange financing for clients across all capital sources and for all property types, specializing in affordable housing, HUD-insured mortgages and multifamily properties. Cornelius has nearly 15 years of commercial real estate experience, most recently at NorthMarq as a vice president originating agency (Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac) and HUD loans, as well as loans for commercial properties. Before that, he served as a capital markets advisor for Marcus & Millichap. Cornelius earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Utah.
CONSTRUCTION
• Jim Allison, construction vice president at Big-D Construction, has retired after 41 years at the company. He began work at the company in 1981 after graduating from Utah Technical College at Salt Lake and serving a four-year apprenticeship to become a journeyman carpenter. He soon stepped into an estimating position at Big-D and later became an estimator, project manager and eventually vice president of the firm. His experience also includes being a member of the Associated Builders & Contractors for three decades and served on many committees over the years, as well as two terms on the board of directors for ABC. He also was appointed to the GSA National Register of Peer Professionals, where he served for many years.
CONTESTS
• The Wells Fargo Foundation and Enterprise Community Partners have announced a $20 million challenge focused on finding housing solutions. The second Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge will focus on three categories: financing, construction, and access and resident support. Innovators are invited to compete for grants of up to $3 million and two years of technical assistance to transform ideas into solutions that can be replicated in the real world. The application period opens Jan. 31 and continues until March 3. Details are at Enterprise’s website.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• Utah is ranked No. 3 among states for people searching for side jobs in 2022-23, a list compiled by bipartisan educational platform Wisevoter. The data also analyzed how much the searches have increased compared to the previous year, with Utahns searching 76 percent more side jobs than in 2021. The top-ranked search state is Idaho. Details are at https://wisevoter.com/state-rankings/the-rise-in-search-for-side-jobs-by-state/.
• Utah is ranked No. 1 in the “The 2022 Healthy Aging Index,” compiled by digital health company DoFasting. The report analyzed five pillars of healthspan: demographics, economics, behavioral aspects, healthcare and mental health. Utah fared well because of low alcohol consumption, smoking, healthcare costs, loneliness and more. The bottom-ranked state is Mississippi. Details are at https://dofasting.com/healthy-aging-index-2022/.
• Provo is ranked No. 57 and Salt Lake City is No. 79 on a list of “Best Cities to Raise a Family,” compiled by scholarship website Scholaroo. It studied 151 cities on 32 metrics organized into seven indicators: safety, health, finances, education, leisure, quality of life and home atmosphere. On breakout lists, Provo was No. 1 for lowest rate of alcoholism and No. 2 for lower number of violent crimes. The top-ranked city is Yonkers, New York. The bottom-ranked city is Denver. Details are at https://scholaroo.com/report/best-cities-to-raise-a-family/.
EDUCATION/TRAINING
• ARUP Laboratories and the University of Utah’s Division of Medical Laboratory Sciences have secured $3 million in federal funding through the Health Resources and Services Administration to build an Advanced Practice Clinical Laboratory Training Center. The center will bolster educational opportunities for students in medical laboratory sciences in Utah and beyond. The funding was included in the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Division of the Consolidated Appropriations Act approved by Congress and signed by President Biden on Dec. 29. The center will be on the ARUP campus at University of Utah Research Park. The $3 million appropriation will fund the training center’s construction as well as state-of-the-art instrumentation for specialized testing in clinical chemistry, hematology, coagulation, immunohematology, microbiology, virology and immunology. The Department of Pathology’s Medical Laboratory Sciences Division will provide funding for faculty and staff to develop and implement curricula and to provide instruction and assessment. The program has also secured a grant for a laboratory information system to be used in the training center. The center is planned to open in 2024.
• The Salt Lake Chamber and the Women’s Business Center of Utah are accepting applications for the Diverse-Owned Business Accelerator, a seven-week cohort program designed for diverse small-business owners to enhance skills, direction or strategy for their businesses. The program will provide a peer-to-peer environment, mastermind groups for support and accountability and weekly project assignments that are immediately implementable into their businesses. Training runs from Feb. 16-March 30, four hours each week. In-person lessons will be at the Salt Lake Community College West Valley Center, 3460 S. 5600 W., West Valley City. Accepted applicants participate at no cost. The registration deadline is 5 p.m. Feb. 3. Details are at slchamber.com.
• Western Governors University, a nonprofit, online university with headquarters in Millcreek, has surpassed more than 300,000 graduates. It was founded in 1997 by former Gov. Mike Leavitt and 18 other U.S. governors. It now serves more than 131,000 students nationwide.
ENERGY
• Utah Clean Energy has hired Kelbe Goupil as senior associate-electrification, Erica Marken as development director, and Sarah Puzzo as regulatory associate. Goupil works with partners to inform, educate and build support for electrifying Utah’s transportation and building sectors and works to ensure electrification policies and programs are developed to be equitable and inclusive for Utah consumers and communities. She previously worked with a local nonprofit focused on advancing alternative fuel solutions and has worked as a public health consultant. Goupil graduated with a Master of Public Policy and Master of Public Health from the University of Utah. Focused on fundraising, Marken previously served in fundraising leadership roles at the University of Utah and Weber State University. Her education includes an MBA from the UofU. Puzzo is focused on using legal and regulatory tools to protect the environment. Her experience includes helping to draft guidance documents on enforcement and implementation of multilateral environmental agreements for the Environmental Law Institute and UNEP, researching the effects of biofuels mandates in the Paris Agreement on global poverty levels, and serving as a clerk at the Washington, D.C., Office of Administrative Hearings.
LAW
• Holland & Hart has named Rick Flint as the administrative partner at its Salt Lake City office. He succeeds Jim Barnett, who took on the role in 2018. Flint represents clients in complex commercial and civil litigation, with an emphasis in contract disputes; business torts; and real estate matters, including judicial and non-judicial foreclosures. Flint’s education includes a J.D. from Brigham Young University in 1996 and a BA from Utah State University in 1993. Holland & Hart has more than 500 lawyers in 13 offices.
MANUFACTURING
• Purple Innovation Inc., a Lehi-based designer and manufacturer of comfort products, including mattresses, pillows, cushions, frames and sheets, has appointed Scott Kerby as chief of owned retail. Kerby will oversee all aspects of Purple’s owned retail operations. Kerby’s career includes work at consumer brands, including Old Navy, Bath and Body Works, L Brands and American Eagle. Most recently, he led a retail team at Sephora as vice president head of stores.
PHILANTHROPY
• KeyBank has awarded a $100,000 grant to Utah Food Bank to create an infrastructure that allows the organization to identify, track and distribute culturally appropriate foods to Salt Lake City communities in need, a program expected to eventually be statewide. Utah Food Bank delivers food, free of charge, to 230 food pantry partners throughout the state. The KeyBank grant will aid and enhance its efforts in establishing a delivery baseline for the top 15 culturally responsive foods and creating workflows for inventory and warehousing departments to identify, communicate and prioritize agency needs.
• Nu Skin Enterprises Inc., a Provo-based beauty and wellness company, has reached the milestone of providing 800 million meals for children since 2002 through its Nourish the Children initiative. Malnourished children in more than 65 countries around the world have been fed VitaMeal, a nutrient-dense food, from one of NTC’s third-party charity partners after Nu Skin sales leaders, customers or employees purchase and donate bags of food.
REAL ESTATE
• Havenpark Communities, an Orem-based operator and developer of manufactured home communities, has announced that it added 870 high-quality, affordable homes across its community portfolio in 2022, with 800 additional homes promised in 2023. Since 2017, Havenpark has sourced and installed over 4,000 new factory-built homes.
RESTAURANTS
• The Ogden Beer Co., a brewery, has opened at 358 Park Blvd., Ogden. It is own by Brian and Lane Montoya, owner-operators of Wimpy & Fritz, next door along the Ogden River Parkway. Jacquie King is the location’s head brewer. The location will have a full restaurant and will be open to people of all ages.
RETAIL
• Aubriana Martindale has been promoted to head of the Western Region for The Kroger Co. Martindale previously was manager of corporate affairs for the Smith’s Food & Drug Store Division. Tina Murray will succeed Martindale in that position. Martindale will oversee the Western Region of the U.S., comprising Smith’s, King Soopers and City Market, Frys, Food 4 Less, Ralphs, Fred Meyer and QFC, all divisions of Kroger. She began her career with Smith’s in 2014 as public affairs coordinator and in 2017 was named corporate affairs manager. She is a graduate from the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications. Murray will oversee 141 Smith’s Food & Drug Stores throughout seven states of operation in media, external communications, government affairs, philanthropy and community relations. She previously was the enterprise communications and marketing director for Intermountain Healthcare. Murray graduated from Utah State University with a bachelor’s degree in English and professional writing.
SERVICES
• Image Studios, a Salt Lake City-based salon suite company, has awarded 200 locations in 24 states, nearly doubling its operating units in the past six months.
TECHNOLOGY
• OneMeta AI has moved its headquarters from Las Vegas to 3401 N. Highway 89, Bountiful. Saul Leal, CEO, said the company has several executives and team members with deep ties to Utah, the state has the strongest economy in the nation, is “super-business-friendly,” has a long history as a center of technology innovation and advancement, and has a growing pool of talented business leaders and professionals. The company’s artificial intelligence and machine learning tools allow the spoken and written word to be translated and transcribed in approximately one second across of scores of languages.
• InMoment, a South Jordan-based provider of an experience improvement platform, has appointed Kimberly Gerard as chief financial officer. Gerard has over 20 years of experience, most recently serving as chief transformation officer at Cerner Corp. (currently Oracle-Cerner). She began her career as a controller for BellSouth Intelliventures and a senior accountant for FastWeb Inc.
• Splitero, a California-based financial technology company that provides homeowners options to access their home equity, has expanded its offering to serve homeowners in Utah and Oregon. The announcement was made in conjunction with news that the company had secured an $11.7 million Series A funding round. Fiat Ventures led the investment round, with participation from Gemini Ventures, Joint Effects, PBJ Capital, Permit Ventures, Dream Ventures, Goodwater Capital, Spark Growth Ventures, and Oyster Fund. Splitero provides homeowners a lump sum of cash in exchange for a share of their home’s appreciation. The company operates in California, Colorado, Oregon, Utah and Washington, with plans to expand into additional states in 2023.
TRANSPORTATION
• “Cottonwood Connect,” a new ski transportation service, aims to reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality and enhance the visitor experience for people riding public transportation to Salt Lake County ski resorts during the current ski season. The Salt Lake County Council recently appropriated $239,520 for a private transportation provider to increase the frequency of service and number of people riding to the resorts. This public/private partnership was funded in part by Visit Salt Lake, Utah Transit Authority, Alta Ski Area, Snowbird, Solitude Mountain Resort and Brighton Resort. The service will run Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays starting Jan. 26 and continuing until April 16. Passengers will pay $10 for a round-trip service and reservations will be required through an online portal. Snow Country Limousine was selected as the service provider after a request for proposal process by Visit Salt Lake. Areas served by Cottonwood Connect include Midvale, Cottonwood Heights and Sandy with stops at area hotels and public park-and-ride lots in partnership with UTA.
• The Central Wasatch Commission his seeking public input on the Big Cottonwood Canyon Mobility Action Plan, which will build upon previous studies to prioritize near- and long-term solutions designed to improve mobility in Big Cottonwood Canyon throughout the year. The plan will lay out an implementation plan for various options, including funding, timeline and environmental next steps. Feedback will be received via a survey through Feb. 10. The public may access the survey at https://forms.gle/JsnALvrNWRew8cEPA or https://cwc.utah.gov/transportation/big-cottonwood-canyon-mobility-action-plan/. The commission is an inter-governmental entity that seeks to engage the public, build consensus and coordinate the actions in the Central Wasatch Mountains.