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ASSOCIATIONS
• The Utah Farm Bureau Federation has hired Terry Camp as vice president of public policy. Camp will work with Wade Garrett, vice president of strategic relationships and advocacy, on representing and implementing Utah Farm Bureau policy at the national, state and local levels, assisting county farm bureaus in policy development, and strengthening relationships between farmers and ranchers and elected officials. Camp’s education includes a B.A. in political science from Utah State University. Camp has been involved in politics and government at the local, state and federal levels. While studying at Utah State, Camp interned for former U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop and later worked for U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch’s 2012 reelection campaign. While working for the Hatch campaign, he was selected as one of six presidential electors for the state of Utah. Camp was hired to work in Hatch’s Washington, D.C., office, and then for former Chairman Bishop on the House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands for nearly eight years.
• Canyons Village Management Association, Park City, has appointed Whitney W. Ryan as director of marketing and public relations. Ryan has over 13 years of experience in travel and tourism with Vail Resorts (Park City Mountain and Northstar California), Park City Lodging, and most recently as the director of marketing and public relations for the Hotels Division at Grand America Hotels and Resorts, with oversight of the portfolio’s six hotels across the western United States. The CVMA, formed in 1999, oversees the development and progression of the Canyons Village Specially Planned Area and functions as the master association. It provides services related to resort aesthetics, development and design, resort beautification and contributing to and developing amenities and events that promote Canyons Village.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• Salt Lake City hotels are projected to see lower business travel revenue this year, compared with 2019, while leisure travel revenue is expected to be higher. That is according to a new analysis by the American Hotel & Lodging Association and Kalibri Labs, which shows U.S. hotel leisure travel revenue is projected to end 2022 14 percent above 2019 levels, while hotel business travel revenue is expected to come within 1 percent of 2019 levels. The study indicated that business travel revenue in Salt Lake City was $368 million in 2019 but is expected to be $361.4 million in 2022, down 1.8 percent. Leisure travel revenue was $315.9 million in 2019 and is expected to reach $367.9 million this year, an increase of 16.5 percent. The projections are not adjusted for inflation, and real hotel revenue recovery will likely take several more years, the association said.
• Salt Lake City is No. 32 and West Valley City is No. 164 on a list of “2022’s Best Cities for Single Moms,” compiled by LawnStarter. It compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities based on 36 key metrics, including safety and affordability, ample child care and community support, high-quality education and healthcare, and a decent work-life balance. The top-ranked city is Roseville, California. The No. 200 city is Detroit. Details are at https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/studies/best-cities-single-moms/.
EDUCATION/TRAINING
• University of Utah Health has announced a “First Year Free” scholarship initiative for all first-year PharmD students entering the four-year College of Pharmacy program in fall 2023. Thanks to a grant from The ALSAM Foundation, founded by L.S. and Aline W. Skaggs, the University of Utah College of Pharmacy will offer one-year, full-tuition scholarships to all first-year students. The scholarships will be available to first-year students regardless of residency status and will slash the overall tuition cost of a four-year PharmD degree by 25 percent. After their first year, non-resident students in the PharmD program may qualify for in-state tuition until they graduate. Additionally, students may still apply for other earned scholarship opportunities for remaining years.
• Registrations are being accepted until Nov. 11 for the 2023 cohort of the KeyBank Business Accelerator. The 10-week course begins Jan. 10 and will be taught by Ralph Little, founder and CEO of a nationwide financial services company. Details are at https://www.southvalleychamber.com/business-academy/.
ENERGY
• Millcreek has been awarded $460,000 in funding from Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky program participants to support the installation of solar panels at Millcreek’s new city hall. The award will cover 77 percent of the installation cost of the 120-kilowatt solar panel system with a 30-kilowatt battery. Millcreek joins more than 200 organizations across Rocky Mountain Power’s service area that, since 2006, have received awards for community-based renewable projects. This project is one of six selected this year through a competitive-evaluation process. Blue Sky is an opt-in program that gives Rocky Mountain Power customers an option to match all or part of their energy use with renewable energy. Through the Blue Sky Block option, participants also support qualifying, renewable energy projects for community-serving organizations such as schools, community centers and arts organizations. Construction on Millcreek’s new city hall began in March. The project expected to begin generating power in fall 2023.
FINANCE
• Fountainhead, a nonbank commercial lending firm specializing in providing growth financing to small businesses across the nation, has hired Elle Merkley as a commercial loan specialist. Merkley is based in Salt Lake City and will help businesses secure financing through Fountainhead’s specialized SBA 7(a), SBA 504 and low LTV conventional loan programs. Merkley has 19 years of professional, commercial lending experience.
HEALTHCARE
• CenExel, a Salt Lake City-based company offering medical and scientific support in the design and execution of clinical trials, has hired Brandy Isaacks as vice president of project management and scientific affairs. Her responsibilities will include providing project management coordination and support across CenExel Centers of Excellence. She will also manage CenExel’s Scientific Affairs division. Isaacks has more than 20 years of experience in clinical research project management and operations, most recently serving as the lead for all Psychiatry in the Neuroscience Division at Syneos Health. Her background also includes working with small to mid-size pharma and biotech clients, providing strategic guidance for clinical development planning, holistic team management, and ongoing client and program support.
INVESTMENTS
• Bridge Investment Group Holdings Inc., a Salt Lake City-based real estate investment manager, has announced the completed fundraising for Bridge Workforce and Affordable Housing Fund II, raising $1.74 billion in equity commitments, over its $1.5 billion target. BWAF II is dedicated to building, preserving and rehabilitating predominantly nongovernment-subsidized housing with at least 51 percent of residents earning below 80 percent of area median income, meeting the needs of the large and priced-out “missing middle” of U.S. renters.
LAW
• Gilmore & Bell PC, a Salt Lake City-based public finance law firm, has hired Adam Daly and Haley Holloway as associates in the Salt Lake City office. Daly’s education includes his J.D. from the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law in 2022. Prior to attending law school, he worked as a business development associate for the law firms Price Benowitz and WilmerHale in Washington, D.C. Holloway graduated from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University. Prior to attending law school, she graduated from BYU with a B.A. in political science.
LABOR
• American Red Cross workers in Salt Lake City have joined Teamsters Local 222, with 92 percent voting in favor of representation, making it the first since Red Cross Teamsters ratified their most recent national agreement. Local 222 serves over 4,800 members working for 35 employers across Utah.
MANUFACTURING
• Purple Innovation Inc., a Lehi-based company that produces comfort products, has appointed Keira Krausz as chief marketing officer. Krausz succeeds Patrice Varni, who stepped down to pursue other interests. Krausz has experience in direct-to-consumer marketing, most recently serving as chief marketing officer of HealthPlanOne, a digital health distribution platform. Prior to that, she was CMO of Nutrisystem Inc.
NONPROFITS
• Sutherland Institute, a Salt Lake City-based nonprofit, nonpartisan policy and educational think tank that informs the public and policymakers, has added Christine Cooke Fairbanks as its new education policy fellow. Her research will focus on how increased support for a variety of school types impacts students, parents and educators. Fairbanks will be based in Arizona and offer research and analysis of schools there as a way for Utah decision-makers to better understand the realities of a policy approach that supports students in schools of all types. Fairbanks most recently was the director of student life at the Brigham Young University Law School. Previously, she led education policy research for Sutherland from 2015-21. Her background includes serving as a public school teacher before entering the public policy world.
• Warrior Rising, South Jordan, has received a $105,000 grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration to help aid the veteran nonprofit. Warrior Rising’s mission is to empower veterans and their families by providing opportunities to create sustainable businesses. The funds will support service disabled veteran entrepreneurs and business owners. Warrior Rising kickstarts veteran businesses with “business showers.” One such fundraising gala will take place Nov. 11, 5:30-11 p.m., at the Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City, 170 S. West Temple. Details are at https://classy.warriorrising.org/event/salt-lake-city-banquet/e412865.
• The Christmas Box International is sponsoring its annual Project Elf Campaign to raise funds and collect in-kind donations for children and families served by The Christmas Box House emergency shelters and resource centers. This year, the organization hopes to provide Christmas for more than 2,500 at-risk children in Utah. The campaign has provided holiday gifts for more than 45,000 children for the past two decades. Companies and individuals may donate gifts, clothing, gift cards or money. Donations are accepted weekdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at locations listed at https://thechristmasbox.org/project-elf/. Details are at www.thechristmasbox.org.
OUTDOOR RECREATION
• The Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation grants team has announced locations for its 2023 grant tour to spread the word about this year’s grant programs, which include the Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant (UORG), the Recreation Restoration Infrastructure Grant (RRI), the OHV Recreation Grant (OHVR) and the Recreation Trails Program (RTP). Registration is required for the events. Events take place Nov. 14, 9-11 a.m., Duchesne; Nov. 14, 3-5 p.m., Castle Dale; Nov. 15, 9-11 a.m., Moab; Nov. 15, 2-4 p.m., Bluff; Nov. 16, 2-4 p.m., Bicknell; Nov. 17, 9-11 a.m., Escalante; Nov. 18, 9-11 a.m., St. George; Nov. 18, 3-5 p.m., Beaver; Dec. 5, 9-11 a.m., Salt Lake City; Dec. 5, 9-11 a.m., Park City; Dec. 6, 2-4 p.m., Alpine; and Dec. 7, 2-4 p.m., Nibley. Details are available by emailing outdoorteam@utah.gov
PARTNERSHIPS
• The Utah Jazz and Lehi-based Chatbooks have announced a multi-year agreement to make Chatbooks the official photo book partner of the Utah Jazz. Throughout the 2022-23 season, Chatbooks “Fan Fame” partnership will provide fans with a way to find all their posed and candid photos taken in the arena within the Utah Jazz mobile app, offer photographers to capture fan memories on the plaza and throughout Vivint Arena, and Chatbooks will display a collage of fans’ social media photos on the arena’s center-hung video boards. Fans will also be encouraged to submit images for the “Selfie of the Game” to be eligible to win an autographed Jazz jersey.
• Pura, a fragrance company, has announced a partnership with Studio McGee for a collection of four fragrances. These scents will be compatible with the Pura Smart Fragrance Diffuser.
PHILANTHROPY
• Bank of Utah, Arctic Circle Restaurants and Red Hanger are co-sponsoring the 10th annual “Warm Bodies, Warm Souls” clothing drive through Nov. 11 to benefit 12 charities across the state. Community members can drop off new or gently used coats, hats, scarves, gloves and blankets, and new underwear and socks for adults and children, at 20 of Bank of Utah’s full-service bank branches and mortgage offices; Arctic Circle’s 36 restaurants from Tremonton to Spanish Fork; and Red Hanger’s 12 locations along the Wasatch Front. The public may also make cash donations online through Bank of Utah at https://www.bankofutah.com/clothing-drive. In 2021, the donated items filled more than 600 large bags, up from 500 the year before.
REAL ESTATE
• Elysian Living recently held a grand opening for its first Utah property, Ely at American Fork, at 299 S. 850 W., American Fork. The 320-unit luxury community was designed by The Calida Group, in partnership with Castlewood Development.
• Brinkman Real Estate, a Denver-based multifamily investment company, has partnered with Nella Invest to acquire Onyx Apartments in Midvale from Mercatus Partners for an undisclosed amount. The Class A, boutique community features 48 luxury apartments, adding to Brinkman’s Mountain States portfolio of more than 1,200 units. It is Brinkman’s third acquisition in the Salt Lake City MSA. Construction on Onyx was completed in 2021. Mercatus Partners was represented by James and Andrew Wadsworth of Wadsworth Multifamily.
• Stack Homes, a Salt Lake City-based luxury modular home and accessory dwelling unit builder, is expanding its sales team to Kanab and southern Utah with a partnership with Adobe Real Estate Group with Coldwell Banker Realty. MOJO Real Estate, Coldwell Banker’s top team in Utah, recently purchased the Adobe Real Estate Group to expand its team and geographic footprint in southern Utah. Sales agents of MOJO and Adobe’s teams are trained on the Stack Homes dwellings.
RECOGNITIONS
• The Women Tech Council recently presented its 2022 Women Tech Awards. They include Education Excellence, Kristina Yamada, Utah State Board of Education; Impact Award, Scott Anderson, Zions Bancorporation; Innovation Trailblazer, Sarah Wiley, HighTop; Leadership Excellence, Kiva Allgood, Sarcos; Lifetime Achievement, Ruth Novak; Operational Excellence, Manu Sood, AvidXchange; Rising Star, AJ Brau, Wander; Student Pathway, Jessica Stratton, Weber State University; Tech Leadership, Pallavi Ranade Kharkar, Intermountain Healthcare; Innovation Leadership, Kirsten Timms, Myriad Genetics; and Transformation Leadership, Travis Anna Hallstrom, PassiveLogic. Other award finalists were Alexa Kalandiak, staff mechanical engineer, PassiveLogic; Amy Frampton, head of marketing, BambooHR; Amy Jo Moore, design engineering director, Northrop Grumman; Anesha McCormick, director of product, Pluralsight; Hau Moy Kwan, associate professor of computer science, Salt Lake Community College; Heidi Anderson, chief information officer, Prestige Financial Services Inc.; Julia Silge, data scientist and software engineer, RStudio PBC; Katie Neilson, co-founder and president, Assure; Krista Pappas, senior vice president of information technology, Entrata; Melanie Robinson, CEO, Webb; Natalie Birrell, senior vice president of engineering, Entrata; Steph Couzin, vice president of go-to-market strategy and operations, Lucid Software; and Sunnie Giles, general partner, Lane VC.
• The Utah Golf Course Superintendents Association has named Pat Christoffer as Superintendent of the Year. Christoffer is director of agronomy at Red Ledges in the Heber Valley. Christoffer, a 25-year golf industry veteran, has been with Red Ledges since its inception in 2007. He now oversees the original 18-hole course as well as a 12-hole, par-3 golf park that opened in 2016. Award winners are chosen by the Utah GCSA board of directors based on the number of nominations and justifications provided.
• CyberScoop 50 has named Srinivas Mukkamala a “2022 Cybersecurity Visionary.” Mukkamala is chief product officer at Ivanti, a South Jordan-based company offering an automation platform. The CyberScoop 50 Awards recognize the accomplishments of cybersecurity leaders in both the public and private sectors who are responsible for protecting vital networks, information and critical infrastructure. The Cybersecurity Visionary award recognizes the people driving positive change and making the most significant impact across the entire sector. Mukkamala is recognized as an authority in artificial intelligence and neural networks communities with more than 20 years of experience in developing first-to-market solutions and using computational analysis to proactively defend against the cybercrime industry. Prior to joining Ivanti, he was the CEO of Risksense (acquired by Ivanti). Other past experience includes serving as the chief strategy officer and CTO for an advisory think tank.
• Connect Media has named Virginia Love, industry principal at Entrata, a Lehi-based company offering an operating system for the multifamily industry, to a list of “2022 Women in Real Estate Awards.” Love is one of the winners in the Atlanta/Southeast region. Love works directly with Entrata’s marketing, product and sales teams and serves as a liaison between the departments and the multifamily industry. Love became industry principal at Entrata in 2019. Before joining Entrata, she worked for apartment operators including Trammell Crow, ING Clarion and Waterton.
• Spend Matters has named Avetta, an Orem-based provider of supply chain risk management software, to its “50 Providers to Know” list for the fifth consecutive year. The list recognizes best-in-class companies in the procurement and supply chain market.
• Qnergy Inc., an Ogden-based methane abatement solutions provider and manufacturer of electric power using Stirling engine technologies, has received several industry honors recently. The Energy Institute has named Qnergy a finalist in its Environment Award category. The award recognizes technologies and projects that enhance and protect the environment with prospects for wide application. The Edison Awards, whose mission is to identify and honor innovation, innovators and business leadership that make a positive impact to the world, has recognized Qnergy’s nomination for a Sustainability Award for its CAP3Nano product innovation. Qnergy also has been named a Rising Company finalist in the 24th annual Platts Global Energy Awards, recognizing Qnergy’s achievements in establishing itself as a key player in energy on the world stage.
RESTAURANTS
• Tous les Jours, a French-Asian bakery café chain, has opened a location at 25 E. Fort Union Blvd., Midvale. It is the brand’s first Utah location and is owned and operated by franchisee Kyung H. Cho of Trans Way Services Inc. Tous les Jours franchises 80 stores in the U.S. and over 1,650 bakeries worldwide.
• Island Fin Poké, a fast-casual restaurant known for Hawaiian-style, build-your-own poké bowls, has opened its first location in Utah at 613 E. 400 S., Suite D, Salt Lake City. It is operated by Hannah Stout and her family and will offer third-party delivery options, online ordering and indoor seating. Island Fin Poké has more than 20 locations open, with others in various stages of development as it expects to reach a total of 40 locations by the end of 2022.
• The Crack Shack will open its this Utah location Nov. 4 at 4500 W. 13400 S., Riverton, at the Mountain View Village center. It will feature its iconic chicken artwork; a pet-friendly patio; and a bar featuring local craft beer, craft cocktails and wine. The company started in San Diego in 2015 and has seven locations across Southern California, Nevada, Colorado and Salt Lake City.
• L.O.V.E. Restaurant Group has opened a Slim Chickens restaurant at 855 S. Country Blvd., Pleasant Grove. It is the company’s seventh Slim Chickens location, with plans to open three more across Colorado and Utah. The restaurant will include up to 80 new jobs.
• Mountain Mike’s Pizza, a California-based pizza chain, has opened at 101 E. 12300 S., Suite 100, in the Draper Peaks shopping center in Draper. It is owned and operated by Pelican Food Concepts, making it Pelican’s second location in Utah (it also owns and operates two locations in Arizona). The 2,000-square-foot restaurant is the brand’s fourth Utah location. Mountain Mike’s has 260 locations overall.
SERVICES
• BDO USA LLP, a Chicago-based professional services firms, has admitted 69 professionals to the partnership. They include Jeff Hatch, assurance partner, and Matt Bartholomew, transaction advisory services partner, from the Salt Lake City office, and Brendan Sullivan, transaction advisory services partner, who conducts significant business is in the area. Hatch serves public and private companies in the technology, software, and retail and consumer products industries. He has significant experience in revenue recognition, complex equity transactions, business combinations, share-based compensation arrangements, and Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404, as well as in mergers and acquisitions and initial public offerings. Bartholomew focuses on advising corporate and private equity clients in the deals space. He has experience in initial strategic assessment, due diligence execution and pro forma modeling, analyzing and reviewing banking models and sell-side work, negotiation of related aspects of purchase and sale agreements, and resolution of post-close purchase price disputes. Sullivan advises corporate and private equity clients on all aspects of tax due diligence, structuring, and post-deal tax planning related to taxable and non-taxable business combinations. He has developed a knowledge of tax issues that impact middle-market M&A transactions through his experience consulting on hundreds of transactions.
• Hello Garage, a garage renovation franchise company, has opened a location in Saratoga Springs. Hello Garage of Central Utah is owned by Jared and Vanice Jensen. The company’s product offerings include polyaspartic garage floor coatings, heavy-duty steel garage storage and organization solutions, and a variety of accessories to enhance garage space.
TECHNOLOGY
• DataBank, a Texas-based provider of colocation, connectivity and managed services, will have the grand opening of its sixth Salt Lake-area data center Nov. 15 at 14870 S. Pony Express Road, Bluffdale, on the company’s 23-acre Granite Point campus. It is across from DataBank’s SLC3 and SLC4 data centers. SLC6-Granite Point will have 50,000 square feet of “white space” and 11 megawatts of power. More will be added in 2023, bringing the total to 100,000 square feet and 22 megawatts, access to multiple carriers and a 66-megawatt substation.
• GPS Capital Markets LLC, a Salt Lake City-based fintech firm offering corporate foreign exchange services, has hired Rob Fotheringham as vice president of business strategy and innovation. He will help further implement the GPS suite of FX technology products, as well as the continued technological growth across the company. Fotheringham has over 20 years of experience in hedging strategies, product management, product design and developing machine learning algorithms.