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ASSOCIATIONS
• ULI (Urban Land Institute) Utah has selected Kristen Cordova as executive director. Cordova has been a contractor supporting ULI Utah in marketing and event coordination since June 2021. She previously served as the art director for a global event company. She has experience in event management, leadership, strategic planning and creative communication strategies. Cordova earned a B.S. in communication and fine arts technology from the University of Utah.
• The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation has elected its 2023 board of directors, which includes Dr. Josef Stehlik, professor of medicine and heart transplant program director at the University of Utah. His areas of interest include advanced heart failure, heart transplantation, mechanical circulatory support, cardiac sarcoidosis and cardioversion. He has served as a member of the JHLT editorial board, medical director of the Thoracic Registry, a member of the Research Oversight Committee, a regional ambassador of the ISHLT Foundation, and a member of the annual meeting planning committee. The society is a not-for-profit, multidisciplinary professional organization dedicated to improving the care of patients with advanced heart or lung disease through transplantation, mechanical support and innovative therapies.
BANKING
• Mountain America Credit Union, Salt Lake City, has named Cathy Smoyer as executive vice president of technology and risk. Her responsibilities include strategic direction, performance of information technology, digital banking, information security, enterprise risk management, legal, fraud management functions, governance and compliance. She will also retain her role as the credit union’s chief risk officer. Smoyer has more than 30 years of banking, credit union, leadership and risk management experience.
COMMUNICATIONS
• PublicRelay, a Virginia-based agency for communications analytics and insights, has hired Travis Day as chief revenue officer. Day has more than a decade of experience helping companies develop their research and analytics capabilities, including working at Qualtrics. Day lives near Salt Lake City and graduated from Brigham Young University.
CONSTRUCTION
• Garbett Homes, a Utah-based homebuilder, has completed its first “passive house” at its Eclipse at Silver Creek community in Park City. Passive houses use superior insulation techniques and a heat recovery ventilation system as the only means to maintain temperature in a home. Those building techniques use 80 percent to 90 percent less energy than comparable traditionally constructed homes. Silver Creek Village consists of a 310-acre master planned community offering about 900 condominiums/townhomes and around 300 single-family homes.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• Salt Lake City is ranked No. 115 on a list of cities with the longest layovers, compiled by Lawn Love. It looked at each city’s share of delayed and canceled flights and average departure delay time. It also searched for cities that are easy to navigate, especially from the airport, and offer plenty of fun things to see and do without breaking the bank. On a breakout list, Salt Lake City tied for No. 4 for lowest share of canceled departures. The longest layovers overall are in New York City. The shortest are in Hilo, Hawaii. Details are at https://lawnlove.com/blog/best-worst-cities-layovers/.
• Utah is the top-ranked state in the 2022 Healthy Aging Index, a report compiled by digital health company DoFasting. According to its research, Utah came out as a superior state for healthy aging as well, based on results of low alcohol consumption, smoking, healthcare costs, loneliness and more. At the same time, the state also showed worrying results for suicide and fertility rates, it said. The report analyzed five fundamental pillars of health span: demographics, economics, behavioral aspects, healthcare and mental health. A team of researchers and medical doctors analyzed 1,250 units of data from 25 sources. The bottom-ranked state is Mississippi. Details are at https://dofasting.com/healthy-aging-index-2022/.
• Dec. 17 is when the average Utah employee’s productivity drops during the holiday season, according to a survey by photo book company Mixbook. For comparison, Idahoans wind down the earliest, on Dec. 7, and people in New Hampshire do so on Dec. 21. Details are at https://www.mixbook.com/inspiration/christmas-clock-off.
• Utah is ranked No. 12 on a list of “Best States at Managing Waste,” compiled by LawnStarter. It compared states on waste-reducing policies, infrastructure, waste production and recycling rates. The top-ranked state is Connecticut. The bottom-ranked state is Alaska. Details are at https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/studies/best-worst-states-waste-management/.
• Xbox One is the most popular game console in Utah, according to a study by bipartisan educational platform Wisevoter. It is followed, in order, by PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X & S. The results were measured by searches online by state per video game console in the past year. Sales of video game consoles nationally are up 26 percent since 2015. Xbox was the favorite in 22 states, with the PS5 leading in 11 states. Details are at https://wisevoter.com/report/popular-video-game-console/.
• Reading is the most popular hobby among Utah college students, according to a study by educational research company and scholarship website engine Scholaroo. The most popular hobby across the U.S. is soccer, it found. Reading is the most popular in 10 states. Soccer was second in Utah but first in 22 states. In third in Utah is fitness. Details are at https://scholaroo.com/report/most-popular-hobbies/.
EDUCATION
• Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum, Salt Lake City, will open a simulated RubySnap Cookie Shop on Dec. 17 in its gallery Kid’s Eye View. The exhibit area educates children through play and socialization in small versions of well-known brands like Macey’s, First Utah Bank and Mark Miller Subaru. The upcoming RubySnap exhibit will feature a new storefront where children can pretend to bake, buy and sell replicas of RubySnap gourmet cookies.
ENERGY
• RPlus Energies, a Salt Lake City-based renewable energy developer, has hired Theresa Foxley as chief of staff. She will officially join the rPlus team in early 2023. Foxley spent the past eight years in Utah economic development, most recently as president and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah. Prior to the origination of rPlus Energies, Foxley and rPlus president and CEO, Luigi Resta, collaborated on Utah’s first utility-scale solar project, the Utah Red Hills Renewable Energy Park in Iron County. They continued their work together on Three Peaks Solar, another project in Southern Utah. Foxley later introduced Christian Gardner, CEO of the Gardner Group, to Resta, and Resta and Gardner created rPlus Energies in late 2018.
GRANTS
• The Human Rights Campaign, a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization, and Showtime have announced that Provo business Celebrate Therapy is a recipient of “Queer to Stay: An LGBTQ+ Business Preservation Initiative” grant funds to support and uplift small businesses that focus on LGBTQ+ people of color, women and the transgender community who continue to be impacted by economic setbacks from the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty-five funded businesses this year will be awarded a total of $250,000. Celebrate Therapy is owned and operated by a team of queer clinicians who support individuals in “discovering confidence” in their identities. Owner and Clinical Director Lacey Bagley said she hopes to put the grant money toward opening a second location in Salt Lake City.
HOSPITALITY
• Dynamic City Capital, a Provo-based real estate investment firm focused on acquiring and developing premium-branded hotels, has acquired The Charter Hotel Seattle, Curio Collection by Hilton for an undisclosed amount. The Curio Collection by Hilton is a global, upscale portfolio. The Charter Hotel is the only Curio Collection by Hilton hotel in the Seattle/Bellevue market. The hotel opened in 2018. The 16-story, 229-room Charter Hotel includes luxury rooms and more than 10,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
INVESTMENTS
• SponsorCX Inc., a Lehi-based company offering a SaaS sponsorship management platform, has received a growth equity investment led by Blueprint Equity, based in California. The amount was not disclosed. In conjunction with the investment, Michael Merritt, vice president at Blueprint Equity, will join the SponsorCX board of directors. SponsorCX said it plans to use the funding to further invest in client support, sales and engineering teams, as well as add new software features to further support its current and prospective customer base.
MEDIA/MARKETING
• Max Connect Digital, a Draper-based digital marketing agency, has hired Maria Rico as vice president of retail and healthcare. Based in Florida, Rico will be responsible for growing Max Connect’s business on the East Coast. Rico previously was senior vice president and director of operations at Zimmerman Advertising.
NONPROFITS
• The REI Cooperative Action Fund, a nonprofit, has announced $1.98 in investments in 34 nonprofit organizations promoting justice, equity and belonging in the outdoors. Among the recipients is Nature and Human Health at the University of Utah, which seeks to foster links between nature and human health by providing a collaborative arena in which representatives of diverse societal sectors can equitably engage, share ideas, formulate actions and implement solutions. The investment brings the fund’s total giving to over $3.4 million this year. The fund launched in 2021 and has so far received over 200,000 donations from REI customers, members, and employees, as well as REI co-op, corporate partners and foundations. REI is a specialty outdoor retailer based near Seattle. It has 179 locations in 42 states and the District of Columbia.
• The Petfood Consumer Rights Council, a consumer protection and animal welfare organization based in Salt Lake City, has launched and announced its first key initiative, a 90-day founding member drive. The not-for-profit organization was founded by Daniel Schulof, a companion animal author, entrepreneur and activist. He believes rates of chronic, noncommunicable diseases in household pets should be falling rather than rising, and he contends the trends aren’t the results of pet owners being negligent or under-informed. The council will seek donations and use the funds to provide grants for scientific research initiatives.
PARTNERSHIPS
• EvolveMD, a behavioral health provider, and Ogden Clinic have announced a partnership in which EvolveMD has embedded its services in Ogden Clinic’s network of 11 primary care, family medicine and urgent care locations in the Salt Lake City metro area. Since the second quarter of 2021, 1,685 patients have received behavioral health services at Ogden Clinic locations, completing almost 6,000 appointments collectively.
• Ovation, an Orem-based company offering a two-question guest feedback platform, has partnered with Incentivio, a Boston-based guest engagement platform for restaurants and virtual kitchens. The partnership will enable restaurant owners to extend guest loyalty and ordering beyond brick-and-mortar walls and smoothly gather actionable feedback from customers wherever they are, Ovation said. When guests at participating restaurants order through Incentivio, they will automatically be sent a text approximately when they’ve finished their meal asking them about their experience. Through Ovation’s two-question survey, guests are connected directly to managers, leading to resolved concerns and improved operations. Satisfied customers are encouraged to create more direct orders, redeem promotions sent through email and text message marketing, and build stronger relationships with restaurants through Incentivio’s loyalty solutions.
• LoanPro, a Farmington-based loan servicing core platform, has partnered with MX Technologies Inc., a Lehi-based open finance company, to deliver enriched financial data using MX’s Data Engine into LoanPro’s loan management platform. LoanPro offers technology to financial institutions, business-to-business and business-to-consumer lenders.
REAL ESTATE
• Common, a global residential brand, and McWhinney, a national development firm, have begun leasing new residential micro-apartment units in one of two high-rise towers in Salt Lake City that previously operated as a hotel. The building, now operating as Lattice, is at the intersection of the Downtown and Granary neighborhoods, at the corner of 600 South and West Temple. After being selected by McWhinney and its development partner, RL Group, to manage the building earlier this year, Common has begun to market the 184 residences for short and long-term leases.
• Armstrong Capital Development, based in Colorado, has acquired South Weber Storage, 2192 E. South Weber Drive, Ogden, for an undisclosed amount. Developed in 2004, the facility offers 26,060 square feet of net rentable square feet across 136 traditional, non-climate-controlled drive-up units. The facility is 98 percent occupied. ACD plans to renovate the property with physical and operational improvements, including a new leasing office and professional management. StoragePro will operate the facility under its existing South Weber Storage banner.
RECOGNITIONS
• Jennifer Smith, chief technology and operations officer at Zions Bancorporation, Salt Lake City, recently was recognized as one of the “25 Most Powerful Women in Banking” by American Banker magazine. The bank in July cut the ribbon on a 400,000-square-feet technology center in Midvale. Smith became head of Zions technology in 2015 and has worked on changing Zions’ core banking software. Smith also incorporated robotic process automation to speed up and make more accurate transactions. Last year, Smith also re-established the role of chief technology officer at Zions. She also has launched a diversity pipeline task force in the past year to explore what changes might be needed to recruit new talent to Zions. Smith is also incoming chair of the University of Utah’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Advancement Board.
• Katie-Rose Skelly has been named to the Forbes “30 Under 30” list for healthcare. Skelly is co-founder and chief technology officer at Known Medicine, based in Salt Lake City. She co-founded Known Medicine in 2020 with the goal of finding the right treatment for every cancer patient.
• AgeLOC LumiSpa iO, a product of Nu Skin Enterprises Inc., Provo, has won a 2022 “New Product of the Year,” presented by Business Intelligence Group. The annual BIG Awards for Business recognize products and companies. AgeLOC LumiSpa iO, in conjunction with the Nu Skin Vera app, offers personalized skincare experiences, including customized skincare options, intelligent coaching, skincare routine tracking, a selfie timeline and more.
RECREATION
• Topgolf has opened a venue at 484 N. Entertainment Way, Vineyard, in The Yard retail development. It is the company’s 85th global site. Topgolf Vineyard features 72 hitting bays on two levels. It also has a 12-hole miniature golf course.
• The Millcreek Common Skate Loop, with 11,000 square feet of ice, has opened at 1354 E. Chambers Ave., Millcreek. It is the largest outdoor skating rink in the state. The Skate Loop was made possible by a $500,000 Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant. It has been used for roller skating during the summer.
• Urban Air Adventure Park, an indoor adventure park operator that is part of the youth enrichment growth-focused platform Unleashed Brands, is expanding into Utah and Florida with a new franchise agreement that will bring a total of three new parks to Salt Lake City and Tampa Bay. The agreement is a partnership between Thomas Garcia, an existing Urban Air franchisee who operates two parks in New Mexico and Colorado, and Greg Dunn, who has worked in the asset management industry for 25 years. Under the new agreement, the first park is expected to open in Salt Lake City in the next 12-18 months, followed shortly by a park in Tampa Bay and another in the Salt Lake City region.