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CONTESTS
- Nominations are being accepted until Feb. 23 for the 2025 Governor’s Science Medals. This award recognizes the distinguished service, significant achievements, and positive economic impact of individuals and companies in science and technology. The honors include the Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology, recognizing the distinguished service, significant achievements and positive economic impact of individuals and companies to the state of Utah and beyond in science and technology. Nominations are accepted in one of three categories: academic/research, education (K-12) and industry (individual or company). Details are at https://business.utah.gov/innovation/governors-science-medals/.
- Applications are being accepted through Feb. 20 for the Utah Entrepreneur Challenge, a business-model competition managed by the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute at the University of Utah and open to college and university students in Utah. The competition includes $75,000 in cash and prizes. It will culminate with at a final event March 22 at the UofU. Younger students, ages 14-18, can complete in the High School Utah Entrepreneur Challenge for a chance to win $30,000 in prizes and scholarships. Details are at https://lassonde.utah.edu/uec.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
- Drinking too much booze is the top holiday party mistake in Utah, according to a survey of managers by Resume.io to uncover the most memorable mistakes they have witnessed at office parties. It also is the top-cited pitfall nationwide and in every state except West Virginia and Wyoming, where not showing up is the top mistake. The No. 2 mistake in Utah is cliquey behavior, and No. 3 is oversharing personal gossip. Details are at https://resume.io/blog/study-office-holiday-party-mistakes.
- Unrequested self-help books tops the list of Utah women’s “ultimate Christmas gift fails from their partners,” according to a survey by DatingAdvice. It was followed, in order, by cleaning supplies or a vacuum cleaner, personal hygiene products, last-minute “panic gifts” from drugstores, a diet book or weight-loss program membership, a cookbook for beginners, a book on improving social skills, and fitness equipment or gym membership. Details are at https://www.datingadvice.com/studies/survey-reveals-the-christmas-gifts-women-hate.
- Buying tickets to holiday shows is the top financial fear for Utah parents at Christmas, according to a survey by CardRates. Others are, in order, holiday travel to visit family or go on vacation, buying gifts for children and extended family, extravagant holiday meals or family gatherings, holiday-themed amusement parks or winter wonderland events, participating in school-related holiday activities, visiting Santa’s grotto or photo sessions with Santa, ice skating at a seasonal rink. Details are at https://www.cardrates.com/studies/parents-skip-holiday-traditions-to-save-money/.
- Three Utah Christmas light displays are on a list of the most popular light displays this year, compiled by photobook company Mixbox. They are No. 91 ZooLights at Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, No. 97 Christmas on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, and No. 148 Draper City Park. Mixbox polled 3,000 families to compiled the nationwide list. The top-ranked display is Peace, Love & Lights Holiday Light Show in Catskills, New York. Details are at https://www.mixbook.com/inspiration/top-ten-must-see-christmas-lights-in-america.
- Two Utah Christmas foods are on a list of the most popular holiday foods this year, compiled by Fabuwood. They are No. 80 sparkling cider pound cake and No. 96 chicken potpie galette with cheddar-thyme crust. Fabuwood surveyed people about the 100 most popular regional dishes for Christmas this year. The top overall food is New York’s cheesecake. Details are at https://www.fabuwood.com/blog/americas-most-craved-christmas-dishes-by-state/.
- “Gremlins” tops a list of favorite “anti-Christmas movies” that Utahns will stream this year, compiled by HostingAdvice, based on a survey. It is followed, in order, by “Krampus,” “The Silence of the Lambs,” “The Shining,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Black Christmas,” “Friday the 13th,” “Psycho,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “The Exorcist.” Details are at https://www.hostingadvice.com/studies/holiday-streaming-survey/.
- Utah is ranked No. 43, tied with five other states, on a list of places where investors experienced the greatest gains in 2024, compiled by MarketBeat. Utah’s growth rate is 16 percent. Only Kansas and Wisconsin, last at 14 percent, have a lower percentage. The national average for private investors is 19 percent. Details are at https://www.marketbeat.com/originals/survey-reveals-which-states-saw-the-biggest-investment-gains-in-2024/.
- Park City is ranked No. 20 on a list of “most sustainable suburbs,” compiled by Solar Insure. It identified the 120 most coveted such suburbs in the U.S. The top-ranked location is Coral Gables, Florida. Details are at https://www.solarinsure.com/sustainable-suburbs.
- Three Utah locations are on a list of affluent areas where residents are the happiest, compiled by CardRates. It listed 150 cities, with Park City ranked No. 41 nationally, Draper at No. 106 and Highland at No. 138. The top-ranked location overall is Palm Beach, Florida. Details are at https://www.cardrates.com/studies/where-high-cost-of-living-is-worth-it/.
- Utah is ranked No. 47 on a list of the impacts of natural disasters on the nation’s food supply, compiled by Trace One. Utah’s expected annual loss is $768,109 at its 17,384 farms. In Salt Lake County, farms are expected to lose a total of $16,259 per year to natural disasters, primarily drought. California leads the rankings, with a loss totaling $1.24 billion. Santa Barbara, California, leads the way locally with a total expected annual loss of $238 million. Details are at https://www.traceone.com/resources/plm-compliance-blog/where-natural-disasters-are-having-biggest-impact-on-u-s-food-supply.
- Two Utah locations are on a list of “America’s Best Dive Bars for Food,” compiled by Geek Nexus, based on a survey. They are No. 75 The Pipe Down in Park City and No. 89 Red Iguana in Salt Lake City. The top-ranked location is The Vortex in Atlanta. Details are at https://geek.nexus/best-dive-bars-america-food/.
- Salt Lake City, at No. 270, is the highest-ranked Utah city on a list of “Best Cities for Composting,” compiled by LawnStarter. It compared the 500 biggest U.S. cities based on five categories, including access to municipal and private composting programs, zero-waste initiatives, yard size, and local interest in composting. Several Utah cities were near the bottom of the list: No. 469 Ogden, No. 476 Layton, No. 474 Lehi, No. 483 South Jordan, No. 485 Sandy, No. 489 West Valley City, No. 490 St. George, No. 491 West Jordan and No. 492 Orem. The best overall city is San Diego. The worst is Thornton, Colorado. Details are at https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/studies/compost-survey/.
- Two Utah cities are on a list of places in the U.S. with the closest family bonds, compiled by PITAKA. Salt Lake City is No. 3, while West Jordan is No. 146. PITAKA released the list with 150 cities, with respondents indicating whether they have family gatherings at least once per month, either in person or remotely. The top-ranked city is Memphis, Tennessee. Details are at https://www.ipitaka.com/blogs/news/survey-reveals-us-cities-with-the-closest-family-bonds.
- Karl Maeser is Utah’s “most inspiring immigrant,” according to a survey by Guide2Fluency. Maeser served 16 years as principal of Brigham Young Academy, which became Brigham Young University in 1903. Nationally, the most inspiring immigrant is Albert Einstein. Details are at https://guide2fluency.com/language-resources/survey-most-inspiring-immigrants-every-state/.
EDUCATION/TRAINING
- Strider Technologies Inc., a provider of strategic intelligence with offices in Salt Lake City; Washington, D.C.; Tokyo and London, has announced the expansion of its partnership with the Intermountain Intelligence, Industry and Security Consortium, including the launch of a new scholarship program called Strider Fellows. It will provide $300,000 to Utah State Universityand Utah Valley University students pursuing careers in national security and intelligence. The scholarship program will provide student support over three years. Founded in 2021, the I3SC is a university-industry partnership led by USU’s Center for Anticipatory Intelligence and UVU’s Center for National Security StudiesCenter for National Security StudiesCenter for National Security Studies. As a founding industry partner, Strider delivers input into the I3SC’s curriculum, contributes to speaking series events, student mentorship, course instruction, and provides students the opportunity to gain direct work experience through internships, capstones and laboratory work in applying industry-leading open source intelligence tools. Additionally, Strider works collaboratively with the I3SC’s other partners, which include Adobe, AgilePQ, Campbell Scientific, Fortem Technologies, Mandiant, MITRE, Northrop Grumman and the USU Space Dynamics Laboratory.
- Applications are being accepted until Jan. 15 for Bank of America’s 2025 Students Leaders internship program, which is open to high school juniors and seniors. Selected students will participate in an eight-week paid internship next summer at a local nonprofit organization in the Salt Lake City region to learn first-hand about the needs of their community and the critical role that nonprofits play. They also will attend an all-expense-paid leadership summit in Washington, D.C., to learn how government, business and the nonprofit sector work together to address critical community needs. The program is in its sixth year in Utah. The application can be found at https://about.bankofamerica.com/en/making-an-impact/student-leaders.
GOVERNMENT
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has selected Utah to receive a $60 million grant for the Utah Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality to help fund 171 zero-emission vehicles and charging infrastructure to reduce air pollution, as part of the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program. The funding will be split across two UDAQ clean vehicles programs. The Vocational Vehicles program will receive $18 million to replace 50 trucks and install 25 fast-charging units, plus replace 33 vans and install 15 fast-charging units. The School Bus program will receive $42 million to replace 88 buses and install 48 Level 2 charging units and 40 DC fast-charging units, plus replace 32 ADA-compliant school buses and install 22 Level 2 charging units and 10 DC fast-charging units. In all, 71 applicants across 28 states, three tribal nations, and one territory will receive $739.8 million to assist in the purchase of over 2,000 zero-emission vehicles.
- Salt Lake County has added an Assertive Community Treatment team that will serve an additional 100 people dealing with serious mental illness and expanded another ACT team from its capacity of 50 consumers to 100. With the expansion, the county now has five ACT teams, each with a capacity of 100. The teams include therapists, nurses, prescribers, case managers and peers. ACT teams focus on people with serious mental illness who struggle with traditional outpatient services and who are high users of emergency services, hospitals, homeless shelters and jails.
HEALTH CARE
- Myriad Genetics Inc., a Salt Lake City-based company focused on genetic testing and precision medicine, has elected Mark S. Davis to its board of directors and appointed Davis to the board’s Audit and Finance Committee. Davis’ appointment is effective immediately and expands the board from eight to nine members. Davis is the senior relationship and growth advisor for Cross Country Consulting. Previously, Davis he worked at Deloitte & Touche LLP from 1985 until September 2024, serving in senior roles, including audit partner, national managing partner of Deloitte Private Enterprises, and managing partner of the Long Island office. In June, he was appointed to the board of directors of Yext Inc., where he serves as a director and member of the audit committee. Davis is also a member of the advisory board of NYU-Winthrop Hospital and the Board of Trustees at Adelphi University, where he serves on the finance and investment committee as well as the audit committee.
- Co-Diagnostics Inc., a Salt Lake City-based company offering a platform for the development of molecular diagnostic tests, has inaugurated CoSara Diagnostics Pvt. Ltd.’s oligonucleotide synthesis facility in Ranoli, India. The facility is designed to manufacture the company’s patented Co-Primers chemistry, which underpins Co-Dx’s and CoSara’s lab-based PCR diagnostic tests and that powers the test cups for the new Co-Dx PCR at-home and point-of-care testing platform. CoSara is the joint venture between Ambalal Sarabhai Enterprises Ltd. and Co-Diagnostics.
LAW
- Gilmore & Bell PC, a public finance law firm, has hired Garrett Gross as counsel in its Salt Lake City office. Gross has 14 years of experience working extensively in-house with a bank, advising on a variety of public finance matters, including direct purchases of leases, revenue bonds, tax and revenue anticipation notes, bond anticipation notes and general obligation bonds. During this time, he also advised the bank’s internal registered municipal advisor and placement agent on SEC, MSRB and other regulatory matters. Gross’ education includes earning a B.A. degree from Brigham Young University in 2007.
NONPROFITS
- ACE Scholarships, the nonprofit program manager for the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program, has hired Micah Hirokawa as executive director of the program. Hirokawa most recently served as an educator and administrator in Utah as part of a career in pre-K through 12 education, working in a variety of roles, including charter superintendent, principal, special education advocate and classroom teacher. He was a music educator for more than a decade, part of more than two decades of experience in education and nonprofit management. As of early December 2024, ACE has disbursed $44.6 million to meet Utah students’ educational needs. To date, ACE has delivered more than 100,000 scholarships worth more than $330 million for lower-income children across 12 states.
PHILANTHROPY
- Maverik and Kum & Go has announced that the two brands raised over $520,000 through the generosity of customers rounding up cash and credit transactions across their combined 20-state operating footprint. With the funds raised locally through the “Round Up Your Change” campaign and the statewide allocation from its $1 million Feeding America contribution, Maverik donated over $ $289,000 across Utah in 2024. Food bank recipients included Utah Food Bank. The campaign ran between Oct. 23 and Dec. 4. In 2023, Maverik acquired Kum & Go, and together the two brands serve customers in over 840 locations across 20 states.
- D.L. Evans Bank, based in Idaho, has announced the second round of the 2024 Employee Directed Donation Initiative. The donation initiative gives bank employees an opportunity to nominate their favorite nonprofit organizations in Idaho and Utah. Each organization will receive a $2,500 donation from the bank plus a 5 percent bonus that will be added in the name of the employee who submitted the application, for a total of $2,625. The donation to Acts Six Soup Kitchen was nominated by Randy Christensen, vice president commercial loan officer at the Brigham City branch. Acts Six Soup Kitchen is a volunteer-led organization, with money received going directly to supporting and caring for those in need in the Brigham City area. D.L. Evans Bank has a network of 39 branches across Idaho and Utah.
REAL ESTATE
- Four Seasons, a luxury hospitality and residential company, and Extell Development, a national real estate developer, have announced plans for a resort and residential offering in Deer Valley called East Village. They say that it will be North America’s first new luxury alpine village to be developed in more than 40 years. Design will be led by ODA Architecture. The new development will offer 134 guest rooms and suites, and 123 residences ranging from 1,200 to 7,000 square feet. Fifty-five residences will be situated above the resort. An adjacent building will contain 68 owner-exclusive units. East Village will offer slopeside access, a skier services facility, new retail offerings, culinary experiences and a collection of après venues.
- VanTrust Real Estate, based in Kansas City, Missouri, has acquired 32 acres at 5998 West Parkway Blvd., West Valley City, to build four industrial warehouse buildings. The site will accommodate four buildings that will provide 600,000 square feet of Class A industrial space. VanTrust anticipates construction on the first two buildings will start in late spring 2025 and deliver late spring 2026. Construction timing on the second two buildings is still to be determined. Specific tenants for the warehouses have not yet been identified. VanTrust has developed more than 68 million square feet of office, industrial, multifamily, science and technology, and mixed-use development.
RECOGNITIONS
- Evolve, based in Salt Lake City, has been named “Medicaid Managed Care Company of the Year” by Eldercare Review, an online platform and magazine. Evolve’s services aim to drive down the cost of institutionalized living and allow members to stay in their homes. Evolve has networks of providers. It currently operates in nine states, with plans for expansion. The company handles more than 3,000 service requests each year and partners with nearly two dozen national and regional health plans and state programs.
- RainFocus, a Lehi-based event marketing platform company, has been named “leader” in the “All-In-One Event Management Platforms” fourth-quarter 2024 report by The Forrester Wave report. It identified and evaluated 12 of the most significant all-in-one event management platforms, with RainFocus as one of only four being named “leader.”
- Owala, a Lehi-based company that offers a water bottle, has been included in the “Brands That Matter” list compiled by Fast Company. Owala, part of the Trove Brands family of brands, was founded in 2020. Fast Company noted the company’s fresh color combinations and limited-edition products along with a burgeoning social following.
RESTAURANTS
- Chipotle Mexican Grill has opened new locations at 1920 E. Rodeo Walk Drive, Holladay, and 957 N. Main St., Suite C, Tooele. Each location is projected to have about 30 jobs.
- Cupbop, a “Korean barbecue in a cup” concept that was founded in 2013 as a food truck in Salt Lake City, has announced it has entered into the United Arab Emirates market. The brand has signed a development deal with RMAL Hospitality. Cupbop has 57 locations in Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Oklahoma and over 200 locations in Indonesia. RMAL plans to bring 10 Cupbop locations to the Emirates, with the goal to open in the first half of 2025.
TECHNOLOGY
- Pluralsight, a Draper-based technology workforce development company, has named Beckey Woodard Coleas chief people officer. Woodard Cole has over 20 years of strategic human resources experience. Before joining Pluralsight, she was the chief human resources officer at Avantax. Prior to that, she Cole spent 10 years at Folience.