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COMMUNICATIONS
• Wilson Electronics, a Salt Lake City-based company focused on cellular signal amplifier technology, has hired Dave Donald as CEDIA (CI) national account manager to help the company implement and refine its go-to-market (GTM) CEDIA strategy. Based in Las Vegas, Donald will be responsible for interfacing with integrators, representatives and distributors in the CEDIA channel to promote Wilson’s offering of advanced cellular signal amplifier technologies. He has more than 30 years of experience in the CEDIA space, most recently as a worldwide ambassador and vice president of marketing at Origin Acoustics. He also worked as director of business development at OneVision Resources, product evangelist at Kaleidescape, and vice president of sales at Artison, among other roles.
EDUCATION/TRAINING
• The proposed Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine (Noorda-COM), Provo, has appointed Jennifer Brown as association dean for academic affairs and Dr. Michael L. Rhodes as associate dean for clinical affairs. They will become part of the executive staff of Noorda-COM responsible for establishing curriculum, processes and programs for medical students attending the school. As associate dean for academic affairs, Brown is responsible for developing and executing the curriculum for students ensuring they learn everything they need for each phase of their medical academic career. She will also head the responsibilities of the medical library and learning services. Brown is working on an M.S. degree at Southern New Hampshire University. She has served in multiple positions at Kaplan Inc., including senior director of the Institutional Medical Program. As associate dean for clinical affairs, Rhodes will be responsible for student third and fourth years — their clinical years. He will set curriculum and work with community physicians to establish rotation opportunities. He will assist students’ participation in clinical rotations at area hospitals and healthcare facilities where they will work with medical teams treating patents. Rhodes served as interim CMO at Utah Valley Hospital and currently serves as associate CMO, medical director of credentialing, quality and safety and designated institutional official for the South Region of Intermountain Healthcare. He has also served as medical director of informatics, program director for Utah Valley Family Medicine Residency, assistant residence director of Utah Valley Family Medicine Residency, faculty at Utah Valley Family Medicine Residency, adjunct clinical faculty at the University of Utah School of Medicine and medical director for Utah Home and Health and Hospice.
• Western Governors University, Salt Lake City, is offering a first-of-its-kind Bachelor of Science Health Services Coordination (BSHSC) degree program to address an urgent shortage of healthcare professionals needed to navigate an increasingly complex healthcare system. The program, which began accepting applications Sept. 1, will prepare graduates to coordinate among healthcare providers, patients, caregivers and services to improve the effectiveness, safety and efficiency of an evolving healthcare system. In addition to medical coordination skills, students will develop competencies in leadership skills, cultural awareness, patient-centered care coordination, and the ability to identify and intervene with high-risk patients through WGU’s proprietary Professional Leadership and Communication course. Details of the program are available at www.wgu.edu/BShealthservices.
• The Utah Aerospace Pathways program has been expanded to Tooele Technical College and the It is part of the Powdr portfolio of adventure lifestyle businesses.. The program provides students the opportunity to graduate high school with a certificate in aerospace manufacturing and begin an aerospace manufacturing career. Students engage in externships with participating aerospace companies where students participate in a hands-on externship with industry experts.
HEALTHCARE
• PolarityTE, a Salt Lake City-based biotechnology company developing and commercializing regenerative tissue products and biomaterials, has appointed Peter Cohen as chairman of the board. He previously was lead director. He became a board member in July 2018. Cohen has more than five decades of operating and governance experience. He previously served on numerous domestic and foreign boards, including the board of directors at the NYSE. Cohen founded the investment firm Ramius Capital, was the CEO and chairman of the board of Cowen Inc., was chairman of Shearson Lehman Hutton Inc. and Republic New York Securities, and served on the board of Mount Sinai Medical Center for approximately 30 years.
HOSPITALITY/FOOD SERVICE
• Woodward Park City, an action sports and ski resort, will open for the 2019-20 winter season. The resort will feature indoor and outdoor action sports venues for year-round adventure. It is designed to encourage intuitive growth and progression in 10 different sports and activities, including snowboarding, skiing, tubing, mountain biking, skateboarding, BMX, scooter, parkour, cheer and digital media. Access will be available through all-access passes, day sessions, lift tickets, drop-in sessions, day camps, lessons, monthly memberships and special events. It is part of the Powdr portfolio of adventure lifestyle businesses. Details about products and programs are available at www.woodwardparkcity.com.
INVESTMENT
• Voxpopme, a Salt Lake City-based video feedback and analytics company, has closed a $9 million Series A1 equity financing led by Origin Ventures. The financing also included participation from existing investor Mercia Asset Management PLC and new investor NVM Private Equity. Voxpopme will use the capital to meet the growing enterprise demand for real-time video feedback, and to fund further investment in the platform. In connection with the financing, Brent Hill, managing partner at Origin Ventures, will join the company’s board of directors. Origin Ventures is based in Salt Lake City and Chicago.
• Edly, an online marketplace connecting income share agreement (ISA) investors with schools, has announced that V School, a Salt Lake City-based code and design school, has received $1 million in committed funding via the Edly marketplace to finance its ISA program. The investment comes from investors on the Edly platform. Further terms of the transaction were not disclosed. V School previously funded its ISAs from working capital.
• Tula Health Inc., a Kaysville-based personalized digital health platform that continuously and noninvasively monitors blood glucose and key health metrics, has closed an oversubscribed $2.6 million seed round. The company will primarily use the funds to establish a proof of concept on engineering, apply for additional patents, and cover overhead costs.
• Clifford Capital Partners, an Alpine-based boutique institutional value manager, has hired Roger Hill as a principal and managing director. Hill has more than 20 years of industry experience. He joins Clifford Capital after 15 years at William Blair, where he was a head of field sales. He also held a variety of roles at another boutique manager, Wasatch Advisors.
LAW
• Cordell & Cordell, a domestic litigation firm that focuses on representing men in family law cases, has hired senior litigation attorney Russell Gray in is Midvale office. Gray most recently practiced family law personal injury and general litigation. Cordell & Cordell has more than 250 attorneys working in more than 100 offices across the United States and United Kingdom.
MANUFACTURING
• Nature’s Sunshine Products Inc., Lehi, has announced it will enter the CBD market with a line of hemp-derived CBD products. Scientists at the company’s Hughes Center for Research and Innovation have developed a series of proprietary products containing whole-spectrum hemp extracts containing naturally occurring CBD that deliver targeted levels of phytocannabinoids to trigger specific cannabinoid receptors in the body. The scientists also leveraged the company’s expertise in herbal supplements to integrate unique and proprietary combinations of natural herbs, phyto-nutrients and herbal essential oils to optimize performance.
MILESTONES
• Ally Bank, the Sandy-based banking arm of Ally Financial Inc., has surpassed $100 billion in retail deposits, just months after the bank celebrated its 10th anniversary. Ally Bank has 1.9 million retail deposit customers. Through the first half of 2019, it grew retail deposits by $9.5 billion and added more than 200,000 customers.
OUTDOOR PRODUCTS/RECREATION/SPORTS
• The U.S. Department of the Interior recently announced $170.6 million in grants from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to all 50 states, five U.S. territories and the District of Columbia for state-identified outdoor recreation and conservation projects. The total includes nearly $2.3 million for Utah. LWCF funds are non-taxpayer dollars derived from Outer Continental Shelf lease revenues and are awarded through federal matching grants administered by the National Park Service. The funds are allocated to help rehabilitate and improve infrastructure at state and local parks and other recreation areas.
NONPROFITS
• Utah Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit research organization, has announced several changes to its board leadership. Chad Westover, CEO of University of Utah Health Plans, is the new chair. He previously served as Utah Foundation vice chair. He succeeds Elizabeth Hitch as chair. Hitch is retiring from her position with the Utah System of Higher Education and is departing Utah Foundation’s board. R. Dan Eldredge, general manager of Intermountain Power Agency, is the new vice chair. He previously served as treasurer. Raymond Hall, chief human resources officer at Larry H. Miller Management Corp., is the new treasurer. Also, Brian Autry, director of hypersonic booster programs at Northrop Grumman, is now fund-raising chair. Utah Foundation’s mission is to produce objective, thorough and well-reasoned research and analysis that promotes the effective use of public resources, a thriving economy, a well-prepared workforce and a high quality of life for Utahns.
PHILANTHROPY
• Kneaders Bakery & Café, Salt Lake City, is working with HOPE Fights Childhood Cancer (HOPE FCC) to raise $135,000 for childhood cancer research conducted by Dr. Joshua Schiffman at Huntsman Cancer Institute during its fourth annual fundraiser taking place through Sept. 28. Colleen and Gary Worthington, co-founders of Kneaders Bakery & Cafe, started HOPE FCC in 2016 after learning their grandson was diagnosed with cancer. In the past four years, Kneaders Bakery & Cafe has raised $490,300 for HOPE FCC.
RECOGNITIONS
• Salt Lake City recently honored buildings with high energy performance with its annual “Elevate Buildings Awards.” The city’s Department of Sustainability invited to a reception representatives of all buildings who participated in the city’s energy-efficiency benchmarking program and received an Energy Star score of 75 or above. The city also opened up nominations for buildings to have a particular energy project recognized. Unico Properties received the Energy Management Award in recognition for its work upgrading the HVAC and damper systems in 250 Tower following a Rocky Mountain Power “wattsmart Business” audit. City Creek Reserve received the Recommissioning Award for its work in optimizing the energy performance of the HVAC system at the KeyBank Tower. The Energy Project of the Year was presented to Intermountain Healthcare for a variety of upgrades, including new air handling units and LED lighting retrofit, at Primary Children’s Hospital. Other buildings that received Energy Star scores of 75 or higher are The Courtyard Salt Lake City Downtown, 345 W. 100 S.; The Courtyard Salt Lake City Airport, 4843 W. Douglas Corrigan Way; Bay Pacific American Plaza III, 47. W 200 S.; One Utah Center, 201 S. Main St.; and Boyer-Madsen Seventh East, 675 E. 500 S.
SERVICES
• Ancestry, a Lehi-based family history and consumer genomics company, has hired Mike Linton as chief revenue officer. He will lead all consumer and product marketing, with a focus on accelerating growth and continuing to build a global brand. Most recently, Linton was CMO for Farmers Insurance. He previously was CMO at eBay and Best Buy. Linton also serves on the board of directors of The Wine Group and Medical Solutions.
• MaritzCX, a Lehi-based company specializing in customer experience, employee experience and patient experience, has appointed Dave Beaulieu as executive vice president of the Global Healthcare Division and named Jason Macedonia as vice president of healthcare and patient experience. During his career, Beaulieu has held general management positions at several large companies, including GE Healthcare and Danaher. He also specialized in spearheading Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) surveys, patient experience surveys, employee engagement surveys and physician surveys at several healthcare companies serving more than 500 hospitals and 13,000 clinicians nationwide. Prior to joining MaritzCX, Macedonia served as senior vice president of strategy and development at Avatar Solutions.
SPORTS
• Utah Olympic Park recently had a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Residences at Utah Olympic Park, an athlete and workforce affordable housing project at 2855 Olympic Parkway, Park City. It has both long-term apartment residences as well as short-term lodging for visiting winter sport athletes and guests. The four-story 72-unit building is owned and operated by the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation.
TRAVEL & TOURISM
• DoTerra’s convention, Visit Salt Lake’s largest annual convention, took place over four days last week and was expected to generate a direct economic impact of nearly $28 million in the Salt Lake community. The convention took place at the Salt Palace Convention Center and Vivint Smart Home Arena and featured more than 30,000 wellness advocates and customers. DoTerra sources, tests, manufactures and distributes aromatherapy and essential oils.