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ASSOCIATIONS
• Val Hale, executive director of the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), recently was elected vice chair with the State Economic Development Executives (SEDE) Network at the group’s meeting in Rhode Island. The SEDE meeting was held in conjunction with the annual State Science and Technology Institute conference. The SEDE Network is a forum for state economic development and commerce agency secretaries, CEOs, executive directors, commissioners and their deputies to exchange information, learn from one another and advance economic development across the nation. In addition to publicly available news roundups and tools and resources, the SEDE website provides members with access to meeting information and notes, webinars and information from working groups addressing issues such as trade, opportunity zones and talent.
BANKING
• Zions Bancorporation NA, Salt Lake City, has announced it expects to host its biennial investor day Feb. 6. Institutional investors and professional equity and fixed-income analysts are encouraged to attend in person, while retail investors and investment advisors are encouraged to join by webcast. The webcast link will be posted to at zionsbancorporation.com prior to the event.
COMMUNICATIONS
• The Federal Communications Commission has announced the creation of its first two Innovation Zones, including one in Salt Lake City. The zones will be city-scale test beds for advanced wireless communications and network research, including 5G networks. The wireless technology test beds extend the geographic areas in which already-licensed experimental program licensees can conduct tests. Under this initiative, parties have flexibility to conduct multiple nonrelated experiments under a single authorization within a defined geographic area to develop new technologies and services while protecting incumbent services against harmful interference. This initiative allows experimental program license holders that are licensed to operate elsewhere to also use the New York City and Salt Lake City Innovation Zones. The National Science Foundation’s Platform for Advanced Wireless Research formally proposed these particular Innovation Zones. In Salt Lake City, the Innovation Zone will support POWDER (A Platform for Open Wireless Data-driven Experimental Research with Massive MIMO Capabilities). POWDER, which will operate in several connected corridors of Salt Lake City, will be run jointly by the University of Utah and Rice University, in partnership with Salt Lake City.
EDUCATION/TRAINING
• Western Governors University, Salt Lake City, has appointed Annalisa Holcombe as president of WGU Advancement, WGU’s nonprofit fundraising organization. Holcombe has more than 15 years of experience in higher education, fundraising and community relations. She comes to WGU after serving in various roles over more than a decade at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, most recently as vice president and chief advancement officer. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Westminster College and a juris doctorate from the University of Utah College of Law.
EVENTS
• Organizers of the 14th annual Utah Economic Summit, set for May 7, 2020 at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, are accepting applications through Oct. 31 for breakout sessions topics and presenters. Current business topics of interest include affordable housing, entrepreneurship, outdoor recreation, transportation, and Utah’s software and information technology industry. Presenter’s ideas for breakout sessions can be submitted at https://utahgov.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1CdxUjz5RNOIb1b. Organizers plan to confirm the breakout sessions in November and December. The conference is presented by the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, World Trade Center Utah and the Salt Lake Chamber.
GOVERNMENT
• The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) has announced the opening of the Snow College Business Resource Center in Richfield. The center serves residents of Juab, Millard, Piute, Sanpete, Sevier and Wayne counties. The state has 18 business resource centers, which are formed in partnership with local colleges or universities and coordinate resources of local business service providers to offer comprehensive services and ongoing assistance to help Utah’s businesses grow and expand. The centers provide access to a coordinated network of federal, state, local and private business service providers by promoting their services to local businesses. Assistance is available for businesses and entrepreneurs regardless of physical location.
MEDIA/MARKETING
• MRM/McCann, a customer relationship marketing agency, has hired Melissa Ditson as chief creative officer for MRM/McCann’s U.S. West, leading creative operations for the company’s Salt Lake City and San Francisco offices. Ditson has more than 20 years of experience as a creative executive and has led teams and agencies in New York and London. Most recently, she was executive creative director at 360i Europe. She also has held creative leadership positions at Edelman, Space150 and Momentum.
• The E.W. Scripps Co. has closed its acquisition of eight television stations in seven markets, including KSTU, a Fox affiliate in Salt Lake City. The stations were divested from the Nexstar Media Group Inc. transaction with Tribune Media. The acquisition grows the Scripps local television station footprint to 60 stations in 42 markets, making it the nation’s fourth-largest independent broadcaster. Since Jan. 1, Scripps has added 27 television stations to its portfolio. KSTU is Scripps’ first station in Utah.
PHILANTHROPY
• The Morgan Stanley Foundation has donated $50,000 to Utah Food Bank to help fund the expansion of the Mobile School Pantry Program in Utah County. The program provides a cost-effective food distribution point for children and their families at the end of the school day at the school playground. Last year, Utah Food Bank served 305,000 individuals statewide — 169,000 of whom were children — through this program alone. This school year, the program has increased participating schools statewide from 69 to 85, with 11 new schools in Utah County.
• Young Living Essential Oils, Lehi, has announced the donation of a conservation easement covering 11,597 acres, or 18.75 square miles, to The Nature Conservancy. It is the largest conservation easement donation in the history of The Nature Conservancy’s Utah chapter. The donation is dedicated to company founder D. Gary Young, who named the land the River Ranch. The property will be known as the D. Gary Young Wildlife Sanctuary. The donated property is in the Uinta Mountain foothills near Tabiona in Duchesne County.
REAL ESTATE
• Investment Property Group, a California-based company that recently acquired Winchester Estates in Murray, has announced it will keep the property open and add 40 homes there. Winchester Estates is a 55-plus age-qualified, pet-friendly community. Phase One will be ready to sell next spring with four model plans. A new clubhouse and other amenities currently are being added.
RECOGNITIONS
• Chance Thompson, senior manager of sustainability and public relations for the Salt Palace Convention Center, recently was awarded the 2019 Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility Pacesetter Award by the Events Industry Council at its 2019 Hall of Leaders & Pacesetter Awards event in Las Vegas. The Pacesetter Award celebrates emerging leaders and their accomplishments in the meetings, conventions, exhibitions, hospitality and travel industry. Thompson’s nomination was submitted by AZano Inc. Thompson guides a 35-member and five-organization Green Team committee dedicated to sustainable event management.
RETAIL
• Coming Home, a home décor company, will open a store at The Gateway in Salt Lake City this month. The holiday pop-up store will be next to Salt & Honey Market on the lower level of the shopping center, at 115 S. Rio Grande St.
• Walmart is hiring 50 associates to support its Grantsville regional/grocery distribution center. The new hires include loaders, unloaders and order-fillers, plus 20 truck drivers. The center serves 50 Walmart stores throughout the region. Walmart has 59 retail units and more than 18,000 employees in Utah.