Matheson tabbed to lead Point of the Mountain area development

The person who will oversee development at the current site of the Utah State Prison will take over the duties July 1.

Alan Matheson, currently director of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), will step down from that position June 30 to become executive director of the Point of the Mountain State Land Authority. Matheson has been with the DEQ for four years.

The authority was created during the 2018 general legislative session to create a strategic development plan for land in Draper that currently houses the prison but will be left empty when the prison moves to its new site near the Salt Lake City International Airport a few years from now. Matheson will work with the authority’s board and other stakeholders to create a strategic plan for the approximately 700 acres and will help facilitate the development of the land once the prison has been moved.

Some have envisioned the property as a prime site for a multi-company technology center that would augment the existing Silicon Slopes tech hub in southern Salt Lake County and northern Utah County.

“Gov. (Gary) Herbert gave me a gift: the opportunity to work with dedicated professionals in the Governor’s Office and at DEQ to protect public health and Utah’s treasured natural environment. I’m deeply grateful,” Matheson said.

“I take on this new role with humility and hope. Beyond a significant development project, the Point of the Mountain presents a generational opportunity to improve lives. I’m excited to work with the board and many partners to set the standard for well-planned, sustainable development that drives economic opportunity, solves transportation challenges, and respects the environment.”

“Alan has been an invaluable asset to my cabinet and senior team during his years of service at the Department of Environmental Quality,” Herbert said. “I have appreciated his firm focus on improving our air quality, as well as all aspects of the environment. He has been and will continue to be a trusted advisor, and I wish him all the best as he accepts this new position guiding important land development projects at the Point of the Mountain.”

“I am grateful to have found an invested, experienced leader to guide the Point of the Mountain Authority board through this crucial phase of investment and development,” said Lt. Gov. Spencer J. Cox, the co-chair of the Point of the Mountain Authority. “Alan’s work for the Department of Environmental Quality has been invaluable, and Utahns can expect the best from him as he serves in this critical new role.”

Matheson became the DEQ’s executive director in June 2015 and has served as senior environmental advisor and state planning coordinator since October 2011. He was executive director of Envision Utah from 2004-2011, director of the Utah Water Project in 2001-04, a partner at the law firm Ryley Carlock & Applewhite in 1999-2001, senior attorney and environmental policy advisor at Arizona Public Services in 1993-96, an associate at Brown & Bain in 1991-93, and a law clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in 1989-90. He has a law degree from the UCLA School of Law and an A.B. in international relations from Stanford University.