The leader of Utah’s largest business association last week decried a widespread theme of business being the source of societal problems rather than a driver of solutions.
Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and the Downtown Alliance, said that while Utah “stands in stark contrast” to what is happening in many other places in the U.S., the scapegoating of business is starting to occur here.
Speaking at the chamber’s annual meeting, Miller said that earlier this year, colleagues from other chambers told him about “growing opposition to business, opposition to economic growth and even opposition to free enterprise.”
“Increasingly, in those places, business is viewed as part of or often even the source of problems, rather than a driver of solutions that we really are. … Here in Utah, we adhere to the principles of collaboration. It is part of the founding our state, it is part of our community-building, it is part of our heritage, it’s part of our culture, it’s part of our DNA.”
But he cautioned that “we cannot take for granted that we live on this island of tranquility.”
“The truth is, we see some of the contention and fighting against business creeping into our own communities. We see an increase in efforts to disrupt and to obstruct, rather than work together for the common good,” he said.
Rather than suggesting preparation for battle, he stressed the opposite approach. “If anything, now is the time to double-down in a spirit of collaboration and working together,” he said, adding that addressing issues will require “our best efforts, our best collective efforts.”
Utah’s spirit of collaboration has yielded “remarkable” results, he said. They include the state having the nation’s fastest-growing economy for three years, the fastest-growing population, the most-diverse economy and the highest rate of upward mobility. All of that success has brought challenges, all tied to growth, and the chamber is taking an active leadership role in addressing them, he said.
Miller provided an update on efforts to address three issues broached during the chamber’s annual meeting last year.
One is Utah’s gender wage gap. Utah, despite its strong economy, has the largest disparity among states for what men earn and what women earn. The chamber and the Women’s Leadership Institute have produced a guide to provide pointers that businesses can use to close that gap.
“Many of you have already started and are using it in your own business; however, there is still more that needs to be done,” Miller said.
Linda Wardell, incoming chairman of the chamber board, said she will focus on building upon the chamber’s diversity and inclusion initiatives.
“We believe that members of Utah’s business community are ready, willing and able to not only take the necessary steps to ensure the work of women in Utah is valued fairly, but also to prove that we can be leaders in creating solutions that result in an equitable pay environment,” Wardell said.
Another issue from last year is relationship-building with the next generation of leaders. A group of about 50, dubbed “The Hive,” gather quarterly and this year will try to expand their reach, Miller said.
The third issue is closing the economic gap between urban and rural areas of the state. The chamber, the Utah Department of Workforce Services and the Economic Development Corporation of Utah recently announced a partnership on a new initiative called the Chamber Rural Workforce Network to help further Utah’s rural development.
“Together, we believe this initiative will provide the opportunity for companies to partner with rural Utah to find innovative solutions to their workforce needs,” Miller said, adding that next year will feature an announcement about the number of participating employers and the number of jobs added to rural Utah by urban employers.
At the meeting, the chamber also presented its annual awards:
• Corporate Partner of the Year: Clyde Companies Inc.
• Community Partner of the Year: World Trade Center Utah.
• President’s Award for Excellence: Lew Cramer, Utah CEO for Colliers International.
• Chamber Champions: Amanda Covington, executive vice president of communications and government affairs, Larry H. Miller Group of Companies; Bart Davis, Utah transition assistance advisor, Utah National Guard; Greg M. Johnson, vice president of finance, Intermountain Healthcare; Sara Jones, CEO of InclusionPro and co-founder and chief operating officer, Women Tech Council; and Nancy Pearce, financial center manager and vice president, Zions Bank.