Company news information may be sent to brice.w@thecityjournals.com.
GOVERNMENT
• Gov. Spencer Cox has appointed Nate Checketts to serve as the inspector general of Medicaid Services. Checketts succeeds interim director Neil Erickson, who has led the office since August 2025. Checketts most recently served as a senior advisor for the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. He previously served as a deputy director at DHHS, the executive director of the Utah Department of Health, and as the state’s COVID-19 testing coordinator. Checketts also served as a senior auditor for the California State Auditor’s Office and a budget analyst in the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget. He holds a Master of Public Administration from Brigham Young University. The Office of Inspector General of Medicaid Services was created in 2011 to independently identify and prevent fraud, waste and abuse within the Medicaid system. The office conducts audits, investigates fraud and makes recommendations to the Legislature and the governor to ensure the program is managed in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible. While the office is currently an independent entity, recent legislation moves the office under the direction of the Department of Government Operations, effective May 6.
INTERNATIONAL
• World Trade Center Utah has promoted Heather Garcia to chief financial officer. She previously served as controller and continues as managing director of administration. She will continue leading the organization’s financial planning, budgeting and reporting while overseeing the finance and administration team. Garcia has worked in finance, budgets and accounting for 18 years and is a former deputy utilities manager for Los Alamos County, New Mexico.
MANUFACTURING
• Packsize, a Salt Lake City-based company offering sustainable, right-sized, on-demand packaging, has appointed James D. Thomas as chief financial officer. Thomas has over 20 years of experience in strategic planning, corporate finance and capital management for large public companies. He has led financial strategy, supported growth initiatives, and partnered across organizations to improve performance and scale operations globally. Before joining Packsize, Thomas served as chief financial officer at Nu Skin Enterprises Inc., where he oversaw the company’s financial strategy and operations and advised the CEO and board of directors.