Executive Director Welcome

State of Utah GARY R. HERBERT Governor

SPENCER J. COX Lieutenant Governor Governor’s Office of Economic Development

Q. VAL HALE Executive Director

Dear Legislators and Economic Development Partners,

As executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), it is my pleasure to introduce you to our 2015 Annual Report . Having completed my first full year as executive director, I’m thrilled to personally report that FY 2014-2015 was yet another year for the books . Utah has enjoyed a year of positive changes and incredible growth—as you will see detailed in this report . We look forward to what the future holds .

GOED’s vision is that Utah will lead the nation as the best performing economy and will be recognized as the premier global business environment and tourist destination . Our mission and guiding principle, put briefly, is that we will enhance quality of life for Utah residents .

Forbes ranked Utah No . 1 State for Business again, acknowledging the state as No . 1 four out of the last five years . The U .S . Chamber of Commerce’s Enterprising States report ranked Utah in the top ten for all six of its researched performance categories . We’re the only state to have done so—and we’ve done it twice . It’s clear that we’re already doing many things right, but we know it takes a lot of work to stay at the top . As part of our effort to maintain our top economy, GOED’s constant focus is to grow Utah’s workforce, build Utah’s companies and expand our global presence .

You’ll see a number of changes to this year’s annual report that reflect the changes and growth at GOED . This year’s report includes some thoughts on workforce development—a critical issue to maintaining a sustainable economic environment—along with some new infographics detailing GOED’s work for the state . You’ll notice some new faces, too . We couldn’t accomplish what we do without an excellent team .

This report is your go-to guide for everything GOED and just about everything you need to know about Utah’s economy . It is your ultimate resource for understanding Utah’s economic development toolbox, including everything from briefs on GOED programs to information about our many economic development partners and critical contacts .

Our ultimate key to success is collaboration . I look forward to hearing from you . Together, we’ll define and execute innovative strategies to build an economy that is truly the best .

Thank you,

Q . Val Hale Executive Director Governor’s Office of Economic Development

To contact the Executive Director about GOED visit www.business.utah.gov or contact Kathy Whitehead, Executive Assistant to Val Hale at kwhitehead@utah.gov or 801-538-8769.