COMMON GROUND
130 YEARS OF BUSINESS SUCCESSES
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Dear Business Community: An organization is only as strong as the people it serves. Thanks to your leadership and the exceptional businesses you represent, the Salt Lake Chamber has remained Utah’s “voice of business” for 130 years. This is a milestone worth celebrating! With your help, our state’s economy is thriving, our business climate is top-notch and our quality of life is unparalleled. Your engagement in all aspects of the Chamber — from participating in events and programs, contributing to leadership discussions and acting as strong business advocates — embodies the Chamber’s mission to stand as the voice of business, support our members’ success and champion community prosperity. We are proud of the Chamber’s reputation as a coalition-building organization. We have always been committed to bringing leaders together from the private and public sector to collaborate on tough issues, solve problems and advocate for Utah’s continued economic success. There has never been a more exciting time to be a part of Utah’s business community, and we are eager to take this momentum into the next 130 years. We are confident that through the strength of our members, the Chamber can tackle any challenge, creatively solve any problem, and ensure Utah remains the best state to live, work, learn, and play. Let us continue to work together and greet the next 130 years with the same tenacity as the last. With gratitude,
Lane Beattie Keith McMullin President & CEO Board Chair
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AURIC SOLAR “Auric Solar is committed to providing innovative solutions for the community, people and the planet. In 2010, founders Trent Vansice and Jess Phillips started the company in a garage located in South Jordan, Utah. Over the past seven years, Auric has become one of Utah’s top solar providers and one of the fastest-growing companies in the United States, landing on the Inc. 500 list for two consecutive years. Exceptional service and world-class solar experiences for its clientele have propelled Auric Solar to being recognized as the most positively reviewed solar energy company in America (SolarReviews.com). Auric’s success is directly tied to their culture; Auric employees are excited to deliver efficient, cost-effective solar power that saves customers money and improves air quality.”
BEAR RIVER MUTUAL INSURANCE “Bear River Mutual Insurance Company was organized in 1909 in the small town of Garland in Northern Utah by fifteen farmers who wanted an option to Utah’s other insurance companies. Originally, the company only provided coverage for fire and lightning on farmer’s homes, outbuildings and haystacks, generating $1,967.69 in premiums that first year. In 1933 the company moved their office to downtown Salt Lake City. In 1939 they began writing personal auto insurance and in 1961 homeowner policies were introduced. Headquartered in Murray since 1995, today Bear River Mutual generates premiums in excess of $140 million annually, employs 115 people, and is the oldest and largest property casualty insurance carrier in Utah. They have been named to the 'Wards Top 50' as one of the top 50 insurance companies nationally for consistency and financial stability. They do business only in the state of Utah and promote their products through 78 independent agent offices.”
BUCKNER “Structuring and providing insurance products and solutions in today's challenging business and legal environment, The Buckner Company, headquartered in Salt Lake City, has gained the respect of their clients operating throughout the world. Growing from their founding team of three employees working out of a small office in Ogden, Utah, to the 165 employed today with offices in Utah Idaho and Colorado, the firm has been honored as a Top 100 Independent Property and Casualty firms in the country and has been listed as one of the fastest growing private companies in America. Buckner is a third-generation, family-owned business led by President and CEO Terry H. Buckner. Terry’s grandfather, Elmer Ray founded the firm in 1936 during the Great Depression. The company was built on putting customer service ahead of profits and the tradition of placing the customer at the heart of every decision continues today. Customer service is just one reason Buckner has a client retention rate of 92%. The average tenure of the Buckner Account Executives and account staff is over 16 years. Building a team of knowledgeable and experienced professionals has enabled Buckner to pursue a lofty mission: to provide the best customer experience by delivering outstanding service, exceptional value, and continual innovation. Elmer Ray Buckner used to carry customer policies in his briefcase. Today, Buckner serves thousands of customers — from coast to coast and overseas — with the same personal attention to detail the company was founded on more than 80 years ago.”
CBRE “Tracing its roots to San Francisco in 1906, CBRE Group, Inc. is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, with 2016 revenues of $13.1 billion and more than 75,000 employees (excluding affiliates). CBRE has been included in the Fortune 500 since 2008, ranking #259 in 2016. It also has been voted the industry’s top brand by the Lipsey Company for 15 consecutive years, and has been named one of Fortune’s “Most Admired Companies” in the real estate sector four years in a row. Located in the heart of downtown, our Salt Lake City office opened in 1984 and currently employs 114 individuals and 30 sales professionals. We are dedicated to elevating client advantage by offering strategic advice and execution for: property sales and leasing; corporate services; property, facilities and project management; debt and structured finance; appraisal and valuation; and research and consulting.”
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DESERET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION “Founded in 1966, Deseret Management Corporation (DMC) is a parent company overseeing commercial, for-profit businesses affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The diverse companies that make up DMC provide vital products and services for individuals and families. Many began as fledgling pioneer businesses and today are leaders in a variety of fields and industries all of which adhere to DMC’s enduring mission: To be trusted voices of light and truth reaching hundreds of millions of people worldwide. DMC’s family of companies include: · Bonneville International Corporation (BIC): BIC was organized in 1964. It currently operates a television station, several radio stations and websites serving the state of Utah including radio stations in the Denver, Seattle and Phoenix markets. · Deseret News: First published on June 15, 1850. It is the oldest and most stalwart provider of news, analysis and commentary on issues impacting families, faith, education, care for the needy and financial responsibility. · Deseret Book: Since 1866, Deseret Book Company has been the market leader in faith-based books, DVDs, home décor and religious art. · Deseret Digital Media (DDM): Organized in 2010, DDM has developed digital networks to help families and individuals worldwide. · Beneficial Life: Founded by Heber J. Grant in 1905, Beneficial Life is the oldest life insurance company in the Intermountain West. · Temple Square Hospitality: Traces its roots back to 1911 with the launch of food service operations at the Hotel Utah. Temple Square Hospitality now operates four restaurants and a catering service in downtown Salt Lake City.”
DOMINION QUESTAR “Dominion Questar has provided natural gas to customers since 1929, when its first pipeline was built between Wyoming gas wells and Wasatch Front consumers. During the 88 years since that launch, the company expanded into interstate pipeline transmission and processing, gas, oil and liquids exploration and production, and has grown its utility to serve 1 million-plus home and businesses throughout Utah, Southwestern Wyoming and Southeastern Idaho. As a subsidiary of Dominion, Dominion Questar is part of an energy-sector company that is one of our nation’s largest and mostrespected.”
FIDELITY INVESTMENTS “Fidelity Investments opened its regional center in Salt Lake City in 1986 and has been making financial expertise broadly accessible in helping people live the lives they want in Utah ever since. Fidelity’s Utah employees have helped inspire better futures for tens of millions of customers worldwide. The private company has continued to invest in its Utah operations, which have grown to more than 2,000 employees. In addition to its primary regional center – which is still located in Salt Lake City and is one of the city’s largest private employers – Fidelity operates a satellite regional center in American Fork as well as investor centers in Salt Lake and Orem. The investment services offered by Fidelity’s Utah operations include brokerage, retirement services, workplace savings plans and insurance. A technology division, XTRAC Solutions, is also located in Salt Lake. It provides workflow automation and document management. Fidelity’s positive impact on Utah extends beyond investment services. The company’s employees donate thousands of volunteer hours, and dollars, each year to Utah families, students, schools and charitable organizations. In 2016, Fidelity employees donated more than $200,000 to the Utah Food Bank. Fidelity employees work closely with Utah’s major colleges and universities, providing mentorship to students and offering internship opportunities. It’s safe to say alumni from all Utah colleges and universities enjoy Fidelity careers, including: University of Utah, Utah State, Utah Valley University, Brigham Young University, Weber State University and others.”
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GENCOMM “GENCOMM™ helps organizations solve real problems with unique technology solutions. We provide functional meeting spaces, collaboration opportunities, internal and external branding/ messaging platforms, building management tools, exciting work environments, and real ROI-driven audio and video solutions. We pride ourselves on understanding our client and their challenges rather than just taking orders. We provide a true consultative and collaborative process to develop a technology plan for our clients. Some of the technology we work with includes TV displays, projectors and screens, audio systems and speakers, LED and flat panel video walls, and more.”
INTERMOUNTAIN HEALTHCARE “Intermountain Healthcare is a not-for-profit health system based in Salt Lake City, with 22 hospitals, a broad range of clinics and services, about 1,500 employed primary care and secondary care physicians at more than 185 clinics in the Intermountain Medical Group, and health insurance plans from SelectHealth that provide coverage for approximately 900,000 members in Utah and Idaho. More than 39,000 Intermountain caregivers are based at facilities across Utah and Southern Idaho. Intermountain provided $420 million in charity care in 2016, and it supports many community programs and operates or helps fund 39 clinics for the uninsured and those in need. Intermountain is recognized nationally and internationally as an innovator and a leader in transforming care through high quality and sustainable costs, and it provides training for healthcare leaders from across the country and around the world.”
RC WILLEY HOME FURNISHING “The RC Willey Home Furnishings’ story is unparalleled in the home furnishings industry. Beginning with Rufus Call Willey (R.C. to his friends) selling Hotpoint appliances from his red truck in 1930s rural Davis County, RC Willey has grown into one of America’s largest home furnishings retailers. In 1932, with electricity finally available to rural farmhouses, R.C. began selling appliances to his friends and neighbors to supplement his income working for the power company. When WWII nearly eliminated the production of appliances, R.C. scoured dumps for discarded appliances to refurbish. In the early 1950s, he finally established a storefront — a 20x30 building next to his home in Syracuse. However, soon after R.C. passed away, but Helen, R.C.’s wife, kept the business going and enlisted her son-in-law, William H. Child (Bill) to be General Manager — and the company barely missed a beat. Over the next few decades, RC Willey expanded in both locations and products, including furniture, mattresses, electronics, and flooring, as well as appliances. The company grew into one of America’s top home furnishings retailers and in 1995, RC Willey joined the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies. Since the merger, RC Willey’s new generation of leadership have shepherded impressive, steady growth while keeping its roots planted in Utah. RC Willey has added stores in Utah, two in Las Vegas, one in Reno, Boise and Rocklin, CA, and a rapidly growing e-commerce presence. RC Willey proudly employs more than 2,700 associates and will be adding more at its new Sacramento location in 2017.”
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STAKER & PARSON COMPANIES “Since 1952, Staker & Parson Companies has built its business to be The Preferred Source of quality sand, rock, landscape products, ready-mixed concrete, asphalt, paving, and construction services. The company serves customers with the broadest range of construction materials and services across the widest geography of any supplier in the Intermountain West. Staker & Parson Companies employs nearly 2,500 people at over seventy locations in Utah, Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon. Its operations include Jack B. Parson Companies, Idaho Materials & Construction, Western Rock Products, Hales Sand & Gravel, Burdick Materials, Reynolds Excavation and Nielson Construction & Materials. From the parks you play in to the roads you drive on, the Staker & Parson Companies’ team delivers quality products and projects in a timely, safe, and efficient manner.”
VISTA OUTDOOR “Vista Outdoor is a leading global designer, manufacturer and marketer of consumer products in the growing outdoor sports and recreation markets. We serve these markets through our diverse portfolio of well-recognized brands that provide consumers with a range of performance-driven, high-quality and innovative products, including sporting ammunition and firearms, outdoor products, outdoor cooking solutions, outdoor sports optics, hydration systems, golf rangefinders, performance eyewear, action sports helmets and goggles, footwear and a variety of cycling accessories, stand up paddle boards and accessories. We serve a broad range of end consumers, including outdoor enthusiasts, hunters and recreational shooters, professional athletes, as well as law enforcement and military professionals. Vista Outdoor’s global headquarters are in Farmington, Utah and our more than 7,000 skilled workers are focused on Bringing the World Outside™.”
WCF INSURANCE “WCF Insurance is an innovative, national insurance company committed to customer service, strong business partnerships and aggressive cost management. WCF Insurance has an A rating with A.M. Best and extensive experience, knowledge and resources in a number of states, and can be an excellent resource on multistate or single state workers’ compensation. WCF Insurance has five claims offices in the western United States along with Utah offices in Salt Lake, Ogden, Orem, and St. George.”
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2 0 1 6 B O A R D O F G O V E R N O R S . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F D I G I TA L B L U E P H O T O G R A P H Y.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Writer /Contributors Marisa Bomis Bailey Bowthorpe Joel Campbell Nick Como Trish Hatch Patricia Jones Matt Lusty Jessica Nield Michael Parker Jackie Sexton Mikael Short Ann Marie Wallace Editors Marisa Bomis Kimberly Flores Natalie Gochnour Mikael Short Heidi Walker Photo Coordinators Marisa Bomis Bianca Yardley Michael De Groote Designer Bianca Yardley Printing Production Carr Printing Salt Lake Chamber Executive Team Lane R. Beattie, President and CEO Heidi Walker, Chief Operating Officer Dan Brimhall, Chief Financial Officer Jason Mathis, Executive Vice President Natalie Gochnour, Chief Economist 2017 Salt Lake Chamber All rights reserved Š Published 2017 First Edition Every effort has been made to insure the accuracy of the information herein. However, the authors and Salt Lake Chamber are not responsible for any errors or omissions which might have occurred. www.saltlakechamber.com/commonground
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CONTENTS CHAPTER 1
The Beattie Years PA G E 1 4 Leading a New Era of Business Advocacy The Leadership Transition Before the Beattie Years
...14 ...22
CHAPTER 2
Chamber Public Policy PA G E 2 6 Moving Politics and People to the Center The Public Policy Guide Business Champions Fighting Gridlock Utah Transportation Coalition A Recovery to the Best Economy in the Nation Moving the Needle on Education A Principled Stand on Immigration Championing Utah’s Air Quality Broadening Political Horizons Fighting for Businesses Core Interests New Era of Leadership
...26 ...28 ...29 ...30 ...32 ...34 ...34 ...36 ...38 ...38 ...39 ...40
CHAPTER 3
Downtown Rising PA G E 4 2 Salt Lake City’s 21st Century Renaissance A Process Evolves A Collaborative Vision for the Future Main Street City Creek Center Downtown Rising 2.0
...42 ...43 ...45 ...46 ...47 ...48
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CHAPTER 4
Strategic Partners PA G E 5 2 ...52 ...54 ...65 ...56
Downtown Alliance World Trade Center Utah Women’s Business Center Women’s Leadership Institute
CHAPTER 5
Salt Lake Chamber Events & Programs PA G E 5 7 Giant in Our City Awards ATHENA Leadership Awards Chamber Champions Awards Corporate Business Awards Chamber Awards Five-star Accreditation Cesar Chavez Champion for Change Award
...60 ...61 ...62 ...64 ...67 ...68 ...69
CHAPTER 6
Uncovered History PA G E 7 0 More Early Chamber History Uncovered 1898: End of Salt Lake’s First Chamber 1898-1902: Trying a “Lazarus Act” 1902: More About the Commercial Club’s First Year 1902: The Big Fight the Commercial Club Lost - The Lucin Cutoff 1904: The Commercial Club Wanted to “Boom the Town” at the World’s Fair 1906: Getting Americans to Visit America 1909-1912: Boosters of a New Statehouse 1910: More About the Commercial Club’s Swanky New Home 1910-1919: Standing up for Utah’s Good Name 1911: President William Howard Taft at the Commercial Club 1915: Buy it Now 1918: Suburban Shopper Sales’ Day Causes Controversy 1921: Buy Some Copper 1922: “I am for Utah” Button and Billboards Spreading Information About Utah
...70 ...70 ...72 ...72 ...74 ...74 ...74 ...74 ...76 ...76 ...77 ...77 ...77 ...77 ...77 ...80
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C O M M E R C I A L C L U B M E M B E R S I N F R O N T O F T H E I R N E W B U I L D I N G M AY 3 , 1 9 1 2 . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y U TA H S TAT E H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y.
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FOREWORD Sometimes it takes a crisis to demonstrate the value of something. This happened to the Salt Lake business community in 1902, when Ogden successfully lobbied to have the new railroad line cut across the Great Salt Lake to their city — bypassing the state capital. It happened again in 2002 during the Olympic Winter Games when the Salt Lake Chamber’s Century Club hosting venue underperformed and saddled the organization with unexpected debt. In the first instance, the 1887 Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce had withered away by the turn of the century and left no common ground for business people to speak with a united voice. The economic blow of having the main rail line go through Ogden woke people up, and the Chamber was reconstituted as the Salt Lake City Commercial Club in 1902. After a number of years, its name reverted back to a chamber of commerce. By 2002, the Chamber was still a vital organization. It helped bring the Olympics to Salt Lake. The Chamber’s scope, however, contracted over the years and wasn’t seen quite as the prestigious voice of business it once had been. It would have been easy to let the organization dwindle and fade away under its financial burdens as it had once before. The business community, however, did not let that happen. To recover, the Chamber could have been more cautious and tepid in its aims; instead it broadened its programs, goals and reach. The Board of Governors became more involved than ever before. A new president and CEO, as well as other visionary leaders on the board and staff, joined the efforts. Where the Chamber was already strong, it stayed strong. Where it needed improvement, it improved — sometimes exponentially. With pledges and events that outstripped those in the past, the Chamber pulled itself out of debt and engaged in meaningful efforts in all areas of its mission: We stand as the voice of business, We support our members’ success and We champion community prosperity. When the original edition of Common Ground: 100 Years of the Salt Lake Chamber was published in 2002, it spoke of how “almost without exception, every major event and accomplishment in Salt Lake for the last 100 years has felt the influence of the Chamber. Whether it was the development of freeway routes, location of hospitals, distribution of welfare, building of the airport, securing the Utah Jazz, promotion of winter sports, or creating a business-friendly environment, it has been the Salt Lake Chamber leading the charge.” The importance and relevance of the Chamber grew through the last 15 years. Successful initiatives such as Downtown Rising; the Utah Science, Technology, and Research (USTAR) project; transportation funding (Proposition 3 in Salt Lake County and Opinion Question in Utah County); the Utah Compact (immigration reform), Prosperity 2020 (education enhancements); liquor law modernization; and non-compete agreement preservation have helped the Utah economy thrive. These and other successes solidified the Chamber’s reputation as Utah’s undisputed business leader. In 2002, the Chamber celebrated its first 100 years. It is not a mistake in math that, merely 15 years later, the Chamber celebrates 130 years of business leadership. The first Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce was incorporated on April 23, 1887, during one of Utah’s most divisive and challenging periods. Notwithstanding those troubles, the Chamber became a place to work on improving business conditions for everyone. After the 1887 Chamber dissipated, business leaders marked their progress from 1902 when they joined together once again. Today, we own the Chamber of 130 years ago, not just for how it brought diverse people together, but as a cautionary tale never to be forgotten. Business must work together for the betterment of all, if it does not, it harms us all. But, if business people stand on common ground, everyone benefits and the future is bright.
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T H E B E AT T I E Y E A R S Lane Beattie, named president of the Salt Lake Chamber in July 2003, is a Quarter Horse team penning champion, who at one time helped set a record for the state in the sport. That surprises most people who know him mostly from his work as a businessman, legislator and Olympic official. But, the skills necessary for team penning aren’t bad qualities for a Chamber executive to have. Beattie, in fact, was pursued for the job of heading the Chamber by a search committee looking for a successor to Larry Mankin, who resigned in 2002. They were seeking someone who, as Scott Anderson, president of Zions Bank put it, “knew the players and was a player himself in the community.” The name that kept coming up was Beattie’s. At first he wasn’t interested at all, for many reasons, “most of them very selfish,” Beattie recalls. He was looking forward to returning L A N E B E AT T I E B E C A M E P R E S I D E N T A N D C E O O F T H E S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R I N 2 0 0 3 . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y © 2 0 1 7 B U S AT H P H O T O G R A P H Y.
to his real estate business. But, with the encouragement of other people and organizations, he changed his mind. In choosing Beattie, the Chamber’s
Leading a New Era of Business Advocacy
Board of Governors set a new course for
In the rodeo sport of team penning, three riders face a herd of
the organization, one that would make it
cattle in which each animal has been given a number. At a signal,
more policy-driven than in the past. “We
the riders must shoot forward, strategically separate all the cattle
thought the Chamber should be more of a
that have similar numbers from the rest of the herd, and maneuver
voice for the business interests in the state,”
them into a pen on the other side of the arena while keeping all
said Anderson, who was then chair of the
the other cattle from crossing a foul line. The riders have 60 to
Chamber’s board. “The members wanted a
90 seconds to do this, all while keeping track of what the other
strong government relations effort — that
riders are doing and where all the cattle are the whole time. It calls
was number one — and they wanted to be
for teamwork, skill, speed and communication, with the added
a force in economic development.”
pressure of racing against a clock.
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The Chamber had, in fact,
“Sometimes, he’d be called home
Congressman Rob Bishop, later paid
previously lost some of its clout in
from school to put the horses back
tribute to him for his ability to build
the community. This was, in part,
after they’d broken free,” relates his
consensus and for his commitment
because Utah was changing as
wife, Joy. This is where his life-long
to lowering taxes. “The Utah
businesses consolidated to other
love of horsemanship began, and
Taxpayers Association, in presenting
locations, and because the state was
eventually led him into rodeo sports
Lane the Taxpayers Advocate Award
becoming more complex, more
in high school.
in 1999, estimated that, during his
diverse and more divided. Ted
Later in life, Beattie and his wife
leadership in the Senate, permanent
Wilson, former Salt Lake mayor,
indulged their love of animals and
tax cuts amounting to $1 billion were
wrote that when he was first elected
bought 12 acres in West Bountiful
enacted,” said Bishop.
in 1975, “I was told that I had to
“within sight of the shoreline of the
meet certain people, cultivate them
Great Salt Lake,” said Joy, where they
was chairman of the National
and then engage them.” So he
built a large house and barn. They
Senate Presidents Forum; headed a
forged bonds with Kem Gardner,
have had a menagerie, including
delegation from the U.S. to China;
Izzy Wagner, Joe Rosenblatt, Calvin
geese, chickens, ducks, cats, cows
spoke before the European Union in
Rampton, John Klas, N. Eldon
and dogs. (They once had a buffalo
Florence, Italy; and became a guest
Tanner, Wendell Ashton, Jack
named Bubba, who came when his
speaker and lecturer. After 12 years,
Gallivan, George Eccles and many
name was called, but they gave him
he decided to leave the Senate in
others he called the “dreamers and
to a zoo when he got too large.)
2000.
schemers.” Later community leaders
While in the State Senate, Beattie
Beattie’s mother, Vivian, an honors
A month later, he was asked by
(he wrote in 2003) were effective in
teacher, drilled her children in classic
Gov. Mike Leavitt to be the state’s
their own areas, but “these powerful
literature and fine art. She was even
Chief Olympics Officer, in charge
people don’t have a common Utah
known to correct their letters home
of coordinating the state’s legal,
vision to serve like the old days.”
for grammatical mistakes. A side
financial and intergovernmental
That was a problem the Chamber’s
effect of her training and influence
arrangements for the 2002 Olympic
board wanted to address.
is that, when he travels throughout
Winter Games. “My job was to
the state he usually has a book on
protect the state and make sure the
signaled that it wanted the Chamber
tape playing in the car. His children
state ended up looking good as a
to be seen as a statewide influence,
grew up knowing who Zig Ziglar
whole,” said Beattie.
especially since its membership
was, for instance, from the many
represented one out of three
motivational tapes Beattie played.
By choosing Beattie, the board also
employers in Utah.
Beattie was a successful realtor
Beattie played a crucial role in the success of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, the largest international
Beattie, one of eight children,
and developer who was elected to
event in Utah’s history. NBC
was born in Idaho, but grew up in
the Utah State Senate in 1989 and
President Dick Ebersol called the
Centerville. At the time, Centerville
was Senate President just five years
2002 Games, “Far and away the most
was still pretty rural and their
later. He was president of the Senate
successful Olympics, summer or
home had acreage with horses.
for six years. His colleague, U.S.
winter, in history.”
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T H E B E AT T I E Y E A R S It was reported the stint at the Olympics gave Beattie a much broader picture of the state than was available in the Legislature, and helped him build contacts that would ultimately prove helpful to the Chamber. “In my view, he knew everyone in the state, he
the assets were, and what we felt the long-term benefits would be to work with us to stay in Salt Lake City.” In the end, after the involvement of many individuals and organizations, Nordstrom was won over, especially when it saw the scope of the plans The Church of
understood them. So we courted him and he came on,”
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had for its downtown
said Scott Anderson.
properties that eventually became the City Creek
When he joined the Chamber in 2002, Beattie knew four major issues needed to be addressed. The first was
Center. This became another issue Beattie faced early on. The
to heal the wounds in the community that erupted out
image of downtown had to be changed. Before, and
of the Main Street Plaza development. The Church of
even during, the Olympic Winter Games, there weren’t
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, after buying Main
many positive articles about downtown. Store fronts
Street from the city, developed a park and pedestrian
were boarded up, retail sales sagged. When American
walkway that was embroiled in a federal lawsuit over
Stores merged with Albertsons and left downtown, the
free access and speech issues. (See article on Downtown
effect was “widespread, pervasive and really regrettable,”
Rising on page 42 for more details.) “We needed to
according to an analysis by the University of Utah’s
make sure from the business community that we would
Bureau of Economic and Business Research. The Bureau
do all we could to make sure that whatever the result
pointed out that, in reality, office space and job growth
was (with a court decision), that we wouldn’t allow it to
were the backbone of downtown. But, the image of
be a divisive issue any more…we worked a lot beyond
downtown in the community was not good.
the scenes,” said Beattie. The second issue involved Nordstrom, a coveted
“We had to have a true paradigm shift,” said Beattie. “The talk was very negative and the cost to the
department store, which was threatening to leave the
community was substantial. Then, as the The Church
city in a dispute over whether it could move its store
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' plans for downtown
from the downtown area to the new Gateway mall.
evolved into a massive $1.5 billion redevelopment
Again, the community was divided. “Blake Nordstrom
project, it was very important for the Church, and
himself stood in Salt Lake City and said either the city
the commitment they were willing to make in the
council changes the ordinance… or they would leave,”
community, that they weren’t going to be the only
explained Beattie.
ones.” From this concern, and the commitment of
“Another one of my responsibilities was to do
the Chamber, came the Downtown Rising project,
whatever needed to be done to keep Nordstrom in
designed by the Chamber under the direction of Natalie
Salt Lake City… In my early days, I spent a lot of time
Gochnour, a policy expert and former counselor to
going back and forth to Seattle, and trying to get to
Gov. Mike Leavitt at the U.S. Department of Health
know as many people there as I could in the Nordstrom
and Human Services. She returned to Utah as a vice
organization,” said Beattie. “It was a hard sell, and a lot
president of the Chamber.
of people and organizations became involved. I tried to make it clear where we were as a community, and what
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The fourth major issue was political. The image of Salt Lake City with the Utah State Legislature was not good. The city was a Democratic enclave in a very Republican state. Moreover, while the city itself strongly supported its mayor, Rocky Anderson, everywhere outside of Salt Lake City, the support was anything but robust. The mayor’s passions, and especially his relations with the neighboring cities in Davis County, had created a “huge wedge” — not intentionally, Beattie is convinced — “but people did everything they could to not support downtown issues.” The mayor’s opposition to a new Legacy Highway, sorely needed in Davis County, hurt the city in the Legislature even though his four filings in the case were thrown out early. As Beattie was a Davis County resident, he thought he also had an opportunity to help. “I think my role in that helped a lot. I think the fact that I had served as president of the Senate meant it was not looked upon as a Salt Lake City entity only.” Moreover, when the Chamber’s board decided the Chamber should be more active politically, they recruited a seasoned political veteran. Robin Riggs, president of the Utah market of Qwest, became a vice president of the Chamber and the Chamber’s face at the Legislature. Riggs was a former general counsel for Gov. Mike Leavitt. “So, all of a sudden, the Chamber was present full-time at the Legislature and on Capitol Hill,” said Scott Anderson. “We were talking to the governor, the Legislature, government agencies, and officers of cities and counties. We were designing the Chamber agenda and identifying legislation that could help or hurt business.” The Chamber was also willing to buy newspaper ads and use other means to support its position, added Craig Peterson, its chief operating officer at the time and the interim president after Mankin’s resignation. The Chamber took a strong position on transportation improvements and lobbied hard for a transit tax. In 2006, it led the charge to fund two of the largest locally-funded transportation projects in U.S. history: the I-15 CORE project in Utah County and UTA’s FrontLines 2015 Project. The Chamber stands as a champion of transportation investment in rural and urban Utah, benefiting the entire state. (See article on Public Policy on page 26 for more details.)
S P E A K E R PA U L R YA N , G O V . G A R Y H E R B E R T A N D L A N E B E AT T I E D I S C U S S P U B L I C P O L I C Y D U R I N G T H E 2 0 1 6 A N N U A L W A S H I N G T O N , D . C . T R I P. P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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T H E B E AT T I E Y E A R S The book The CEO as Urban Statesman credited
State University, the Chamber led the way in developing
Beattie this way: “Beattie has an exceptional talent for
the USTAR program (Utah Science Technology and
working behind the scenes, energizing the folks out
Research Initiative). Its goal was to funnel seed money
front and capitalizing on expertise and talent.” The book
into recruiting and attracting research teams, and to
also acknowledges his ability to collaborate with Salt
provide them with new laboratories and equipment.
Lake CEOs on the Chamber’s transportation initiative.
The idea was to capitalize on the research already being
“Neither would have been successful without the other.
done at universities in the state.
Beattie, a skilled political operative with the weight
The Chamber also took leadership roles in promoting
of the Chamber behind him, had connections and
World Trade Center Utah, working hand in hand with
incredible understanding of Utah’s political landscape.”
the Governor’s Office of Economic Development to
While transportation and downtown Salt Lake
provide a platform for Utah businesses to become
were both heavy commitments for the Chamber,
more engaged in a growing worldwide economy. (See
“people forget that there were other issues we were
article on World Trade Center Utah on page 54 for
involved with over time,” said Beattie. That included
more details.) The Chamber also took a position on
economic development, which had always been one of
immigration reform, supporting a policy that children
the Chamber’s major goals. Working with Utah’s two
of undocumented parents should be able to pay in-state
research universities, the University of Utah and Utah
college tuition rates.
S A LT L A K E C I T Y I N T E R N AT I O N A L A I R P O R T AT S U N R I S E . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C I T Y I N T E R N AT I O N A L A I R P O R T.
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2 0 1 5 T R A N S P O R TAT I O N R A L LY O N T H E S T E P S O F T H E U TA H S TAT E C A P I T O L . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
Beattie’s commitment to education has also contributed to the formation of the largest business-led movement assembled to advance education investment and innovation in Utah, called Prosperity 2020. The movement’s vision is for the state’s educated and trained workforce to propel Utah to enduring prosperity. Building Utah’s workforce successfully requires collaboration and communication between business and education, to drive the development of Utah’s most valuable resource: its people. Additionally, Beattie’s leadership worked to support pro-business policies. For example, the Chamber has convened the Energy Resources Task Force to conserve energy, develop new sources of energy, and preserve low-cost energy that attracts business to Utah to benefit all Utahns. Beattie also convened the state’s business community to better understand and engage in Utah’s need for water infrastructure and conservation so that Utah will not be limited in the future by this precious resource. In other policy-related initiatives, the Chamber supported Delta Air Lines in order to strengthen its Salt Lake City hub and bring international flights to the airport. The Chamber also joined the United Way of Salt Lake on its Financial Stability Council and helped jump start a serious policy debate to help Utah be a leader in health care reform.
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T H E B E AT T I E Y E A R S Craig Peterson said, “Health care was the number one concern of the Chamber’s small business members in every poll they’ve taken.” In short, added Gochnour, who succeeded Peterson as the Chamber’s COO in 2008, “It’s a policy-rich Chamber. The Board of Governors thrives on these discussions.” The Chamber even took a position not all of its members agreed with, such as a controversial statewide school voucher referendum. The feeling was that if the Chamber wanted to be seen as credible and involved, it should speak out on major issues for the city and state. The Chamber ended up on the losing side of the voucher debate. Also abandoned by the Chamber was a hotly-debated proposal to move the Catholic Community Services and Road Home homeless shelters, from their locations near The Gateway and Pioneer Park, to a new homeless campus a few blocks south. Nevertheless, Scott Anderson, who championed the change in the Chamber’s direction thanks to Beattie’s leadership, said, “If you are a single big business and you push for something, you can be seen as self-serving. And a small business can’t afford the lobbying and communication effort. It costs too much. Mostly, the work is to be a consensus; people find ways to work together. The Chamber gives them a place where you can get a discussion on what needs to be done.” A newspaper column in 2003 said Utah was in dire need of leaders and asked rhetorically whether there was a leadership vacuum in the state. Four years later, that same column paid tribute to the Chamber for its help in “filling the vacuum.” This was just after the Chamber and Downtown Alliance presented their long-range vision for the city. “With Beattie’s leadership,” said one author, “and a number of strong chairs over the last few years, the Chamber has become a go-to organization, providing crucial leadership on big issues like transportation funding and downtown revitalization.” In the old days, the Chamber led out in areas ranging from promoting tourism and building airport hangars, to providing welfare relief and flying airplanes to check for smoke violations. It helped land professional basketball and launched the pursuit of the Olympics. But, Utah had changed and become more fragmented. “It was now a high-tech, informationsaturated, diverse society where power didn’t flow to a handful of people,” said an observer. Still, the need for leadership was there, and the Chamber was back at the table as a valued player — with Beattie at the helm of it all. What unfolded is an interesting story in business leadership. Sources: Interviews with Craig Peterson, 29 Aug. 2007 Scott Anderson, 31 Oct. 2007 Lane Beattie, 22 Jan. 2008 Robert Bernick Jr., 27 March 2008 Joy Beattie, 16 April 2008 Katie Olean, “Team Penning,” HorseChannel.com website. Beattie profile by Brad Plothow in Utah CEO magazine, March 2008. Congressional Record, extensions of remarks E1118, 22 May 2007. USTAR mission statement. “Common Ground, 100 Years of the Salt Lake Chamber,” (Community Communications, Montgomery, Ala., 2003) Deseret News, 14 Jan. 1997; 23 May 2002; 15 June 2003; 5 Sept. 2003; 27 Oct. 2004; 27 May 2007 Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Jan. 2008
L A N E B E AT T I E , K E I T H M C M U L L I N , A N D G O V . G A R Y H E R B E R T AT 2 0 1 7 L E G I S L AT I V E R E C E P T I O N . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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D A V I D D O T Y, L A N E B E AT T I E A N D R I C H A R D K E N D E L L P R E S E N T AT T H E A X L C O N F E R E N C E , H O S T E D B Y P R O S P E R I T Y 2 0 2 0 A N D E D U C AT I O N F I R S T, O N O C T O B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 4 . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
L A N E B E AT T I E W I T H 2 0 1 6 L E G I S L AT O R O F T H E Y E A R , S E N AT O R S T U A R T J . A D A M S . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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T H E B E AT T I E Y E A R S
W I L L I A M J A M E S M O R T I M E R , J O H N R U C H A N D B E C K Y P O T T S G I V E A T O A S T C E L E B R AT I N G T H E S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R ’ S C E N T E N N I A L B I R T H D AY I N 2 0 0 2 . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
The Leadership Transition Before the Beattie Years In September of 2002, the Salt Lake Chamber celebrated its centennial birthday with a formal black-tie banquet in the lush surroundings of the Grand America Hotel. Attendees basked in the glow of a century of service projects that none of its founders could possibly have foreseen, such as when the whole world’s attention focused on the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Winter Games (a goal the Chamber began seeking way back in 1965). In October 2002, the Chamber’s president of three years, Larry Mankin, resigned.
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Ironically, the Olympics, which the Chamber had sought for so long, contributed to that decision. The Century Club, a hosting facility for Chamber members and clients, failed to draw many visitors. It was, in effect, competing with Utah’s own, better sited facility funded by state government. The result was a disappointing deficit. Chamber membership had also declined in the wake of the business slump that followed the dot com recession, the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and the post-Olympic slowdown that occurred because of the acceleration of spending. All of this contributed to Mankin’s decision to resign. During his time at the Chamber, Mankin helped create a re-branding program, which included a shortened name, “Salt Lake Chamber.” Under his direction, the Chamber designed a website (which was a big deal at the time), hired a full-time lobbyist and raised funds that it planned to contribute to political candidates. He came to the Chamber at a difficult time, when it needed someone to provide new life and pride in its mission. Overall, he strengthened the association’s involvement in community, civic and government affairs. When Mankin departed, Craig Peterson, the Chamber’s COO, became the interim president. His charge was to get the Chamber out of debt. He also participated in the search for a new president.
L A N E B E AT T I E , T R I S H H AT C H A N D M O L LY M A Z Z O L I N I AT T H E O LY M P I C L A N T E R N P R E S E N TAT I O N I N 2 0 0 2 . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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T H E B E AT T I E Y E A R S There was a lot to do. Salt Lake City’s downtown was filling up with vacant storefronts. Prized retailer, Nordstrom, threatened to leave the city entirely if it could not move from its downtown location to the new Gateway retail development. Newspapers speculated openly on what could be done to revive the state’s premiere city and what had happened to the city’s leadership. The community was mired in a rancorous and very public argument that became a debilitating Mormon vs. nonMormon battle over free speech and private property rights. The dispute grew out of the development of the Main Street Plaza that linked Temple Square with the administrative offices for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Business leaders of the Chamber clearly felt that a new direction was needed, not only in the city itself, but also for the Chamber. Scott Anderson, president of Zions Bank and chairman of the Chamber’s Board of Governors; along with Kem Gardner, vice chairman of the Boyer Company, emerged as the community’s leaders. “To Scott Anderson’s credit, he was tenacious in his desire to bring change to the city,” said Peterson. One of the first offshoots of this new direction was a merger with the Downtown Alliance, which represented property owners, tenants and business owners within Salt Lake City’s Central Business Improvement District (CBID). Among the Downtown Alliance’s many activities, it sponsored popular events, such as First Night (now known as EVE WinterFest) and the Downtown Farmers Market. “It was not an easy merger,” said Peterson. It was met with some opposition from small business owners within the CBID whose taxes helped fund the Downtown Alliance. After the merger was complete, downtown became more unified. Although the Downtown Alliance and Chamber maintained separate boards, they were led by the same president and CEO. They were also co-located, which increased staff interaction and led to more collaboration. Overtime, downtown leadership increased and outcomes improved. Larry Mankin, who had been a professional chamber executive for more than 20 years, ended up leaving Salt Lake after only three years to become a chamber chief executive in California. That kind of background and training may actually have been a handicap in Utah, where it was crucial to understand the local culture. This time, the committee didn’t want another national search. They wanted someone who knew the players and was a player himself in the state. “We wanted to find someone who was respected in the community,” Scott Anderson said. They were looking for someone with local ties, who understood public policy, who was interested in civic affairs, and who had a record of community service and community willingness. They found Lane Beattie.
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N ATA L I E G O C H N O U R A N D L A N E B E AT T I E AT A D O W N T O W N R I S I N G P R E S S E V E N T I N 2 0 0 7 . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
G O V . J O N H U N T S M A N J R . P R E S E N T S AT T H E D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 4 B O A R D O F G O V E R N O R S M E E T I N G . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
A N G I E W E L L I N G ( FA R L E F T ) L E A D S A PA N E L D I S C U S S I O N O N E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T W I T H D E R E K B . M I L L E R , S E N AT O R J . S T U A R T A D A M S , V A L H A L E , L O W R Y S N O W , A N D N ATA L I E G O C H N O U R AT T H E 2 0 1 7 U TA H E C O N O M I C R E V I E W & P O L I C Y S U M M I T. P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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CHAMBER PUBLIC POLICY Moving Politics and People to the Center In 2003, as Salt Lake Chamber
In choosing Beattie, the Chamber’s Board of Governors set a new course for the organization, one that would make it more policy-driven than in the past. “We thought the Chamber should be more of a voice for the business interests
leadership searched for a new
in the state,” said Scott Anderson, then chair of the Chamber’s board. “The
president, they identified several
members wanted a strong government relations effort — that was number
weaknesses of the organization the
one — and they wanted to be a force in economic development. The Chamber
new leader would need to address.
needed to become more involved. It had lost that emphasis, and the board was
Near the top of the list was the
willing to pay to regain it. They wanted us to be lobbying,” he said.
Chamber’s lagging clout on Utah’s Capitol Hill. For more than a century, the Chamber led some of Utah’s most
Over 14 years, the Chamber embraced a new era of business leadership. One that blended the best of traditional chamber functions: networking, marketing and events; with top-notch business advocacy and coalition building, to better serve the business community and citizens of our state.
significant initiatives to build roads,
“A chamber of commerce can take many forms. Ours is one of business
protect businesses, moderate taxes,
leadership, dedicated involvement in the affairs of the community and a top-
create national parks, and develop
notch professional staff,” said Beattie. “Utah needed a unified voice from the
new industry. Throughout most of
business community and I wanted to promote a sweeping vision of what a
the Chamber’s history, lawmakers
statewide chamber of commerce can and should be.”
usually listened when the Chamber
As Beattie’s vision began to take hold, he sought to elevate existing talent and
came calling; but by the end of the
recruit some of the state’s brightest policy staff. Their collective charge was to
1990s, legislators were no longer
bring the business community together to promote an exceptional statewide
listening.
business climate through a mixture of collaboration, advocacy and service.
The Chamber took a dramatic
This team became the foundation for what is today, Utah’s premiere business
turn for the better when key leaders
organization. For years, the Chamber had only one government affairs director.
convinced former Utah Senate
In 2003, the Chamber had a three-person policy team. By 2017, the Chamber
President Lane Beattie to move into
had the equivalent of six full-time policy team members, a partnership with the
the corner office. Beattie knew Utah's
state’s premier think tank and unquestionable influence on Utah’s Capitol Hill.
legislative and executive players
“The Chamber’s success is a reflection of an invigorated and organized
intimately and had immediate
business community, united and ready to work with our elected officials, who
credibility with them. With Beattie
are supported by some of the most talented individuals in the state,” said Beattie.
at the helm, the Chamber reasserted
“The Chamber will continue to provide leadership on the issues facing our state,
itself in the public policy arena.
ultimately serving the business community and Utah’s citizens.”
Indeed, the Chamber being Utah’s
Thanks to Beattie, the Chamber and its partners’ work to secure good
“voice of business” once again
business policy. Utah is one of the best states to start, expand or simply do
became a truism.
business.
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G O V . O L E N E W A L K E R , F R E D L A M P R O P O U L O S A N D L A N E B E AT T I E AT F L A G D AY M A R C H O N T H E S T E P S O F T H E U TA H S TAT E C A P I T O L I N T H E E A R LY 2 0 0 0 S . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
L A N E B E AT T I E , G O V . G A R Y H E R B E R T, U TA H S E N AT E P R E S I D E N T W AY N E N I E D E R H A U S E R , A N D S P E A K E R G R E G H U G H E S AT T H E R E L E A S E O F T H E S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R ’ S 2 0 1 6 P U B L I C P O L I C Y G U I D E . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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CHAMBER PUBLIC POLICY The Public Policy Guide Beattie’s vision brought a new perspective to the Chamber and helped strengthen its role as a business and economy-centric think tank for Utah's lawmakers
Michael Parker, vice president of public policy. “We've already decided on the principles or our position that would guide this issue.” The Chamber develops principles, policies, and
and top elected officials. Central to this effort is the
positions on the main issues affecting Utah business
Chamber’s Public Policy Guide.
through the work of policy-related committees,
In 2008, Natalie Gochnour, the Chamber’s then
subcommittees, task forces and councils; which
COO, realized the need to establish long-term
include representatives of member corporations,
principles and priorities. It was a shift in understanding
community organizations, government and civic
for the Chamber to move away from sporadically being
leaders, and the academic community — all of whom
involved in legislation, and to create a less transactional
serve voluntarily. In almost every instance, significant
kind of government relations approach.
public policy issue positions originate with one of
"The Chamber began to see the leadership gaps in our community, and fill them not just with influence, but with solutions,” said Gochnour. “I'm glad that the Chamber went this way. We
these Chamber components. "It has become a year-round process and effort," said Heidi Walker, Chamber COO. "Committee meetings began being held on a regular basis and people
became a principled-based policy chamber that acted
became engaged in a way they never were before. The
with long-term interests in mind. And I think that's
board meeting topics changed in a big way because all
where business should be all the time,” said Wesley
of the sudden we were talking about policy issues and
Smith, former executive vice president and general
board members became not just more informed, but
counsel.
invested in the outcome.”
Now in its fourteenth year, the policy guide serves
Observers described how the Chamber’s policy
as the steering document for the Chamber’s public
guide helped both lawmakers and other stakeholders
policy efforts and outlines the business community’s
stay informed on the business community’s priorities
principles, positions, and priorities on critical issues,
during the legislative session. Staff and business
such as education, transportation, health care,
leaders said they were regularly asked to testify
economic development, energy, and immigration.
on various issues during the session, including
From Congress and the Governor's office, to legislative
unexpected ones.
committee rooms and city halls across the state, the
While it would be difficult to call more than 100
Chamber utilizes this guide to promote a pro-growth,
board members to decide on a position for any given
business-focused agenda.
issue, the policy guide represented the business
“The intent of the policy guide is to work all year round, receive input from membership and work on the tough issues. So, when you're in the legislative session, and you've only got 45 days, you can be nimble. You can say, ‘We've already got this; we're not going to fight about this during the session,’” said
community’s guiding principles and priorities, even for bills Chamber members hadn’t directly considered.
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Business Champions With policies in place, the Chamber never endorses parties, candidates or officials, but instead supports principles and initiatives. Adhering to these principles, the Chamber has adopted a system of “priority votes” for the issues most important to the business community. “Businesses create jobs, not government. But, Utah greatly benefits from the cooperation between an engaged business community and elected officials that actively work to cultivate a pro-job creation environment,” said Marty Carpenter, former Chamber vice president of communications. “That partnership can be powerful and the proof, as they say, is in the pudding.” To connect the policy to politics, Beattie started having the Chamber honor lawmakers who were champions of business at the end of each legislative session. “This attached accountability to some of our key priorities and we started giving out ‘Business Champion’ awards,” said Wesley Smith, former Chamber vice president of public policy. “It gave us a way to recognize lawmakers for their pro-business votes." 2 0 1 5 B U S I N E S S C H A M P I O N AWA R D P R E S E N T E D T O P R O - B U S I N E S S L E G I S L AT O R S . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
The effects have been noticeable. Before priority votes, Chamber representatives distribute position papers on legislation to each lawmaker informing them of the significance of the bill to the business community, including statements from the policy guide and the Chamber's position on the
"Business leaders serve as a catalyst, rather than coming up with
piece of legislation. "Every legislator understands that priority votes represent the Chamber's
all of the solutions themselves," said
key issues. It's a lot more than any award or single issue. Lawmakers
Natalie Gochnour, associate dean in
understand that there is real influence behind these votes. That the business
the David Eccles School of Business
community is behind them. And in a lot of cases, elected officials are working
at the University of Utah and chief
to find overlap with our priorities so they can channel that influence," said
economist and senior adviser to the
Abby Osborne, vice president of government relations.
Salt Lake Chamber. "The policy guide
"It has become an excellent partnership,” said Beattie. “Our legislators have
drove this leadership and influence
our confidence and have become some of our closest allies. We respect them.
of the business community behind a
They recognize our business leaders. It keeps business in the forefront, and the
common set of priorities. It gave the
results should speak for themselves."
community a common agenda that
Beattie credits business leaders for the public policy success of the Chamber
reflected business principles and put
during his tenure. “The professional staff has done great work, but it’s the
the economy first. At the end of the
leaders of Utah businesses who have the greatest influence in city halls and on
day, it made the Chamber relevant."
Capitol Hill,” said Beattie.
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CHAMBER PUBLIC POLICY Beattie continued, “What is good for government is listening to businesses about why democracy and free enterprise are so incredible. Legislators and other elected officials know this intuitively, but they need to be reminded, from time to time, that much of the success of this state comes from business and government working together.” Thanks to business leaders, Beattie, and the Chamber professional staff, the Chamber has re-emerged as a significant political force. Fighting Gridlock As years went by and the population grew, getting around the Wasatch Front was becoming harder and taking longer. Everyone was staring gridlock in the face and blinking. Leaders of the Chamber had their own epiphany. Scott Anderson, a past chairman of the Chamber who had urged the association to become more involved in crucial policy issues, said transportation was the Chamber’s first effort in that direction. The Chamber, historically long concerned about transportation problems, outlined its priorities in a mobility summit at Little America Hotel in December 2004. Speaking bluntly, Beattie told business leaders that while transportation was the backbone of the state’s economy, “current funding levels simply won’t meet our transportation needs.” In fact, he said later, “we were woefully under funded.” “We can pay more now, or a lot more later,” said to Corporation and Salt Lake Chamber chair said.
L A N E B E AT T I E P R E S E N T I N G AT T H E 2 0 0 7 L E G I S L AT I V E P R I O R I T I E S P R E S S C O N F E R E N C E . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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The first significant test of the new Beattie public policy era came in 2006. The Chamber jumped into the fray to advance a transportation initiative that would put its credibility on the line, engage it with a skeptical governor and an even more skeptical Legislature, and involve a voter campaign costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Beattie was president of the Utah State Senate in 1997, when lawmakers passed a five-cent gasoline tax to fund I-15 expansion and other projects, so he knew the difficulties of passing tax increases. However, it was evident new funding sources had to be found. The only transportation plans on the table projected improvements by 2030, and the upgrades were underfunded by $23.6 billion. That simply wasn't acceptable for the business community, which felt the timeline had to be shorter and believed, without the projects, economic growth would be stymied. "We realized from a business community perspective, that if we let the infrastructure slip in our communities, we would commit economic suicide," Beattie said. "It takes so much longer to build yourself out of a problem once you're in, so we had to address it. The business community stepped up and said, ‘we want commuter rail, we want light rail, we want roads.'" This led to a monumental effort spearheaded by the Chamber — Proposition 3, an initiative to support funding for commuter rail stretching from Pleasant View to Provo, new light rail TRAX lines, and widened and improved roads. The only thing they had to do: convince voters.
A B B Y A L B R E C H T, G O V E R N M E N T A N D P U B L I C A F FA I R S M A N A G E R , G R A N I T E C O N S T R U C T I O N , S P E A K S AT T R A N S P O R TAT I O N R A L LY AT T H E U TA H S TAT E C A P I T O L O N F E B R U A R Y 2 5 , 2 0 1 5 . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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CHAMBER PUBLIC POLICY To do so, they created a now national model for transportation advocacy, involving many top political and business powerhouses in the community. The 2015 Transportation Alliance pioneered a communications plan and government relations strategy to bring both the elected officials and the public onboard. The unprecedented effort led all five members of Utah's congressional delegation, for the first time in state history, to support a local ballot measure. They joined Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., majorities on the Utah County Commission and Salt Lake County Council, and hundreds of business leaders and elected officials to endorse the initiative. Ultimately, voters in both Utah and Salt Lake counties gave their overwhelming approval. Moreover, the victory opened opportunities for other counties, like Davis and Weber, to seek initiatives for transit improvements. With this success, the Chamber set the stage for issues to come. Frank Pignanelli and LaVarr Webb, in their popular Sunday political column, paid tribute: “best political courage and perseverance: The Chamber and Lane Beattie, president and CEO, worked incredibly hard to help broker a special legislative session (when no one thought it could be done) authorizing the sales tax ballot proposal for transportation. As the chief campaign sponsor of Proposition 3, the Chamber took a huge risk, but successfully pushed it through.” Utah Transportation Coalition In August 2013, the Chamber's effort from years past began to bear fruit as the Frontlines 2015 Project — 70 miles of new rail service over a seven-year period, finished two years ahead of schedule and $300 million under budget. But again, the fastest growing state in the nation was going to outpace investment and gridlock the community; the state's population was set to double in the next 25 years. The Chamber again looked around the corner to keep Utah's economy moving. Thankfully, Utah's transportation agencies adopted the groundbreaking Unified Transportation Plan, the first of its kind in the country. This plan showed while there had been progress, there was still significant long-term funding needs for transportation that were not being addressed. This led the Chamber to create the Utah Transportation Coalition, a collaborative statewide organization focused on ensuring Utah had a 21st-century transportation system that enables residents to enjoy remarkable life quality and prosperity. “We need to make the case that economic prosperity comes from robust, stable and long-term investment in mobility infrastructure," said Robin Riggs former Chamber general counsel. "Then to lobby the hell out of it!” To accomplish this, the Chamber tapped David Golden, a Wells Fargo Executive Vice President and former chair of the Salt Lake Chamber Board of Governors; as well as former Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Giant in Our City, H. David Burton, to lead the group. “We've all heard the phrase: ‘if you build it, they will come.’ In Utah, the refrain is more like: they're coming, so you better build it," said Burton. The Coalition worked to develop key partnerships, with a statewide message for addressing long-term transportation funding needs, with the Utah League of Cities and Towns, Utah Association of Counties, members of the private sector, and local chambers across the state.
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N ATA L I E G O C H N O U R S P E A K I N G AT 2 0 0 7 C H A M B E R B O A R D O F G O V E R N O R S M E E T I N G . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
“One thing I think we’ve proven is that an investment in transportation pays dividends for our economy, and I think the citizens and leadership of our state understand that,” said Golden. “From a business community perspective, we understand how important this investment is and how beneficial it is. We are a growing state with numerous demands, but I think overall, transportation is a proven winner in this state and one that people are on board with getting behind.” In 2015, the Chamber again secured a major victory. The efforts of the Utah Transportation Coalition led the Legislature to pass the most comprehensive transportation funding legislation in state history. This holistic approach was a monumental effort to address part of the state’s future transportation funding shortfall. In addition to restructuring and raising the state’s gas tax after more than 18 years, the effort included a new local-option sales tax that, if approved by voters, would help local communities invest in transportation close to home in the form of roads, trails, sidewalks, maintenance, and transit. “This represents the most significant transportation funding legislation in nearly 20 years and will ensure future economic prosperity for decades to come," said Beattie. "A well-maintained and multi-modal transportation system has and will continue to pay dividends for our economy, environment, and quality of life." The success of these efforts has made Utah the envy of many states and regions, not just for the infrastructure investment, but the economic growth it has supported.
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CHAMBER PUBLIC POLICY A Recovery to the Best Economy in the Nation A true testament to the Chamber's leadership
The people that I deal with feel a sense of community, a sense of being on the same team and moving in
came as the state and nation faced one of the greatest
the same direction,” said Mark Lehman, president of
economic downturns in generations. The business
the Utah chapter of the Association for Corporate
community rallied, and Utah managed to handle the
Growth. “People talk about the unemployment
effects of the "Great Recession" better than most states.
numbers, but the numbers don’t matter. What matters
Key to that success were the efforts of the Chamber
is we are on the same page and we are creating jobs in
and a proactive business community.
a way that is efficient and sustainable.”
In early 2011, the Chamber launched the Utah
Both the Governor and Chamber met their goals
Jobs Agenda with a 10-point plan to create 150,000
in 2015 — more than a year ahead of schedule. Utah
new jobs over the next five years. The effort made
became, and continues to be, among the top job
job creation the primary focus for the business
creation states in the nation, acclaimed by national
community.
publications as the best state for business and ranked
"The strength of our future is jobs," Beattie said. "Business leaders' first and highest priority is restoring the Utah economy to full employment." The effort was led in part by former board chair,
as one of the top-performing economies in the country. “This recognition reflects our work to create a thriving and diverse economy,” said Beattie. “We are
Clark Ivory, CEO of Ivory Homes. "We, as businesses,
fortunate to have a young and vibrant talent pool. Our
have got to do it," Ivory said. "We are the solution…
exports are increasing, and we have a thriving tech
not just government. We do it through investment and
sector. We are reaping the benefits of both public and
innovation."
private infrastructure investments made during the
As with many Chamber initiatives, elected officials
recession. Utah is fortunate to have both a governor
grabbed on to the goal. During his 2012 State of the
and legislature who are business-minded. Add an
State address, Gov. Gary Herbert joined the business
engaged business community, and we believe we have
community in pushing to accelerate Utah’s job growth
found a formula for success in Utah.”
by calling for the creation of 100,000 private sector jobs in 1,000 days. These goals became a rallying call for economic
Moving the Needle on Education The business community, as the ultimate consumer
development and put job creation at the center of
of Utah's workforce, saw an opportunity to become
public policy for the state. This made the Beehive
more engaged in advancing educational excellence
State a force to be reckoned with in attracting
and helping solve a challenge that was central to the
companies and jobs, not only on a national level but
state's future.
internationally as well. “The exciting thing about Utah is the enthusiasm
In 2009, Utah business leaders got a sobering report on Utah education from a trusted educational advisor.
and determination about job development, from
They learned about the lack of a cohesive education
Governor Herbert to the Salt Lake Chamber and on
plan. Tradition-bound practices, troubling test scores,
down. The focus on job development is significant.
low graduation rates, devoted teachers with low
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morale, and increasing racial and ethnic diversity, combined to inspire a call to action. Recognizing a critical need, the business community organized Prosperity 2020, a statewide, research-driven and collaborative movement to improve education outcomes and drive economic development. "We had to change the dialogue in Utah from a discussion on the cost of education to a focus on investing in education. Poor educational outcomes are economic warning signs. The combination of skilled labor shortages, disappointing educational outcomes and rapid growth in ethnic populations requires action," said former Prosperity 2020 Chairman Mark Bouchard. The effort became the largest business-led movement ever assembled in Utah with the goal to advance educational investment and innovation. "Never before in the history of Utah has the business community been as supportive of education as we are today,” said Beattie. “Prosperity 2020 was the vehicle for that support, to work collaboratively to ensure the largest population of young people in the country will be deployed as the best educated work force, propelling Utah to enduring prosperity.” Prosperity 2020 is a unique partnership between the private sector, public education and higher education, determined to create the best-educated workforce in the country. The project’s aim is to improve Utah's educational outcomes by reaching several ambitious goals: • 66% of Utah adults will have postsecondary certificates or degrees. In 2013, 43% meet this goal. • 90% of third, sixth and eighth graders will be proficient in reading and mathematics. In 2013, about 80% reach this aim. • The Greater Salt Lake area will rank in the top 10 metropolitan areas for science and technology jobs, and businesses. In 2013, it ranked in the top 30.
E N E R G Y S O L U T I O N S S H O W E D I T ’ S O N G O I N G C O M M I T M E N T T O S U P P O R T E D U C AT I O N A N D T H E C O M M U N I T Y B Y A N N O U N C I N G A D O N AT I O N O F $ 1 2 5 , 0 0 0 T O P R O S P E R I T Y 2 0 2 0 AT A 2 0 1 5 P R E S S C O N F E R E N C E . ( L E F T T O R I G H T : D A V I D D O T Y, B O B M A R Q U A R D T, J E S S E L I E B A R L O W A N D E R S O N , K E I T H B U S W E L L , L A N E B E AT T I E , A L A N H A L L , S P E A K E R G R E G H U G H E S , A N D D A V I D L O C K W O O D . ) P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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CHAMBER PUBLIC POLICY “Despite policy differences between educators and legislators, there is a goal that unites all sides, that is our kids,” said Utah Speaker of the House Greg Hughes. "We feel that as a Legislature, and so it's valuable for us to have organizations like Prosperity 2020, broader than just those from the public education system, talking about how we're all in this together.” Prosperity 2020’s vision aligned with the stakeholders, and in 2013, the Utah State Legislature and the Gov. Gary Herbert followed suit and adopted these goals. "Leaders of the movement had a keen interest in the success of others. Education partners seemed to feel this and responded with warmth," said Gochnour. "This kind of leadership brought a refreshing dynamic to a worn-out conversation and energized people to work together in new ways.” This trust and success led to legislative leadership asking the business community to develop a long-range plan for education. In 2014, the business community responded with Prosperity Through Education: An Innovation, Accountability and Investment Plan for Utah's Future. This long-term strategic plan, the first of its kind in Utah, served as a catalyst for the Governor, State Board of Education and Legislature to develop educational agendas that largely mirrored the strategies of the business community’s plan. "Legislatures are reactive by nature," said Senate President Wayne Niederhauser. "It was critical to have a plan as a starting point to bring the groups together and do so here in the Legislature, to get the Legislature on board so we can create a longterm policy for education and then align the bills, the discussions we have, toward that target. The business community was critical at filling this void.” The business community used this momentum to implement proven policies to better education and pursue significant funding increases to both public and higher education. Real progress was achieved towards the goals of Prosperity 2020. Through the vision, business, teaching and community groups and elected officials began to work collaboratively on what needs to be accomplished to further improve educational outcomes and create a prosperous future for Utah’s economy. "You know the business community is used to getting results, and you don't get results unless you have a plan," said Beattie. "We said ‘where are we at, where do we need to be and how will we get there’ and once you know the answer to all those questions, you move the dial.” A Principled Stand on Immigration As immigration dominated the national debate and led some states (including Arizona) to enact strict anti-immigrant laws, Utah's Legislature, citizens, and business community were divided. It was a problem looking for a unifying voice. The Chamber provided one. "We looked at what was actually taking place in immigration. We really felt that there’s a Utah way of doing things. ‘The Utah Way’ is really looking at the issues and addressing them,” Beattie said. Beattie asked Jason Mathis, executive vice president for the Chamber and executive director of the Downtown Alliance, to help develop a compassionate response to immigration from Utah’s business, government and religious leaders. The Utah Compact, signed in November 2010, emphasized the need for federal solutions to immigration problems and urged law enforcement to focus on criminal activity rather than a violation of the federal civil code.
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“It just encouraged Utah’s leaders to be thoughtful in an approach to immigration, and be aware of the impacts that their decisions might have on our economy, on the immigrants themselves and on the communities we want to live in,” said Mathis. Business leaders recognized the role that immigrants played in local economies and supported free market approaches to individual freedom and opportunity. The Compact also stated families should not be unnecessarily separated because of immigration issues. Finally, the Compact called for a "humane approach to this reality, reflecting our unique culture, history, and spirit of inclusion." "By simply and elegantly stating that — it's 250 words — it really empowered people to do the right thing," said Mathis. The Chamber policy team also said they looked for a way to divert attention from “enforcement-only” legislation like Arizona passed. While some questioned its ability to pass constitutional muster, the Chamber supported the effort to help start the conversation about providing local solutions for the national immigration issue. And the nation took notice. A New York Times editorial in December 2010 said, “Not all the political news this year involves the rise of partisan extremism and government by rage. There has been lots of that. But maybe there is a limit, a point when people of good sense and good will band together to say no; as they have just done in Utah. Political, business, law enforcement and religious leaders there have endorsed what they call the Utah Compact. It is a statement of principles meant to address, with moderation and civility, ‘the complex challenges associated with a broken national immigration system.’ What a welcome contrast it draws with the xenophobic radicalism of places like Arizona.” As the ideals from the compassionate reform principles of the Compact have spread, at least 16 individual states have adopted similar guidelines and documents to continue the discussion about immigration. This work on the Compact took Mathis to Washington, D.C., to be honored as a Cesar Chavez Champion of Change by President Barack Obama's administration, along with 10 other immigration-reform activists. “We have a community that is truly quite welcoming. And sometimes I think it doesn't have as much to do with being on the right or left side of the political spectrum. Immigration reform isn't about right or left politics, it's really about just doing the right thing. And I'm proud of the things that our state has done,” Mathis said while representing the Chamber at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.
PA U L M E R O , L A N E B E AT T I E , T H E M O S T R E V E R E N D J O H N W E S T E R , M A R K S H U R T L E F F, F O R M E R - G O V . O L E N E W A L K E R , A N D T O M L O V E AT T H E 2 0 1 0 P R E S S E V E N T A N D S I G N I N G O F T H E U TA H C O M PA C T. P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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CHAMBER PUBLIC POLICY While there has been little federal action on immigration, the Utah Compact made a significant contribution not just to the local debate, but across the nation. Ali Noorani, executive director of the pro-reform National Immigration Forum, calls the Utah Compact the "gift that keeps on giving.” He told the Salt Lake Tribune in 2015, “It pops up in the most unlikely of places. It pops up when conservative leaders are grappling with the question of how do we engage in this debate. Whether it's Georgia, Indiana, etc., either they have heard about the Compact, or we just point to it...We say, 'You're not out on a limb. This has been done, and this Utah group and the relationships remain strong.'” Championing Utah’s Air Quality Championing community prosperity has always been a central focus of the Chamber. This charge has led the Chamber to engage on initiatives that some would think are not core business issues. While many help make Utah a better place to not only work but also live, the Chamber has played an outsize role in elevating Utah's natural environment. While Utah’s air quality is better now than it has been in decades, the issue reemerged as a major public concern in 2010. Not only was the state's prized quality of life at stake, but also its access to transportation funding and future economic development. Poor air quality also risked greater regulatory burdens and increased costs for business, potentially hurting our reputation as having one of the best business climates in the country. “It’s very easy to look at our air quality and say that it is someone else’s problem,” said Keith Rattie, former Chamber chair and Questar president and CEO. “The business community needed to be involved in formulating and implementing the solution.” The Chamber organized a comprehensive effort to reposition the business community's stance on air quality. “Local chambers know private sector solutions are better than government mandates,” said Ryan Evans, former Chamber vice president of business and community relations. The Chamber established the Clean Air Champions program to engage the business community in an innovative program to save fuel, reduce vehicle emissions, and improve business attraction and retention in Salt Lake City. The program helped reshape the business case for better air quality and repositioned the business community as responsible environmental stewards. It was a true business solution that improved not only economic well-being, but also the quality of life in the region. The program was so successful Gov. Gary Herbert made it the official business arm of the state’s clean air efforts through the Utah Clean Air Partnership (UCAIR). "We get so many people that come to Utah because of our quality of life. Why in the world would we want to jeopardize that?” said Beattie. “In fact, the more we find ways to preserve it, the better we are for businesses.” Broadening Political Horizons In 2014, a group of business leaders became extremely concerned about declining civic engagement. The group started a citizen’s initiative, Count My Vote, calling for a referendum on a direct primary election in exchange for getting an alternative path to the ballot. "A handful of people — just a handful of people — routinely choose candidates," said former Republican Gov. Mike Leavitt, a co-chairman of Count My Vote.
1 3 0 Y E A R S O F T H E S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R
After collecting more than 100,000 signatures and
said Beattie. “Our premier business climate has
raising $1 million in contributions, the Legislature
fueled the rise of the ‘Silicon Slopes,’ the ‘Composite
took notice. However, the attention wasn’t all positive.
Corridor’ and 'Wall Street of the West.’ Household
Legislative proposals sought to gut the initiative. This
names like Goldman Sachs, Adobe, eBay, Boeing,
led to a standoff between the Legislature, political
Procter & Gamble and IM Flash have helped grow the
parties and the business leaders behind the initiative.
capacity and diversity of Utah’s economy.”
That’s when Beattie and the Chamber stepped in. “The aim was to modernize Utah's election system
Few issues showed the rise of the Salt Lake Chamber’s influence as the “voice of business” more
and improve voter participation," said Beattie, who
than the 2016 battle over a bill seeking to ban non-
brokered a compromise between the Legislature
compete clauses.
and the business community. “The Count My Vote
“In my 14 years, no other issue has generated such a
compromise brought political parties and Utah voters
level of concern within the business community,” said
enhanced choices and more accountability.”
Beattie.
The Utah Legislature passed landmark legislation
Every industry was potentially impacted by the bill
that improved and modernized Utah’s election system.
and none could stand alone. The Chamber asserted
The effort preserved Utah’s caucus-convention system.
its role as Utah’s business leader and pulled together
The result: an election system that will be far more
a working group of major business leaders, in
open and expand choices for candidates and voters.
collaboration with the Governor's Office of Economic
“The leader of Utah’s largest business organization once again proved he’s the best three-point buzzer beater in the league because he scores wins for the
Development, to work directly with the sponsors to find a resolution on the issue. “This was one of the tougher issues I’ve dealt with
community,” said Gochnour. “He convened the
over the years,” said Utah Senate Majority Whip
negotiations and kept everyone at the table. I’ve
Stuart Adams. “At the end of the day, because of the
worked with Beattie for years and seen his magic. He
Chamber’s influence, we came out with a decent bill.
did it again.”
And that was really critical.”
Fighting for Businesses Core Interests
businesses and the sponsors of the bill to continue
The Chamber committed to working with Over the years, the Chamber has worked to ensure
dialogue on non-compete clauses through the interim
Utah remains a competitive business environment.
and future legislative sessions. The Chamber’s belief
These efforts include leading out on regulation reform,
that data-driven decisions provide useful information
pushing for tax reform, and supporting efforts to keep
to drive good policy, led the Chamber to spearhead
Utah a premier destination for economic development
an exhaustive Utah-specific study on non-compete
and innovation.
agreements.
“We started creating an environment where businesses wanted to come, learn and play right here in Utah, and our results should speak for themselves,”
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CHAMBER PUBLIC POLICY “This issue matters to many. But without the
“It’s critical the business leaders are engaged directly
Chamber we would have never had a good result in
in the community,” said Beattie. “More than anything
2016 or had the ability to bring stakeholders along
we’ve found that businesses are doing a great deal to
for a unique approach on this issue," said Rep. Mike
give back and deserve recognition. Their efforts also
Schultz, sponsor of the 2016 bill. "We have worked
complement our efforts to advance policy by showing
hard to build a consensus-based approach, and the
the business community has skin-in-the-game on the
Chamber was essential to creating the opportunity of
issue and are already a part of the solution.”
common ground in the years ahead." For Beattie, these are just a few of the many issues
Additionally, the Chamber has shifted to be more data-driven in its advocacy, and is at the core of its
and victories that have underscored the Chamber's
mission, to provide the business community with
purpose: to find common ground and ways to move
critical information on Utah's economy. During this
the state forward. "The only purpose of our existence
transition, the Chamber became a founding partner in
is to get results. We are not the government. We are
the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University
run by businesses. I think we should all be very proud
of Utah, led by the Chamber’s chief economist and
of what we have accomplished," Beattie said.
former COO, Natalie Gochnour. “The community united behind a goal of creating
New Era of Leadership A purposeful and engaged business community has
a data-driven, independent, influential and trusted public policy institute that will help keep Utah
made our state what it is today. The Chamber has been
beautiful and prosperous,” said Gochnour. “Our job
the hallmark of good common sense public policy.
is to help leaders "navigate" through complex issues
“The Chamber is a place of action because of the
and the partnership with important leaders in the
influence our business leaders have and lend to
community, like the Chamber have been key to our
common issues,” said Beattie. “In recent years, the
success.”
Chamber has endeavored to broaden its influence on Capitol Hill, and throughout the state, with new resources, tools and programs.” A major new focus for the Chamber has been to advance programming around corporate citizenship as a resource for those businesses dedicated to making a difference in our community. While there is a need for business leadership on specific pieces of legislation, a lot can be gained from the business community helping to solve fundamental social challenges by investing their time and capital — without government intervention.
T H E K E M C . G A R D N E R P O L I C Y I N S T I T U T E AT T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F U TA H O N S O U T H T E M P L E . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y K E M C . G A R D N E R P O L I C Y INSTITUTE.
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In 2017, the Chamber launched a new initiative to engage in a statewide effort to create a generationally-defining economic blueprint. “As the builders of Utah’s dynamic economy, we need to keep thinking ahead about the big ideas. Productive collaboration, commitment to problem solving and determination need to continue to guide our state’s long-term economic direction and competitiveness,” said Beattie. These initiatives show Beattie’s unyielding drive to achieve his vision and appetite for tackling the next big challenge. As the state’s largest and longest-serving business association, the Chamber has greatly benefited from Beattie’s leadership and returned to its rightful place as Utah’s business leader. Don C. Woodward, contributed to this report. Sources: Interviews with Gov. Gary Herbert, July 2016 Craig Peterson, Aug. 2007 Scott Anderson, July 2016 Natalie Gochnour, July 2016
Lane Beattie, April 2016 Heidi Walker, Oct. 2016 Marty Carpenter, Oct. 2016 Wesley Smith, Oct. 2016 Matt Lusty, Oct. 2016 Michael Parker, Oct. 2016
Abby Osborne, Oct. 2016 Salt Lake Chamber 2016 Policy Guide, accessed 5 Sept. 2016 at http:// slchamber.com/2016-public-policy-guide/ www.countmyvoteutah.org accessed 5 Sept. 2016
C H A M B E R S F R O M T H E S TAT E O F U TA H W AT C H A S G O V . G A R Y H E R B E R T S I G N S E X E C U T I V E O R D E R O N R E G U L AT I O N D U R I N G T H E 2 0 1 7 C H A M B E R D AY O N T H E H I L L . PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE.
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DOWNTOWN RISING Salt Lake City’s 21st Century Renaissance Today downtown Salt Lake features soaring glass and steel skyscrapers, a world-class culinary scene, award-winning public spaces and an active Main Street. An urban renaissance has swept the capital city, thanks to several dedicated visionaries. Over a decade ago, a Deseret News analysis of Salt Lake City’s downtown used the words “listless,” “droopy” and “dire” as it asked, “Where are the sky cranes? Where are the hydraulic crawlers and the other behemoths that move walls and steel beams? Where is the industrial equipment that signals the birth of a skyscraper and a vibrant economy?” And also, “Where were the leaders?” In 2006, the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance launched an ambitious “Downtown Rising” project to turn the downtown economy around. The city, galvanized by the unprecedented $1.5 billion City Creek redevelopment project led by the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, used community input to create a vision pegged to specific goals and signature projects. To answer that aforementioned news article: they are all here, working harder than ever, and there is more to come.
B U S I N E S S A N D C O M M U N I T Y L E A D E R S C E L E B R AT E AT T H E 2 0 0 1 R I B B O N C U T T I N G O F T H E G AT E W AY M A L L I N D O W N T O W N S A LT L A K E C I T Y. ( L E F T T O R I G H T : S P E N C E E C C L E S , S E N AT O R J A K E G A R N , K E M G A R D N E R , G O V . M I K E L E A V I T T, M AY O R D E E D E E C O R R A D I N I , R O G E R B O Y E R , A N D B I S H O P H . D A V I D B U R T O N . ) P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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A Process Evolves When Lane Beattie joined the Chamber as its new president and CEO in July 2003, rumors of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ big plans for downtown were running through the community, although no official announcements had been made. There was a need to articulate a vision that would unite everyone involved. This fit in with the Chamber’s new desire to become more involved in policy issues. Downtown Rising promoters began working in 2006 and unveiled the plan to the community in 2007. “At the time, we could not predict what changes might happen downtown, but we knew that if we worked with public officials and business leaders, we could help to influence changes for good,” Beattie said. That journey from 2006 to 2017, involved a myriad of stakeholders, business people, civic organizations, planning departments, elected officials and individual Utahns. The Chamber played a major role in the evolving process, especially in helping to outline a vision of what could be. Natalie Gochnour was one of those individuals. After her service in Washington, D.C., she was not only ready to return to Utah, but fit the Chamber’s need to increase its emphasis on policy issues. P H O T O TA K E N I N A U G U S T 1 9 6 5 , L O O K I N G N O R T H T O W A R D H OT E L T E M P L E S Q UA R E , B E F O R E T H E U R B A N R E N E WA L P R O J E C T S D R A S T I C A L LY C H A N G E D T H E A R E A . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y D E S E R E T N E W S .
B R U C E B I N G H A M ( C E N T E R ) , H A M I LT O N PA R T N E R S , A C C E P T S 2 0 1 0 D O W N TO W N A C H I E V E M E N T AWA R D F O R C O N T R I B U T I O N S M A D E TO D O W N T O W N S A LT L A K E C I T Y I N 2 0 0 9 . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E CHAMBER.
G O V . J O N H U N T S M A N J R . S P E A K S AT D O W N T O W N R I S I N G P R E S S E V E N T I N 2 0 0 7 . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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DOWNTOWN RISING Beattie gave Gochnour a list of 40 names and asked her to go around town and talk to people. She ended up talking with 75. She said, “I found a lot of bad feelings about the way TRAX was handled and the I-15 reconstruction. The bad feelings from Nordstrom and Gateway were still there. It was what I called ‘broken glass’ in downtown. There was a lot of pent up anger and energy.”
In the process of her discussions and research, she came across the old Second Century Plan, put together in the 1960s by a group of business people, supported and encouraged by the Chamber. It articulated what they wanted to see happen in the next 40 years, much of which: the Salt Palace, new library, Symphony Hall and even the Main Street Plaza, were eventually built. It was basically an aspirational blueprint for the city, and Beattie and Gochnour, along with Bob Farrington, director of the Downtown Alliance, saw it as a model of what they could do — why reinvent the process?
S A LT L A K E T E M P L E .
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A Collaborative Vision for the Future The Downtown Rising program
Key partners in the process were the Salt Lake City Corporation, the American Institute of Architects (whose Utah chapter chose
challenged the community as a whole
Downtown Rising as their community service program for the AIA’s
to get involved. In May 2006, invitations
150th birthday), the University of Utah’s College of Architecture
were sent to business and community
and Planning, and Envision Utah.
leaders, who were given a camera and
The Downtown Rising plan divided the city into six “character districts”
asked to photograph things that make a
defined by their principal attractions: a cosmopolitan Skyline District,
vibrant downtown. Hundreds of photos
tall buildings anchored by City Creek Center; a calm and tranquil Temple
came back. Prominent business leaders led
Square District, centered on the Salt Lake Temple; a lively Broadway
the effort while knowledgeable working
District, showcasing arts, culture and entertainment; a Salt Palace
professionals formed a cabinet. Each group
District, serving as home to the convention business; a Gateway District,
met half a dozen times to hear reports and
encompassing The Gateway shopping district and the Rio Grande sub-
perspectives.
district; and a Grand Boulevards District, the welcome corridor of 500
In March 2007, when announcing the effort in the Deseret News, Keith Rattie,
South and 600 South leading to the Grand America Hotel. “It was not just building downtown, but preserving Salt Lake City’s
then-president and CEO of the Questar
downtown as a cultural, financial, legal and government center," said
Corporation and Salt Lake Chamber
Natalie Gochnour, one of the key team leaders of the plan.
chair said, "The city will evolve through
“The contribution that the downtown makes to the state has increased.
the aggregate decisions of thousands
Downtown is the seat of government, the center for our legal system, the
of players, businesses and state and
center of transportation, the banking capital for our state and certainly
local government. What this vision is
the center for arts and culture. You could say in the early 2000s not all of
intended to do is provide a context for
that, but much of that, was at risk,” Gochnour said.
those future decisions. For this to have useful life, and to really have an impact on the community, it's going to require the ownership of a lot of entities. Not just business, but state and city officials." Then, in August, a 32-page newspaper insert featuring some of the Downtown Rising ideas reached more than 250,000 Utahns. Readers responded by sending in their comments. Additionally, members of the Downtown Rising team made hundreds of presentations to various groups. Workshops were held and participants found a high level of support for a healthy downtown. S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R B O A R D O F G O V E R N O R S T O U R O F D O W N T O W N S A LT L A K E C I T Y I N M A R C H 2 0 0 7 . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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DOWNTOWN RISING Main Street In 2002 and 2003, two contentious issues divided
between North and South Temple to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for $8.1 million. The
the city. The first was whether the high-profile
Church built a landscaped plaza of fountains, trees and
Nordstrom department store, which operated from
walkways open to pedestrians. Today the plaza remains
the Crossroads Plaza in downtown, would be allowed
one of downtown’s most popular pedestrian corridors,
by the city to move to The Gateway; a trendy new
providing a serene escape steps away from the state's
complex of shops and stores located on the western
busiest streets.
edge of the downtown district. Nordstrom told the
Solutions coalesced as the Downtown Alliance became
city council that it would leave the city unless it was
a strategic partner with the Chamber under Beattie’s
permitted to move. (It required approval because
direction.
of store size restrictions imposed on The Gateway
With the former Utah Senate President at the helm,
development.) Debate on the move was very public,
the Chamber worked to broker a united vision for
and sometimes heated, with some officials saying
downtown. Meanwhile, a huge presence hovered in the
the argument itself was costing the city business.
background; the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
The other, more hotly debated issue, revolved around
day Saints had grand plans of its own.
the Main Street Plaza. Salt Lake City sold Main Street
S K Y B R I D G E O V E R M A I N S T R E E T AT C I T Y C R E E K C E N T E R . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y C I T Y C R E E K C E N T E R / T H E TA U B M A N C O M PA N Y.
1 3 0 Y E A R S O F T H E S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R
City Creek Center For years the Church had been investing in downtown properties; home of its world headquarters, the Salt Lake Temple and associated properties integral to administering a "global faith." In 2002 and 2003, faced with store closings and dropping sales, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints leaders concluded that the health of downtown would largely be determined by what happened to the city’s three major downtown malls. In 2003, the Church’s real estate arm, Property Reserve Inc., purchased Crossroads Mall with a plan to link it to the ZCMI mall. Initially, the church planned to renovate the two malls, but gradually its plans grew bolder. While accepting its role in downtown redevelopment, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints leaders noted that its “citizenship” would only reach so far. H. David Burton, then Presiding Bishop of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, said that the Church would do its part and continue to be a good citizen, and its investment over the next couple of years would be greater than any other entity. Burton said, “But you can only carry citizenship so far, then you have to rely on economics.” Lane Beattie, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber, said Burton often told him the Church wanted to be “one of many,” not the only entity contributing to the revitalization of downtown Salt Lake City. The Church’s final plans were staggering in both size and concept. The Church would spend $1.5 billion to develop a 20-acre City Creek Center. Both malls were torn down, along with Key Bank Tower, the Inn at Temple Square and many others. After four years of construction, a new complex of 100 stores and restaurants, along with office space and residential buildings, comprise City Creek Center. A 2012 Wall Street Journal article described the mall’s opening: “In the heart of this western capital's downtown, the Mormon church and mall owner Taubman Centers Inc. are preparing to throw the wraps off a retail anomaly next week: a megamall with eye-popping extras, such as a man-made creek, retractable roofs and a fountain that erupts in choreographed jets of water and fire. A man-made creek flows through the City Creek Center. Costly amenities aside, City Creek Center stands out simply because malls this size aren't often built in the U.S. anymore. But, the 700,000-square-foot mall has something other projects don't: financial backing from the development arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That has enabled the Church and Taubman to include numerous high-price extras and to lure high-profile retailers.”
U TA H T R A N S P O R TAT I O N A U T H O R I T Y T R A X T R A I N .
222 BUILDING UNDER CONSTRUC TION IN 2009. PHOTO COURTESY DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE.
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DOWNTOWN RISING Downtown Rising 2.0 At a made-for-TV announcement atop the Walker Center roof in May 2016, Chamber and Downtown Alliance officials celebrated a decade of Downtown Rising accomplishments: • More than 4,000 housing units were built in and around downtown to support the goal of “dynamic urban living.” • Several downtown towers were built, which house growing numbers of workers, including 2,000 from relative newcomer Goldman Sachs. • Progress made on a Public Market, one of the signature projects not yet completed as envisioned, sparked a popular Downtown Farmers Market housed at Pioneer Park through summer and fall, as well as Winter Market at the Rio Grande. • Regional light rail and commuter rail, Utah Transit Authority’s TRAX and FrontRunner, reduced congestion downtown, created easy transit access around the metro area and to the airport, and met the goal of making Salt Lake City home to a regional rail hub. • University Boulevard, the 400 South corridor, connecting the University of Utah with the urban center by light rail helped support the goal of creating a “city of learning.” • Completion of the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater, one of the signature projects, opened in Fall 2016 with bookings for several touring Broadway shows, as well as local and nationally-acclaimed performing arts groups. The new theater is critical to propelling Salt Lake City’s strong arts hub stature into the future.
G E O R G E S . A N D D O L O R E S D O R É E C C L E S T H E AT E R .
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Jason Mathis, executive director of the Downtown Alliance, gives credit to Beattie for creating the vision that became Downtown Rising. “Lane Beattie’s idea was ‘How can we capitalize on
community leaders and public officials, and was unveiled in 2017. “Downtown Rising needs to be part of any history of the Chamber because it has done extremely well,” Beattie
the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'
said. “During the years it was implemented, everyone
investment that we know will be made in the urban
was talking about Downtown Rising, and we had funds
center? How can we broaden out this into a vision that
that were donated by business leaders that gave us the
involves the whole community? How can we leverage
ability to help do the advertising, follow up with people,
what will happen in those two blocks to create something
and to get input. It became an absolutely incredible plan
even more dynamic and valuable for all of downtown?’”
that was adopted by the city.”
Mathis said. Funding for the projects totaled more in a shorter
Looking forward, Downtown Rising has become a living, breathing aspirational plan with stakeholders
period than any previous investment in the city’s
that range from business interests to public officials,
history. The City Creek Center project, coupled with the
and ecclesiastical leaders to community groups. The
Downtown Rising plan, sparked downtown investment
collaboration over the past decade-plus grew downtown’s
and revitalization. With the The Church of Jesus Christ
skyline, strengthened the city’s economy and flourished
of Latter-day Saints' generous initial investment of
an urban renaissance continues to rise.
about $1.5 billion, Beattie said that this commitment served as a catalyst to attract another $3.5 billion in further investments to downtown in construction and infrastructure improvements. “It was an investment that drew a line in the sand that said, ‘This is what we are going to do.’ All of a sudden, you saw a lot of other people get involved, start investing and it got exciting,” Beattie said. At the May 2016 event marking Downtown Rising’s first decade, Chamber, business and community leaders announced a process to create a framework dubbed Downtown Rising 2.0. The Downtown Alliance identified ten priorities and ten signature projects to build on earlier accomplishments. The Downtown Alliance said it would engage the community through social media outreach, public surveys and public open houses to determine priorities. This public input was used to solidify recommendations made by the Downtown Rising steering committee, made up of property owners,
Sources: Interview with Lane Beattie, April 2016 Interview with Jason Mathis, April 2016 Interview with Craig Peterson, November 2007 Interview with Scott Anderson, October 2007 Interview with Natalie Gochnour, May 2016, November 2007 “A New Vision for Salt Lake City, Downtown Rising,” 46-page brochure published by the Salt Lake Chamber and the Downtown Alliance, March 2007. Chamber Connection, publication of Salt Lake Chamber, April, 2007. Accessed Sept. 5, 2016 at http://www.downtownrising.com/_files/docs/ dtr-book.pdf Bucking Trends, Mormons Build Giant Mall, Kris Hudson, 13 May 2012. Wall Street Journal, Accessed 5 Sept. 2016 at http://www.wsj.com/articles/ SB10001424052702303717304577278993475062000 Salt Lake Tribune, 29 Aug. 2007; 27 March 2008 Deseret News, 10 June 2002; 29 June 2002; 24 Jan. 2003; 11 April 2003; 22 April 2003; 15 June 2003; 26 Aug. 2005; 1 June 2006; 21 March 2007; 22 March 2007; 8 Dec. 2007.
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S T R AT E G I C PA R T N E R S Downtown Alliance From Blight to Boom: Downtown Salt Lake’s Last 25 Years Crossroads Mall and ZCMI, two large enclosed shopping malls bustled; but the residential population was decreasing, many parts of downtown were blighted and Main Street was failing. The Utah Jazz still played in the Accord Arena, within the walls of the Salt Palace Convention Center. And where our stunning library now stands, there was a courthouse and jail. The Salt Palace as we know it was just a sparkle in the eye of Rick Davis, president of the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau. The Boyer Company was completing the One Utah Center on the corner of Main Street and 200 South, but there was no Gallivan Center. In fact, there was no TRAX, no Wells Fargo Building, no 222 South Main and old rail lines covered the future home of The Gateway. Into this urban malaise stepped visionaries who wanted to reclaim the halcyon days of Salt Lake’s downtown, or at least staunch the flow of the city’s lifeblood. In 1991, these urban champions created what they hoped would be the cure for the city’s ills — the Downtown Alliance. These leaders, including John Williams, John Schumann, John Gates, Clyde Heiner and Bishop H. David Burton, formed a business improvement district with the mission to “enhance development of downtown Salt Lake City as a regional retail, commercial, entertainment and cultural center to benefit all who visit, work, live and invest here.” Its focus was the Central Business District, bound by North Temple, I-15, 400 South and 300 East. Bob Farrington, hired from San Antonio in a national search, was the organization’s first head. One of Farrington’s first moves was to drive up and down rural Utah roads, specifically the Fruit Highway in northern Utah, in an attempt to lure farmers and other food producers to sell their goods in downtown at Pioneer Park. The first Downtown Farmers Market was held over 25 years ago with less than a dozen vendors in one of the city's most challenged neighborhoods. Today, more than 10,000 people fill the park weekly to purchase everything from produce, local meat, cheese and more from 250-plus vendors. The market supports agricultural families across the state and launched numerous brick and mortar businesses in the same neighborhood. Among the Downtown Alliance’s other early accomplishments was supporting efforts to replace the 1970s incarnation of the Salt Palace with a modern version that would primarily focus on luring conventioneers to Utah. The NBA basketball franchise, the Utah Jazz, would move to a new separate arena championed by the team’s owner and benefactor Larry H. Miller. Soon there was a new streetcar line, dubbed TRAX, running into the city and Olympic largesse meant a reconstructed I-15 and new off-ramp to downtown. The 2002 Olympic Winter Games welcomed the world, and the two-week international show helped downtown Salt Lake begin an upward trajectory. However, there was still more work to be done. Public spaces like the Gallivan Center were built. TRAX was expanded. The Utah Jazz, led by Karl Malone and John Stockton played thrilling playoff games at the Delta Center (as of 2016 the Vivint Smart Home Arena). Downtown was entering a renaissance period.
1 3 0 Y E A R S O F T H E S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R
In 2003, the Downtown Alliance became a strategic
that serves the Intermountain West. Driving a solution-
partner of the Salt Lake Chamber, sharing office space
based conversation is one of the organization’s strengths
and other resources. The Chamber chairman Scott
and can be seen realized on the skyline, in legislation or
Anderson and Downtown Alliance chairman Prescott
at community events.
Muir saw the advantages of joining forces. Ultimately,
By 2016, the Downtown Alliance represented more
Lane Beattie took on the role of president and CEO of
than 2,500 businesses and property owners. A special
both the Chamber and Downtown Alliance.
assessment on commercial properties in the Central
For Beattie, it was a natural fit. Current Downtown Alliance executive director Jason Mathis said, “Lane cares enormously about the downtown area — a love
Business District helps fund the Downtown Alliance, based on property values that now total $6.1 billion. Everything Beattie touches is improved by his insight,
that stems from his time serving as Senate president in
negotiation skills and ability to bring people together.
the state Legislature and Chief State Olympic Officer
He is not just the president of the Downtown Alliance;
for the 2002 Winter Olympics.” Beattie also brought his
he is also downtown’s biggest cheerleader and advocate.
experience as a realtor and developer to the downtown
Beattie can move mountains with a single phone call,
vision.
handshake or smile, and his love for downtown has
Mathis said, “Beattie’s tutelage has been critical to projects ranging from City Creek Center to moving the
translated to tangible results for Utah’s urban center during his leadership over the past 13 years.
North Temple Viaduct; from TRAX construction to the GREENbike system, and from homeless initiatives to building a convention center hotel. His leadership shapes the Downtown Alliance and the broader community.” Over 25 years, the Downtown Alliance has played both a starring and supporting role in key downtown projects, including the Gallivan Center redesign and construction, The Gateway mall, City Creek Center, George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater, a bike sharing system (GREENbike), EVE WinterFest and the TRAX light rail system. The Downtown Alliance was also a key player in developing the Downtown Rising vision. (See article on Downtown Rising on page 42 for more details.) The Downtown Alliance has served as a convener for diverse public and private interests. Spanning four mayoral administrations, the Alliance’s leadership and collaborative spirit has helped bring together business leaders with elected officials to help build a downtown N ATA L I E G O C H N O U R S P E A K S AT T H E 1 0 Y E A R D O W N T O W N R I S I N G A N N I V E R S A R Y P R E S S E V E N T O N TO P O F T H E WA L K E R C E N T E R . B E H I N D H E R : J A M E S T O Z E R J R . , L A N E B E AT T I E , J A S O N M AT H I S , M AY O R J A C K I E B I S K U P S K I , M AY O R B E N M C A D A M S , A N D G O V . G A R Y H E R B E R T. P H O T O COURTESY OF THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE.
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S T R AT E G I C PA R T N E R S World Trade Center Utah Following the Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games glow in 2002, Gov. Olene Walker considered ideas to increase international opportunities for Utah business,
Miller also rallied executives from some of Utah’s top exporting companies to participate on a newly established WTC Utah board. The economic mission of WTC Utah is to help
including a group dedicated to promoting Utah
Utah companies “think, act and succeed globally.”
products and industry to a global audience. However,
It accomplishes this mission through educational
it wasn’t until 2006 that the World Trade Center Utah
seminars, export consultations and valuable networking
(WTC Utah) came to fruition, with a panel appointed
opportunities. It is also a co-producer of the Utah
by then-Gov. Jon Huntsman. Lew Cramer was hired as
Global Forum, Utah’s premier international business
its first director.
event that is attended by more than 450 people annually.
As in many other cases, the Chamber was the
WTC Utah has an enviable record. Broadly stated,
incubator for the nascent organization. “It was clear that
Utah's international exports doubled between 2006 and
without Lane Beattie, there would not have been a WTC
2015. Even during the recession, Utah was the only state
Utah. Lane most graciously welcomed me to begin
in the nation to expand its exports every year. Coming
WTC Utah at the Chamber, providing space, ideas,
from a landlocked state, that’s surprising growth.
introductions and the warmest possible reception to our small startup,” Cramer said. Within two years, Cramer was looking for new digs.
"Approximately 22 percent of jobs in the state are supported by international business, which shows exports matter to Utah’s economy," said Miller. "All
“Gov. Huntsman always wanted a singular WTC Utah
of the work we do at World Trade Center Utah is
building to be a dramatic symbol of Utah's international
directed at one goal: to help guide Utah companies into
prowess.”
profitable global markets."
While leaders initially eyed a 20-story office building planned for the City Creek development, the idea got scrapped because of the 2008 recession. Instead, they floated the idea of renaming the Eagle Gate Tower at 60 East South Temple the “World Trade Center at City Creek.” A remodel and renaming of that very building in 2012 made WTC Utah a fixture on the Salt Lake skyline. In July 2014, Derek B. Miller accepted the position of president and CEO of WTC Utah. He used the strong foundation and brand created, by Cramer, to take the organization to the next level. Under Miller’s leadership, WTC Utah implemented a rural outreach program to ensure all areas of the state have access to its exporting resources and started a quarterly Thought Leader Symposium Series. D E R E K B . M I L L E R , P R E S I D E N T O F W O R L D T R A D E C E N T E R U TA H , S P E A K S AT T H E 2 0 1 6 U TA H G L O B A L F O R U M . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y W O R L D T R A D E C E N T E R U TA H .
1 3 0 Y E A R S O F T H E S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R
Women’s Business Center Living the American Dream has included the
assistance. In 2010, Okumura was promoted to director and led
opportunity for anyone to start and grow their own
the Center from 2010 to 2013 ensuring consistency in
small business. The Salt Lake Chamber has supported
programming. She continued to develop partnerships
entrepreneurs and business owners in many ways. In
and true collaboration with other business resource
1997, the Chamber began a public-private partnership
providers in Utah. She created systems and organization
with the U.S. Small Business Administration in order to
that helped the Center to increase productivity and
fund a Women’s Business Center (WBC), housed within
impact on women business owners.
the Chamber offices, which specifically assists women
Ann Marie Wallace replaced Okumura as the WBC
start and grow successful small businesses through
director in 2013. While continuing the legacy of high-
training, resources, and support.
quality consulting and training, Wallace opened up a
Ramona Rudert, then COO of the Salt Lake
new era for women entrepreneurs in Utah by initiating
Chamber, recognized a great need to assist women
a statewide online presence in 2016. With new funding
business owners in Utah and was excited to write the
and two AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers, the WBC
initial grant application for a Women’s Business Center.
launched a new training-focused website
When the grant was awarded, she became the first
WBCutah.com and established partnerships with rural
director of the WBC which commenced services on
chambers of commerce to create a growing number of
November 24, 1997. Her priority was to help women be
virtual WBC’s throughout Utah.
successful in their businesses and to see themselves as
By expanding the Center's reach into rural areas of
business owners. The Center worked diligently to assist
the state, the Center ensured more women have access
women to develop competitive businesses that could
to local resources and WBC’s online training, which
access capital, grow and create jobs.
will ultimately help women build confidence, create
Nancy Mitchell took over the WBC and led for eight years focusing on entrepreneurial training and
new opportunities and experience success in small business ownership.
counseling for women. Mitchell also ensured seamless services while the Center moved to three other downtown locations. Her diverse staff was integral in providing women technical skills training including use of the internet and search engine optimization for business in the twenty-first century. Lavanya Mahate became the third director in May of 2008 when the WBC returned to the Salt Lake Chamber offices. Consulting services were contracted to the Salt Lake Community College Women’s Business Institute, but were later brought back in house when Pamela Okumura was hired as a full-time consultant. Mahate provided a fresh environment of resourcefulness and 2 0 1 6 W O M E N ’ S B U S I N E S S C E N T E R T E A M ( L E F T TO R I G H T: VA L K Y R I E J O H N S O N, TO R I C R O O K S H A N K , D E B O R A H MA R Z A N O, MA L I S S A R I C H A R D S , A N N M A R I E WA L L A C E , A N D D E B B I L B A O. ) P H OTO C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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S T R AT E G I C PA R T N E R S Women’s Leadership Institute Three years ago, Utah’s key business leaders and
course of six months, the cohort hears from a variety of experts and participates in various workshops. To
organizations made a significant commitment to
date, WLI has trained 70 women who are interested in
address a problem in our state: Utah’s substantially low
entering the political arena.
numbers of women serving as elected officials and in
“ROI improves when you have women in leadership
executive leadership. In January 2015, the Women’s
— by more than fifteen percent. Women leaders can
Leadership Institute began. It is a 501(c) 3 organization
make companies stronger and more profitable. The
housed within the Salt Lake Chamber offices.
Women’s Leadership Institute helps organizations
The Women’s Leadership Institute elevates the
uncover the barriers and understand how they can
stature of women’s leadership by improving society’s
advance more women in decision making roles in
understanding of the value of diversity in leadership
business and in politics. Women’s voices are critical
roles, training women in leadership skills and conveying
in making public policy decisions, in health care,
the positive impact women leaders have on economic
enhanced quality of life and in a stronger educational
development, vitality and the overall health of the state
system,” said Pat Jones, CEO of WLI. Jones is uniquely
of Utah. The Women’s Leadership Institute is unique for
qualified to lead as a former business owner and
the following four reasons:
a member of the Utah State Senate and House of
• WLI is business led.
Representative for fourteen years.
• WLI considers men allies and advocates.
The face of the workforce is changing. More women
• WLI’s approach is proactive and positive; it’s not
are graduating and receiving advanced degrees and are
about quotas, it’s about making a difference.
capable of being leaders. Employers need to know how
• WLI developed the ElevateHER Challenge, a
to recruit and retain women and they are being held
concrete template to advance women leaders
accountable to enhance gender diversity. If companies
that respects the individual company culture while
want to maintain their competitive edge, women must
providing specific, proven guidelines.
be part of the talent pool. The Women’s Leadership
Organizations that utilize the full talents of the workforce have a competitive advantage through
Institute helps organizations understand the value of women in leadership.
improved corporate social responsibility, enhanced innovation and better performance. To date, more than 130 organizations have formally taken the ElevateHER Challenge to elevate the stature of women’s leadership. WLI is changing the conversation and making a difference. Each year, the Women’s Leadership Institute sponsors a 6-month cohort of women who aspire to serve in public office. The Political Development Series is an interactive and instructive training, teaching women the how and why of running for public office. Over the PAT J O N E S A D D R E S S E S T H E O R G A N I Z AT I O N S W H O T O O K T H E 2 0 1 6 E L E V AT E H E R C H A L L E N G E . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F T H E W O M E N ’ S LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE.
1 3 0 Y E A R S O F T H E S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R
S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R E V E N T S A N D P R O G R A M S What makes a community great are the people and businesses who give of their time and resources for the betterment of where they live. The Salt Lake Chamber is deeply aware of these contributions and has honored many of those who step forward to help Utah’s business community reach new heights. One of the best ways the Chamber can do this is to offer over 150 events, programs, conferences, professional development training, and networking opportunities, to further connections between people and to provide platforms in which to support, connect, and learn from each other. Every year the Chamber provides opportunities to recognize extraordinary businesses and leaders at various award events, committee work and networking events. In the halls of the Chamber and at Chamber events, business leaders are introduced to community issues and given the chance to be at the table, contribute to the discussion and recommend solutions. Over the last 15 years, programs have adapted to the current business environment. Many of the Chamber’s long standing signature programs like Leadership Utah, Business Women’s Forum, Military Affairs Committee and the President’s Ambassadors each have a different mission, but give members the opportunity to engage, network and give back to the community. Chambers of commerce are traditionally known for their award events, and the Salt Lake Chamber is no different. Designed with a yearly theme in mind, the Chamber’s Annual Meeting celebrates business partners and other outstanding volunteers with a Chamber Champion award for their support and efforts.
2 0 1 5 L E A D E R S H I P U TA H C L A S S V I S I T S T H E H E L I PA D AT T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F U TA H H O S P I TA L O N “ H E A LT H C A R E D AY.” P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R E V E N T S A N D P R O G R A M S However, the most prestigious awards from the Chamber are the Giant in Our City and ATHENA International Awards. Giant in Our City has grown from 400 to 1500 attendees over the years and is celebrated with a black-tie gala event. The prestigious group of community and business leaders named “Giants” are recognized for their hard work, dedication that positively impacted our community. Additionally, the ATHENA® Award is presented annually by the Salt Lake Chamber in partnership with ATHENA International’s national underwriters, local businesses and individual sponsors. Although the ATHENA® Leadership Award was created nationally in 1982, the Salt Lake Chamber presented its first ATHENA® Award in 1984 to Phyllis Steorts. Since that time, many prominent community leaders have received the award. ATHENA's are individuals who have achieved the highest level of professional excellence, contributed time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community, and have actively assisted others, particularly women, in realizing their full leadership potential. On top of events and programs, the Chamber is known for its high level networking opportunities through business leader legislative trips to Washington, D.C., and beyond. Since 2005, Washington, D.C. has been an annual stop for the Chamber, and is recognized as Utah’s leading legislative trip to the nation’s capital; bringing business and civic leaders from the state to meet with members of our federal delegation and other policy and business groups. The Chamber started this annual trip with 12 business leaders. Jon Huntsman Sr. was gracious enough to host attendees on his private plane for the inaugural trip. It’s not just country soil the Chamber visits. Since 2009, the Chamber has also traveled around the world with its members. This provides a fun, laid-back opportunity to network with business professionals and Chamber members while exploring new areas, learning about other cultures, and expanding perspectives and worldviews. Past international trips with the Chamber include: China, Ireland, Scotland, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Croatia and Cuba. Whether it’s a training seminar, business forum, fancy award gala or a trip to previously unchartered lands, the Chamber aspires to connect people in many different ways, honor change-makers and encourage the growth of champions.
S C O T T A . A N D E R S O N A N D H A R R I S S I M M O N S A R E R E C O G N I Z E D A S T H E 2 0 1 3 G I A N T S I N O U R C I T Y, A N D R E C E I V E D T H E I R A W A R D S F R O M R AY P I C K U P ( FA R L E F T ) A N D L A N E B E AT T I E ( FA R R I G H T ) . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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G R O U P P H O T O AT 2 0 1 6 A N N U A L C H A M B E R W A S H I N G T O N , D . C . T R I P. P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
P E G G Y L A R S O N , T H E AT H E N A L E A D E R S H I P A W A R D H O N O R E E B E G I N S H E R A C C E P TA N C E S P E E C H AT T H E 2 0 1 4 W O M E N & B U S I N E S S C O N F E R E N C E . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y D I G I TA L B L U E P H O T O G R A P H Y.
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G I A N T I N O U R C I T Y AWA R D S Awards given since 2003 2003 R.D. "Don" Cash & D.N. "Nick" Rose, Questar Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 2005 Jon M. Huntsman, Huntsman Corporation 2006 James LeVoy Sorenson, Sorenson Companies 2007 Larry H. Miller, Larry H. Miller Group of Companies 2008 William H. Nelson, Intermountain Healthcare 2009 Roger Boyer, The Boyer Company Ellis Ivory, Ivory Homes 2010 Carolyn Tanner Irish, Episcopal Diocese of Utah & O.C. Tanner Company 2011 Bishop H. David Burton, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 2012 Kem Gardner, Gardner Company 2013 Harris Simmons, Zions Bancorporation Scott A. Anderson, Zions Bank 2014 Gov. Mike Leavitt, The Leavitt Partners 2015 Gail Miller, Larry H. Miller Group of Companies 2016 Ron Jibson, Questar
PA S T G I A N T S I N AT T E N D A N C E AT T H E 2 0 1 4 G I A N T I N O U R C I T Y C E L E B R AT I O N ( L E F T T O R I G H T : L A N E B E AT T I E , V E R L R . T O P H A M , F R A N K J O K L I K , G O V . M I T T W . R O M N E Y, B I S H O P H . D A V I D B U R T O N , C A R O LY N TA N N E R I R I S H , K E M G A R D N E R , G O V . M I K E L E A V I T T, R O G E R B O Y E R , E L L I S I V O R Y, S C O T T PA R K E R , S P E N C E E C C L E S , A N D S C O T T A . A N D E R S O N ) . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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AT H E N A L E A D E R S H I P A W A R D S Awards given since 2003 2003 Becky Berkey Potts, AT&T Wireless 2004 Gov. Olene Walker, Utah State Governor 2005 Pamela Atkinson, Community Advocate 2006 Marilyn Tang, Certified Handling Systems 2007 Margo Provost, Log Haven 2008 Senator Patricia W. Jones, Dan Jones & Associates, Inc. 2009 Chris Redgrave, KSL News Radio Ellis Ivory, Ivory Homes 2010 Dr. Cynthia A. Bioteau, Salt Lake Community College 2011 Beverley Taylor Sorenson, Sorenson Foundation 2012 Gail Miller, Larry H. Miller Group of Companies 2013 Dr. Linda Leckman, Intermountain Healthcare 2014 Peggy Larsen, Workers Compensation Fund 2015 Karen Gunn, Salt Lake Community College 2016 Lori Chillingworth, Zions Bancorporation AT H E N A L E A D E R S H I P A W A R D .
PA S T AT H E N A S I N AT T E N D A N C E AT T H E 2 0 1 6 W O M E N & B U S I N E S S C O N F E R E N C E A N D AT H E N A A W A R D S L U N C H E O N ( T O P R O W , L E F T T O R I G H T : C H R I S R E D G R A V E , P E G G Y L A R S E N , B E C K Y P O T T S , PAT R I C I A W . J O N E S , R A M O N A R U D E R T, K A R E N G U N N . B O T T O M R O W , L E F T T O R I G H T : D R . L I N D A L E C K M A N , M A R I LY N TA N G , L O R I C H I L L I N G W O R T H , PAT R I C I A R I C H A R D S , A N D PA M E L A AT K I N S O N ) . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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C H A M B E R C H A M P I O N S AWA R D S Awards given since 2003 2004 Dave Mecham, KSL Newsradio 1160
2007 Debbie Pazos, Kelly Services
Col. Craig Morgan, Utah National Guard
Diana M Young, Prince, Perelson & Associates
Kate Reddy, McKinnon-Mulherin, Inc.
Barry Brundage, Wells Fargo
Rob Ronald, Bailey-Montague & Associates
Rey Butcher, Questar Corporation
Ethel Wilcox, Wasatch Basket & Gifts
Brent T. Johnson, Intermountain Healthcare
Steven Williams, InterNet Properties, Inc. 2009 Kameron Emery, Mount Olympus Waters, Inc. 2005 Lloyd Carr, Carr Painting Jack Ford, Utah State Department of Corrections
Kent Gibson, Zions Securities Corp. Gretta Spendlove, Durham Jones & Pinegar, P.C.
Richard T. Hazel, Camco Construction, Inc.
Mark Walker, EnergySolutions
Carol Hunter, Utah Power/PacifiCorp
Nathan Wickizer, Cache Valley Electric Company
Bryn F. Ramjoue, The Story Agency Elaine Schlehuber, Zions Bank Chris Tunis, The Enterprise Newspaper Group Matthew H. Wilson, Riviera Insurance Services 2006 Kirby Croyle, Wells Fargo Jeff Edwards, EDCUtah B.J. Hansen, Liberty Mortgage, Inc. Jason Hermansen, SkyMail International Martin Lewis, Utah Business Magazine Dave Lindsay, Avalanche Studios
2010 Maura Carabello, Exoro Group Von Coffman, KSL Broadcast Group Russ Coover, Digital Blue Photography Jennifer Nii, Intermountain Healthcare Sheridan Redmond, Customer Dynamics Paul Springer, Bailey-Montague Graphic Design 2011 Amy Coady, Squatters Pub and Beers Dr. Richard Kendell
John R.E. Redd, Edward Jones
Michael Lane, Sprint Nextel
Chris Redgrave, Bonneville International Corporation
Don Whyte, Rio Tinto | Kennecott Land
Al Walker, Questar Corporation
*No awards given in 2008 or 2012. **Because of the Chamber 125th Gala, no awards were given in 2012.
Jason Steed, Targa Media
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2013 Ray Dardano, Marlin Business Bank
2015 Brian Garrett, Zions Bank
Karen Gunn, Salt Lake Community College
Marsha Gilford, Smith’s Food & Drug
Janet Jorgensen, Salt Lake Magazine
Dave Kadleck, Western Governor's University
Dave Loach, IC Group
Richard Walje, Rocky Mountain Power
Grant Nielsen, KSL News Radio Tim Wheelwright, Durham Jones & Pinegar, P.C.
2016 Chris Gamvroulas, Ivory Development Molly Mazzolini, Infinite Scale
2014 Abby Albrecht, Granite Construction Company Camilla Edsberg, Hope Gallery and Museum of Fine Art
Mayor Ben McAdams, Salt Lake County Donnielle Schroeder, Melange Liquid Catering
Jonathan Hafen, Parr Brown Gee & Loveless Debra Hoyt, Questar Corporation Jonathan Johnson, Overstock.com
L A N E B E AT T I E , B R I A N B E R N A R D , J A S O N P I E R C E ( A C C E P T I N G A W A R D F O R V A N C E C H E C K E T T S ) , J E F F N E L S O N , R A N D Y S H U M W AY, K E I T H M C M U L L I N A C C E P T P R E S I D E N T ’ S A W A R D F O R E X C E L L E N C E AT 2 0 1 6 A N N U A L M E E T I N G . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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C O R P O R AT E B U S I N E S S A W A R D S Awards given since 1987 1987 Small Business of the Year: Guardian Title Company of Utah, Courtney L. Wrathall 1988 Small Business of the Year: Cytozyme Laboratories, Inc., Steve Baughman 1989 Small Business of the Year: Morris/Ask Mr. Foster Travel, Rusty McNeal 1990 Small Business of the Year: Terabit Computer Engineering 1991 Small Business of the Year: Eckhoff, Watson & Preator Engineering, David Eckhoff and Greg Thorpe 1992 Small Business of the Year: Maxcomm Associates Inc., W.A. (Bill) Adams, Emil Bohn, and Diana S. Furr 1993 Small Business of the Year: Chris Matthews & Associates, Chris Matthews 1995 Small Business of the Year: MHTN Architects, Lynn Jones 1996 Small Business of the Year: Christopherson Business Travel Consultants, Michael A. Cameron 1997 Small Business of the Year: Professional Staff Management, Inc., William J. Miller Entrepreneurial Success: NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Hunter Jackson Community Service: Payless Car Rental, Sam Russell
1998 Small Business of the Year: Log Haven, Margo Provost Entrepreneurial Success: ConsultNet, Donald J. Goldberg Community Service: Crete-Co, Steven Jensen Home-Based Business Success: McArthur Consulting, Karen McArthur 1999 Small Business of the Year: Anchor Printing & Graphics, Tanya Henrie Entrepreneurial Success: Wasatch Crest Insurance Companies, Orrin T. Colby, Jr. Community Service: Beneco Enterprises, Inc., Bob Newberry Home-Based Business Success: American Packaging Group, Inc., Jeffrey Tiede 2000 Small Business of the Year: Van Boerum & Frank Associates, Inc., Howard Van Boerum Entrepreneurial Success: PowerQuest Corporation, Laura Shafer Community Service: The Ramsey Group, Rhoda Ramsey Home-Based Business Success: Fyve*Star, Inc., Celeste Gleave 2001 Small Business of the Year: Valentiner Crane Brunjes Onyon Architects, Niels Valentiner Entrepreneurial Success: FrameRate Corp., James R. Harvey Community Service: Harris Financial, Kelly Harris Home-Based Business Success: Johnson & Company, The Virtual Agency, Jennifer Johnson Minority Small Business: Rico Mexican Market, Jorge Fierro
Home-Based Business Success: Your Best Impression, Sue Clift-Stahle
*Because of moving the date of the awards banquet, there was no award given for 1994.
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2002 Small Business of the Year: Absolute! Restaurant & Brasserie, Kimberley and Staffan Eklund Entrepreneurial Success: Have Party…Will Travel, Julie and Jeff Palmer Community Service: Cameron Construction Company, John E. Cameron and Michael Cervino Home-Based Business Success: Cartwright Communications, Jeri Cartwright Minority Small Business: Chung & Associates, Inc., Bo S. Chung, Jr. 2003 Small Business of the Year: Love Communications, Tom Love, Rich Love and Preston Wood Entrepreneurial Success: The Singing Cricket Café, Lara Kierstead Community Service: Art House Graphic Studio, Sam Guevara and Rebecca Guevara Home-Based Business Success: Bruno Group Turnkey Events, Inc., Paul Bruno, Michelle Bruno, and Karen Peña 2004 Small Business of the Year: Cuisine Unlimited, Maxine and Marvin Turner, Principal Owners
2005 Small Business of the Year: Webb Audio Visual Communication, Steven M. Webb, President and Scott T. Webb, Vice President Entrepreneurial Success Award: LoveSac Corporation, Shawn Nelson, Founder and CEO; Scott McDonough, President and COO; Dan Lunt, Chief Marketing Officer; Tim Weiland, Chief Retail Officer and Doyle Judd, CFO Community Service Award: Wasatch Baskets & Gifts, Partners: Jim Wilcox, Ethel Wilcox, Kurstin Lee and Rosalie Doolittle Minority Small Business Award: Samba Grill Brazilian Skewerhouse, Ren Souza, Owner and Manager President’s Award for Excellence: United Way of Salt Lake, Deborah Bayle Nielsen, President and CEO; Rebecca J. Dutson, Vice President Resource Development; Kristine W. Pepin, Vice President Community Impact and Kevin Grimmett, Chief Financial Officer 2006 Small Business of the Year: Cooper Roberts Simonsen Architects, Wallace “Wally” Cooper, Allen Roberts, and Soren Simonsen Entrepreneurial Success: McKinnon-Mulherin, Inc., Shauna Bona, Kathleen Reddy, and Regina Davis
Entrepreneurial Success: Delta Stone Products, Robert Hicken and Paul Ballif, Co Owners
Community Service: Eye Care For Kids Foundation, Joseph G. Carbone
Community Service: Colonial Flag, Paul Swensen, Owner
Minority Small Business: Latitude Restaurant Group, Gene Kwon
Home-Based Business Success: Turning Point, Inc., Kathleen Gage, President
2007 Small Business of the Year: The Storey Agency Entrepreneurial Success Award: Coldsweep, Inc. Minority Small Business Award: U.S. Translation Co. Community Service Award: My Princess Pearls President’s Award for Excellence: Richter7
*Because the event was combined with the Annual Meeting, no award was given in 2008.
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C O R P O R AT E B U S I N E S S A W A R D S 2009 Small Business of the Year Award: Mandarin Entrepreneurial Success Award: Sam Weller’s Bookstore Community Service Award: Junior Achievement of Utah, Inc. Minority Small Business Award: Manuel’s Fine Foods 2010 Small Business of the Year Award: Penna Powers Brian Haynes Entrepreneurial Success Award: New Media Strategies Community Service Award: Hale Centre Theatre Minority Small Business Award: Red Iguana President’s Award for Excellence: Real Salt Lake 2011 Small Business of the Year Award: Cucina Toscana
2015 President’s Award for Excellence: Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort Corporate Partner of the Year: Penna Powers Small Business of the Year Award: Presto Print Community Partner of the Year: Envision Utah 2016 Corporate Partner of the Year: Office Depot / Office Max Small Business of the Year: Onsite Care Community Partner of the Year: Utah League of Cities & Towns President's Award for Excellence: Bryan Benard, Holland & Hart, LLP; Vance Checketts, EMC Corporation; Jeffrey Nelson, Nelson Laboratories, Inc.; Randy Shumway, Cicero Group Chamber Champions: Chris Gamvroulas, Ivory Development; Molly Mazzolini, Infinite Scale; Mayor Ben McAdams, Salt Lake County; Donnielle Schroeder, Melange
Entrepreneurial Success Award: Every Blooming Thing Community Service Award: Busath Studio & Gardens Minority Small Business Award: J.Wong’s Asian Bistro Non-Profit of the Year: Ballet West President’s Award for Excellence: CBRE 2013 Corporate Partner of the Year: Wells Fargo Small Business of the Year Award: G&A Partners Entrepreneurial Success Award: Daynes Music Community Partner of the Year: EDCUtah 2014 President’s Award for Excellence: UTA Corporate Partner of the Year: Hilton Salt Lake City Center Small Business of the Year Award: BaileyMontague Graphic Design
*Because of the Chamber 125th Gala, no awards were given in 2012
L A N E B E AT T I E A W A R D S M A R K B O U C H A R D , C B R E , T H E 2 0 1 1 P R E S I D E N T ’ S A W A R D F O R E X C E L L E N C E . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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C H A M B E R AWA R D S Salt Lake Chamber Trailblazers (12 Enduring Companies Building Utah)- Utah Business- May 30, 2007 Partner in Preparedness- State of Utah Department of Public Safety: Division of Homeland Security- August 24, 2007 Celebrating One of Utah’s “Legacy Business”The Enterprise Newspaper Group- 2010 CEO of the Year- Lane Beattie, Salt Lake ChamberUtah Business- March 25, 2010 Founding Member- U.S. Chamber of CommerceOctober 10, 2012
Certificate of Accreditation-U.S. Chamber of Commerce- February 20, 2016 Changemaker Award- United Way of Salt Lake-May 18, 2016 Women's Business Center SCORE 2015 Distinguished Partner NAWBO 2015 Business & Professional Development Trailblazer Award 2016 SBA Utah District Women's Business Outreach Center of the Year
C H A M B E R S TA F F P H O T O AT 2 0 1 6 A N N U A L M E E T I N G . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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F I V E - S TA R A C C R E D I TAT I O N A W A R D Five-star Accreditation In 2016, the Salt Lake Chamber was recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as a five-star accredited chamber for its sound policies, effective organizational procedures, and positive impact within in the State of Utah. “To be accredited with 5 stars, the highest accreditation recognition a chamber of commerce can receive, provides national recognition for the outstanding work that is carried out within our business community. It underscores the effectiveness of our staff, board, volunteers and the Chamber family,� said Lane Beattie, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber. There are approximately 7,000 chambers of commerce throughout the country. Of these, only 204 carry an accredited designation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Salt Lake Chamber is the only chamber of commerce in the state of Utah that is accredited.
S E N AT O R M I K E L E E S P E A K S W I T H T H E 2 0 1 6 W A S H I N G T O N , D . C . T R I P AT T E N D E E S B E F O R E A N N O U N C I N G T H E C H A M B E R ' S F I V E - S TA R A C C R E D I TAT I O N W A S P U T I N C O N G R E S S I O N A L R E C O R D . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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C E S A R C H AV E Z C H A M P I O N F O R C H A N G E AWA R D National Recognition Jason Mathis, executive director of the Downtown Alliance and executive vice president of the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, was named a Cesar Chavez Champion for Change, along with 10 other immigration-reform activists. The award is named for labor activist and civil rights luminary Cesar Chavez. Although President Barack Obama wasn't at the ceremony, the recipients were introduced by Julie Rodriguez, Chavez's granddaughter and associate director of Latino affairs and immigration for the White House's Office of Public Engagement. In a panel discussion with four other recipients, Mathis sang the praises of the Utah Compact, a declaration of compassionate immigration reform principles that grew out of Arizona's tough enforcement bill that "sent a chill down the spine of many people in the community." As a result, more than a hundred businesses, law enforcement officials, political groups and faith organizations signed the Compact, which was also endorsed but not signed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Compact emphasizes that immigration is a federal issue but also that any reform should focus on keeping families together. Also noted that Utah has been home to immigrants throughout its history, stretching back to when Mormon pioneers moved to the area. "Our country is made up of waves of immigrants," Mathis said. "And that's what has made our country strong."
J A S O N M AT H I S M E T W I T H P R E S I D E N T B A R A C K O B A M A , A N D T H E 1 0 O T H E R I M M I G R AT I O N - R E F O R M A C T I V I S T S W H O R E C E I V E D T H E C E S A R C H A V E Z C H A M P I O N F O R C H A N G E AWA R D I N 2 0 1 3 .
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UNCOVERED HISTORY More Early Chamber History Uncovered When authors Don C. Woodward and Joel Campbell first wrote Common Ground: 100 Years of the Salt Lake Chamber, many digitized resources were not available. With the help of then-Chamber employee Michael De Groote, Woodward and Campbell searched static archives at the Utah State Historical Society, Brigham Young University L. Tom Perry Special Collections, LDS Church History Library and University of Utah Marriott Library Special Collections. What they found shed new light on the Chamber’s beginning as the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce in the late 1800s, then later as the Salt Lake Commercial Club, and then a return to, simply, the Salt Lake Chamber. New digitization efforts, such as those by Utah Digital Newspapers, Newspapers.com, Ancestry.com and Internet Archive, have opened up even more resources. Here is a sampling of some Salt Lake Chamber early history that had not been uncovered when the first volume was printed. 1898: The End of Salt Lake’s First Chamber The exact ending of the first iteration of a chamber of commerce in Salt Lake City had not been uncovered before Common Ground: 100 Years of the Salt Lake Chamber went to press in 2002. In the intervening years, how that early Chamber came to an end has become more clear. It came to its demise in May 1898, when its board of directors decided to close up shop. The Salt Lake Tribune headline of May 15 read, “Needed support withheld. Statement of benefits of the Chamber has conferred upon the city and state, and the lack of sympathy and support of the business community drawn up and adopted.” In the same edition of the paper, an editorial read: “Elsewhere in today’s Tribune is published a communication from the discouraged Chamber of Commerce of Salt Lake City. Perhaps it is not good policy to spread such a paper before the world, but the Chamber declares that its publication is simply justice to the earnest men who have struggled for the welfare of the city and state, and justice to those abroad who may be contemplating a removal to this city. They assert that there is no concert of action here for the general good; that the spirit of businessmen is entirely selfish, that the public sentiment which exists in other places to make of the home town a little glory in itself…” Follow-up solicitations for members, new and old, to support the organization failed. By May 19, 1898, the Tribune had declared the organization in a “dying state.” It was never revived.
D O W N T O W N S A LT L A K E C I T Y I N T H E E A R LY 1 8 8 0 S . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y U TA H S TAT E H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y.
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A L A R G E C R O W D G AT H E R S T O S E E T H E C O R N E R S T O N E L AY I N G F O R T H E N E W C O M M E R C I A L C L U B B U I L D I N G O N J U LY 5 , 1 9 0 9 . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y U TA H S TAT E H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y.
C O M M E R C I A L C L U B B U I L D I N G I N T E R I O R S H O T M AY 1 9 3 7 . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y U TA H S TAT E H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y.
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UNCOVERED HISTORY 1898-1902: Trying a “Lazarus Act” There were several efforts, between the end of the early Chamber and the creation of the Salt Lake Commercial Club, to revive some sort of business group. In June 1898, some businessmen sought to organize a statewide Board of Trade. The Tribune lauded the effort of the men to “repeat the Lazarus act on the corpse of the late Chamber of Commerce. It is not an appeal to charity that is presented. It is straight business.” A meeting was held to revitalize the Chamber, but the effort went nowhere. During the three-year absence of the Chamber, the Tribune editorialized several times how the lack of a unified voice for business was hurting the city and state. In 1900, the Tribune wrote, “Would it not be well to revive the Chamber of Commerce? Cannot the old blood be quickened and some new blood be added and cannot it be made supplementary to the City Council to further needed improvements?” Another effort began after a committee met at the posh Kenyon Hotel, in December that same year, as part of a “chamber of commerce project.” It would still be 13 months before the Commercial Club, the predecessor of the modern Chamber, finally got off the ground with help from the state’s sitting and former governors, as well as funding from top business magnates. 1902: More About the Commercial Club’s First Year Many newspapers gave detailed accounts of the Salt Lake Commercial Club founding in 1902. The organization was overseen by the state’s Gov. Heber M. Wells, former Gov. Arthur Thomas, C.A. Strevell and George T. Odell. The official incorporation papers were filed on Feb. 11, 1902. The next day, the 15 member board of governors was organized and hired its first club secretary (equivalent to today’s president and CEO), Fisher Harris. The first year was a drought year, and Club members were kept busy finding ways to improve the valley’s water supply. In November, the Club’s water committee met and endorsed a plan to build a reservoir in Parley’s Canyon. The group also sponsored a lecture by Lenora Austin Hamlin, a leading women’s suffragist and activist. She spoke about the “Commercial Value of Civic Beauty.” The group was also credited with readjusting fire insurance rates for businesses and improving street railway traffic. By the end of the first year, the Club had grown from less than 100 members to 330. The Club’s 20 well-decorated rooms at the Menzies Building on West Temple were said to have become the most popular in town after its inception.
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O U T S I D E Z I O N S C O - O P E R AT I V E M E R C A N T I L E I N S T I T U T I O N O N M A I N S T R E E T I N T H E L AT E 1 8 8 0 S . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y U TA H S TAT E H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y.
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UNCOVERED HISTORY 1902: The Big Fight the Commercial Club Lost - The Lucin Cutoff In an era when railroads were considered to be the guiding center of any future economy, the Salt Lake Commercial Club fought mightily to have the Union Pacific Railroad build the Lucin cutoff across the northern end of the Great Salt Lake to Salt Lake City, instead of through Ogden. In the end, despite Salt Lake boosters’ best lobbying, the railroad company said it couldn’t justify adding another 67 miles onto the transcontinental line by going across Salt Lake. The decision helped bolster Ogden’s title of “Junction City” as the main railroad terminus in the West. It might be said the transportation feud between Ogden and Salt Lake City finally ended in a tie. Ogden remains an important railroad and ground transportation hub, while Salt Lake City grew into a major air transportation hub; particularly with the Delta Air Lines hub at Salt Lake City International Airport. 1904: The Commercial Club Wanted to “Boom the Town” at the World’s Fair In 1904, the Salt Lake Commercial Club organized an advertising and promotion committee to join the Utah World’s Fair Commission and send “some competent person to distribute literature and boom the town.” The committee was in charge of printing 40,000 promotional pamphlets to be distributed at the World’s Fair. 1906: Getting Americans to Visit America As noted in the earlier edition, Salt Lake Commercial Club leader, Fisher Harris, spearheaded the effort to attract Americans to “See America First.” While the wealthy boarded steamships to spend summers in Europe, Fisher led the efforts to get Americans, particularly those living in the East, to come visit America’s western treasures. The Club sponsored nationwide boosters to gather in Salt Lake City for a meeting led by former Gov. Heber M. Wells, according to a Tribune article. 1909-1912: Boosters of a New Statehouse Salt Lake Commercial Club members were among the primary supporters to build a new State Capitol. It didn’t come without some initial failures. In 1909, most rural Utahns voted against building the “People’s House,” while Salt Lake City and County voters supported the move. The final tally was 4,160 in favor - 7,633 against. The Legislature eventually changed the state’s constitution that required a popular vote to finance any bonding for buildings, and by 1911, the state had bonded to build the Capitol. By 1912, ground had been broken; and in 2016 the Capitol marked its 100-year anniversary of completion.
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U TA H S TAT E C A P I T O L U N D E R C O N S T R U C T I O N I N 1 9 1 4 . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y U TA H S TAT E H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y.
V I S I T S TAT E E X H I B I T F L O AT B Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E O N S E P T E M B E R 3 0 , 1 9 1 2 . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y U TA H S TAT E H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y.
O U T S I D E T H E K E N Y O N H O T E L I N A U G U S T 1 9 0 8 . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y U TA H S TAT E H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y.
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UNCOVERED HISTORY 1910: More About the Commercial Club’s Swanky New Home When the Salt Lake Commercial Club opened its swanky new home in 1910, the Tribune hailed its opening reception of 5,000 people: “The brilliant affair at Salt Lake’s beautiful new home for the commercial men of the city marked an epoch in the business and social life of Salt Lake City, and will long be remembered as one of Salt Lake’s most successful and elaborate functions.” 1910-1919: Standing up for Utah’s Good Name Although Mormons and Utah had always been a target of incendiary press coverage up until statehood, numerous publications attempted to discredit Mormonism through scurrilous accounts at the beginning of the 20th Century. In 19101911, muckraking magazines took on Mormons and the State of Utah, attempting to expose new polygamist marriages and un-American disloyalty to the nation. Those articles were quelled by none other than former President Theodore Roosevelt, when he was invited by Utah native and muckraker, Isaac Russell, to counter the inflammatory articles. During the next decade, anti-Mormonism hit a high point in Great Britain with the work of Winifred Graham, who promoted the narrative that Mormon missionaries were enticing young women to Utah with jobs and money, and then enslaving them in polygamy. In 1919, the Salt Lake Commercial Club took on Graham’s writings as outright false or exaggerations for what Club members saw happening in Utah. The Club issued a lengthy recitation of Graham’s writings and others who had apparently copied her. “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly called the Mormon Church, is working in harmony with other institutions in Utah, ecclesiastical and civic, for the maintenance of the highest standard of morality, and has made an enviable record of this accomplishment, as also in patriotic and devoted service to the country’s needs.” The Club also attached a letter from ministers of the Evangelical churches of Utah disputing Winifred Graham’s claims about the perpetuation of polygamy.
R O S E G I R L F R O M P O R T L A N D L U N C H E O N , A C O M M E R C I A L C L U B E V E N T, H O S T E D AT T H E H O T E L U TA H R O O F G A R D E N I N M AY 1 9 1 4 . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y U TA H S TAT E H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y.
1 3 0 Y E A R S O F T H E S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R
1911: President William Howard Taft at the Commercial Club When President William Howard Taft came to Salt Lake City in 1911, it was at the Commercial Club where Taft chose to defend the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1911 landmark decisions to dissolve the Standard Oil Company and the American Tobacco Company; both considered in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. While Taft had intended to speak about local concerns, his speech focused mainly on the federal control of “trusts and combinations.” Taft said that the court decisions were “epoch-making and established a precedent for dealing with combinations of capital in the future.” He also denounced the muckrakers and urged tolerance; he said only pure motives should be ascribed to executive officers until other motives are proved. The newspapers of the time called it, “one of the greatest and most important speeches of his western trip.” 1915: Buy it Now In May 1915, the Salt Lake Commercial Club supported a movement to “Buy it Now” to help get more money into the economy. May 3 was designated as “Buy it Now Day,” and people were asked to speed up their shopping for significant purchases. 1918: Suburban Shopper Sales’ Day Causes Controversy In an attempt to draw suburban shoppers to downtown businesses in 1918, the Salt Lake Commercial Club’s Retail and Wholesale Trades Department designated Wednesdays as "Sale Days." Calling on the patriotism for World War I, an advertisement read, “You want to save every dollar you can, especially at this time, when careful shopping is just as much a duty as buying Liberty Bonds and Thrift Stamps; just as necessary as saving wheat and stopping the little food leaks in the kitchen.” The program promised rewards for having a meal away from home and making Wednesday a day for pleasure and profit. However, Utah County merchants weren’t too happy about what they saw—Salt Lake poaching customers. The Tribune reported a delegation was to visit Salt Lake and complain, but there is no record that shows the Club ever backed down. In return, Utah County merchants organized a Home Trade League. 1921: Buy Some Copper In an effort to boost the flagging copper market, a large player in Utah’s economy, the Salt Lake Commercial Club urged Utahns to “Buy Something Made of Copper.” Club members voted to print 5,000 labels, bearing this slogan, to attach to outgoing mail. Club members who operated local movie theaters also promised to display pre-show slides with the slogan, in hopes that it would “inspire the people with the wisdom of buying something made of copper in that it will do much to revive the copper production industry and again bring wealth to Utah, which is a large producer of the metal.” 1922: “I am for Utah” Button and Billboards Never short on promotional ideas, the Club sponsored a fundraising campaign with chambers and commercial clubs throughout Utah. Sales of the “I am for Utah” button were intended to boost advertising for the state. In another move, Ogden and Salt Lake Commercial Clubs agreed to co-sponsor billboards promoting Utah at Echo, Utah; Granger, Wyoming; West Yellowstone, Montana; and Goff, California.
77
C O M M E R C I A L C L U B B U I L D I N G N E A R I N G C O M P L E T I O N I N 1 9 1 0 . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y U TA H S TAT E H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y.
U TA H ’ S F I R S T G O V . H E B E R M . W E L L S ( R I G H T ) A N D U . S . P R E S I D E N T T H E O D O R E R O O S E V E LT I N S A LT L A K E C I T Y A R O U N D 1 9 0 2 . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y U TA H S TAT E H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y.
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h stores oif Salt Lake. world's markets can be obtained m the There is hardly a limit in the selections, and all the goods are reasonably priced. EXTRA INDUCEMENTS special sales unusual offerings will be crowded into each Wednesday, so thai those coming to Sail bake will be able to say
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To increase the many advantages of shopping in Salt Lake, the RETAIL AND WHOLESALE TRADES DEPARTMENT OF THE SALT LAKE COMMERCIAL CLUB have organized the leading merchants to make WEDNESDAY OF EACH WEEK a worth-while shopping day. Out-of-town people, wh have had no particular day in which to do their shopping will immediately see the benefits to be had from Wednesday Shopping. that they have been rewarded many times over for the expense and time required for the trip. If Salt Lake is within your reach, via automobile,
interurban car or steam railroad, you should not fail to attend the FIRST BIG SUBURBAN SHOPPING DAY WEDNES-J DAY, APRIL 24. Come with the crowds, lake a meal away from home, enjoy yourselves en route, while shopping and at the places of amusement. You can easily save your expenses and make Wednesday a da ol pleasure and profit.
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Wednesday is the middle day of the week, when there is less necessity or inclination to be in a hurry about one's shopping than there is on Saturday. This hP taken taU.n, in means that more tB,e ,a cau be m 00Wc selectmS &oods and maklDg Phases,
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Wednesday is just far enough away from Monday that business is in "full swing" again after the Sun". day "vacation" and everybodyJ buyers ' clerks ' de. , ,. ttr.J, rbvery men and4 all-feel more "flt" and ahve lor work. ,
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When you wait until Saturday to shop, you are apt to overlook quality in merchandise because of "i,
, As a result, you may be disappointed Wi,h your purchasesi 'our rush.
Wednesday is especially adapted as a shopping day for suburban buyers, because the stores are not so crowded with city J J buyers.
Leaving your s iping till Saturday each week like waiting until the day before Christmas, multiplied 52 times. Because of the crowds of city buyers' the stores are unable to give you the attention they would like to, and it takes more time to get less service. By all means do your shopping on Wednesday the new SUBURBAN SHOPPING DAY. ,
' Willi the fact before them that hundreds of outof-town shoppers will be in Sail ake m th
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By coming to Salt. Lake once a week, for shopping, ' 0U arc aDe t0 keep in touch with the new styles Cue day a week spent in the business and fabrics. Reu ,er of this stat,e w111 also kcup alivc your interest in the pressure of modern events.
profitably spend the hours not required in the stores by visiting the public buildings and civic enterprises. An hour or two a week m the Public Library win ho profitable; the State Museum is an intSestinVlttraeHon; every citizen in our state owes it to himself to visit the state Capitol Building. Then there are the "movies," vaudeville theaters, etc. All combine ake Wednesday Suburban Shopping Day a day lo of pleasure and profit.
"The man of the family" may have business matters which require a trip "into the city" once a week. Why not make Wednesday a general famday '" S"" Li,k" ,,';,nsa"1 ,n,si,,,,ss- do your Lly shopping get m an hbur or two of amusementscaU on friends, ete.
"SHOP EARLY" has become a slogan with (1 city housewife since the "one delivery '"system - ? into effect. It has its advantages to all shon" and the suburban shoppers will do well to comp6?' the city Suburban Shopping Day, each Wednesdav cunesaay, as early as possible.
Why choose WE DN USD AY? Because it is the ideal day of the week for the suburban resident to get away from home.
All stores who are identified with the Retail and Wholesale Trades Department of the Salt Lake Commercial Club will display the special design printed in the center at the top of this advertisement. It will be seen in the window and store displays and in the printed advertisements in the daily newspapers. Whenever and wherever you see this sign, you will know that that store has joined the movement to give SUBURBAN SHOPPERS all the Eollow the crowds into Salt Lake EVERY WEDNESDAY.
S A LT L A K E H E R A L D PA P E R , A P R I L 2 1 , 1 9 1 8 .
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80
COMMON GROUND
UNCOVERED HISTORY
S A LT L A K E C I T Y PA N O R A M I C V I E W . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F U TA H S TAT E H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y.
Spreading Information About Utah The early Chamber and its predecessor, interested in sharing information to entice business, as well as chronicle Utah’s business climate, began with book publishing. Here are some selected titles found in archives: 1888. Salt Lake City: a sketch of Utah’s wonderful resources, prepared and published by the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce. “This publication is intended for the diffusion of correct information concerning Salt Lake City among the citizens of the East, few of whom have correct understanding of the extraordinary material advantages enjoy by Utah Territory, which deserves to rank among the greatest Commonwealths of the Union.” Circa 1890. The new Utopia, or Utah epitomized: a brief compendium of the resources, attractions, advantages, possibilities, mineral, industrial and agricultural, of Utah and her capital. The 18-page volume gives an over-the-top description of the virtues and beauties of Utah. Among the virtues are minerals to be mined and hot springs to bathe in. 1913. Salt Lake City and the State of Utah. The slick and colorful magazine was published by Sunset Magazine for its Homeseekers’ Bureau of Information and showcases everything from outdoor recreation, to farming, to mining jobs and education. The 48-page piece begins with: “Salt Lake City and Utah are good places to visit and good places in which to live. They have been called peculiar. They are peculiar in this, that their people combine contentment with the courage, optimism and progressiveness that have created the great West; with the spirit that has wrung millions from the granite hills, made homes in the wilderness, built great cities and the deserts into gardens.”
1 3 0 Y E A R S O F T H E S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R
1913. As I Remember Them. The Salt Lake Commercial Club published C.C. Goodwin’s memoir, which highlights his time as editor
1923. Come to Salt Lake City, the Center of Scenic America. The brochure was part of the Chamber’s effort to make
of the Tribune, and highlighted the movers and shakers
Salt Lake the center of a “See America First Campaign.”
of the day that he had met over the years.
There was a large map with circles radiating from Salt Lake to western national parks (and future national
1914. Salt Lake Commercial Club Bulletin No. 1. Alkali
parks) and other points of interest.
and Water-logged lands. The purpose of the Club’s first bulletin was to encourage the development of land between Salt Lake
1929. Salt Lake City — Seven Days in and around "The Center of Scenic America."
City and the Great Salt Lake. The bulletin envisioned a
This provided information and pictures illustrating
drainage system and reclamation of about 50,000 acres
Salt Lake City and environs, with maps of Salt Lake City
of land west of the city. In some measure, this vision has
and national parks: Zion, Bryce Canyon and the Grand
been fulfilled with the development of the Salt Lake City
Canyon. Also included was a list of hotels and rates.
International Airport, nearby commercial and industrial
The most expensive was Hotel Utah; double rooms with
enterprises, and a new state prison planned for the
bath — $5 a night. If you didn't need a bath, most hotels
region.
started at $1.00 a night for a single room.
S A LT L A K E C I T Y : C E N T E R O F S C E N I C A M E R I C A PA M P H L E T F R O M 1 9 2 9 . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y C H U R C H H I S T O R Y L I B R A R Y, T H E C H U R C H O F J E S U S C H R I S T O F L AT T E R - D AY S A I N T S .
S A LT L A K E C I T Y PA M P H L E T F R O M 1 9 0 2 . I S S U E D B Y T H E C O N V E N T I O N AND ADVER TISING COMMIT TEES, COMMERCIAL CLUB AND CHAMBER OF C O M M E R C E . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y C H U R C H H I S T O R Y L I B R A R Y, T H E C H U R C H O F J E S U S C H R I S T O F L AT T E R - D AY S A I N T S .
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COMMON GROUND
BOARD OF GOVERNORS Kim Abrams, Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Raymond J. Dardano, Marlin Business Bank
Tom N. Hori, REDCON
Don H. Adams, Bear River Mutual Insurance Company
Ingolf de Jong, GENCOMM
Kirk Huffaker, Utah Heritage Foundation
John A. Adams, Ray Quinney & Nebeker
Sydnee Dickson, Utah State Office of Education
President Deneece Huftalin, Salt Lake Community College
Jeff Alexander, Alexander’s Printing
Matthew M. Durham, Stoel Rives LLP
Scott Hymas, RC Willey Home Furnishings
Larry Anderson, Redmond Minerals
Rebecca Dutson, United Way
Merlin Jensen, Comcast Business
Nathan Anderson, Union Pacific Railroad
Spencer P. Eccles, The Cynosure Group
Suzy Jessen, Ancestry ProGenealogists
Eddie Bangerter, Rocky Mountain Care
Mark Eggett, Sysco Intermountain, Inc.
Gene Barton, Hexcel Corporation
TJ England, CR England - Global Transportation
Dale Johns, Salt Lake Regional Medical Center
Lane Beattie, Salt Lake Chamber Scott Beck, CHG Healthcare Services Scott Beck, Visit Salt Lake, The Convention and Visitors Bureau Gary Bell, Leavitt Group Jerry R. Benson, Utah Transit Authority Brian Bethers, 1-800 Contacts, Inc. Bruce Bingham, Hamilton Partners Mayor Jackie Biskupski, City of Salt Lake Mark H. Bouchard, CBRE Jake Boyer, The Boyer Company Terry H. Buckner, The Buckner Company
Clint W. Ensign, The Sinclair Companies KC Ericksen, Orbit Irrigation Products, Inc. Dr. Ivy Estabrooke, USTAR Raymond J. Etcheverry, Parsons Behle & Latimer
Laura S. Kaiser, Intermountain Healthcare Brent Lange, Hale Centre Theatre Charlie Lansche, Fidelity Investments Gary Larcenaire, Valley Behavioral Health
Tage Flint, Weber Basin Water Conservancy District
Chris Lee, Deseret Management Corporation
Theresa Foxley, EDCUtah Rick L. Folkerson, Ken Garff Automotive Group
Keith M. Buswell, Wadman Corporation
Chris Gamvroulas, Ivory Development
Lee Carter, UBS Bank USA
Kirk Jowers, doTERRA International
Mark Faas, Deloitte
Reed Forrester, Delta Air Lines
Andy Carroll, REAL Salt Lake / Rio Tinto Stadium
Patricia W. Jones, Women's Leadership Institute
Johnel A. Evans, CR Bard Access Systems
Lonnie M. Bullard, Jacobsen Construction Company Rob Carpenter, JP Morgan Chase
Greg M. Johnson, Intermountain Healthcare
Scott Frederickson, Frederickson Murri Christian Gardner, Gardner Company David Gessel, UHA, Utah Hospital Association
David Lockwood, EnergySolutions Daniel C. Lofgren, Cowboy Partners Brent Low, Utah Media Group Christopher Lund, Naylor Wentworth Lund Architects Steve Mac, HireUtah Ed Macha, Reliable Controls Corporation Jennifer Mackintosh, American Express Al Manbeian, GPS Capital Markets, Inc. Ronald Mangone, Strong & Hanni, PC
Vance Checketts, Dell EMC
Marsha L. Gilford, Smith’s Food & Drug Stores
Bob Checketts, Kern River Gas Transmission Company
Natalie Gochnour, The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah
Mayor Ben McAdams, Salt Lake County
Curtis K. Child, RC Willey Home Furnishings
David R. Golden, Wells Fargo
Lori Chillingworth, Zions Bancorporation
Terry Grant, KeyBank of Utah
Roger Christensen, Bank of Utah
Robert Grow, Envision Utah
Chris Christensen, Bank of America / Merrill Lynch
Jonathan Hafen, Parr Brown Gee & Loveless
Keith McMullin, Deseret Management Corporation
Wilford Clyde, Clyde Companies, Inc.
Neil Hafer, Enterprise Holdings Inc.
Dr. Donna L. Milavetz, OnSite Care
Val Hale, Governor's Office of Economic Development
Derek Miller, World Trade Center Utah
President Noelle E. Cockett, Utah State University Amanda K. Covington, Vista Outdoor Lew Cramer, CBC Advisors
Kay Hall, Zions Bank Larry Hancock, IASIS Healthcare
Molly Mazzolini, Infinite Scale Kristin McCullagh, SelectHealth Ty McCutcheon, Daybreak Communities Rich McKeown, The Leavitt Partners
John Miller, Mark Miller Toyota Mike Moffitt, Gold Cross Services Chad Moore, Mountain West Commercial Real Estate
Cindy Crane, Rocky Mountain Power
John Hanshaw, MountainStar - HCA Mountain Division
Bill Crim, United Way
Kelly Harris, Harris Financial Utah
President Stephen R. Morgan, Westminster College
John Dahlstrom, Wasatch Group
Stephen J. Hershey Kroes, Utah Foundation
Shawn Murphy, Wasatch Electric
Michael M. Dale, New Media Strategies
Ted Hill, Eide Bailly LLP
Richard R. Nelson, Utah Technology Council
Jennifer B. Danielson, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah
President Matthew Holland, Utah Valley University
Sterling W. Nielsen, Mountain America Credit Union
1 3 0 Y E A R S O F T H E S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R
Brett Okland, Okland Construction Company
Randy Shumway, Cicero Group
Jim Olson, Larry H. Miller Group of Companies
Brian Singleton, Prime Inc.
Slade Opheikens, R&O Construction Company Scott Parson, Staker Parson Companies Candice Payne, Alaska Airlines President David Pershing, University of Utah
Dave Smith, Penna Powers Erich S. Sontag, Banner Bank Brady Southwick, Cummins Rocky Mountain LLC John Spigiel, Actavis
Julie Peterson Burdett, Tiffany & Co.
Steven Starks, Larry H. Miller Group of Companies
Ray D. Pickup, WCF
Mike Steele, Harmons
Duffy Pingree, Bear River Mutual Insurance Company
Nigel Steward, Rio Tinto Kennecott
Walter J. Plumb, Plumb Holdings LLC Gary B. Porter, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Vasilios Priskos, InterNet Properties Dean Taylor Randall, David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah Chris Redgrave, Zions Bank David P. Reid, ABC 4 Utah Bill Rock, Park City / Canyons Resort Robin Rockwood, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco / Salt Lake City Branch Don Schulthies, Wal-Mart Stores Michael Seare, Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. Daniel Shapiro, eBay
BJ Stringham, Utah Woolen Mills
Linda Wardell, City Creek Center - The Taubman Company Mike L. Washburn, Thanksgiving Point Bryan Webb, Layton Construction Company LaVarr Webb, Webb Consulting Angie Welling, Google Fiber Chad J. Westover, University of Utah Health Care Grant S. Whitaker, Utah Housing Corporation Nathan Wickizer, Cache Valley Electric Company
Joe Tomon, Procter & Gamble
President Charles A. Wight, Weber State University
Paul Torres, Manuel’s Fine Foods
Jody L. Williams, Holland & Hart, LLP
Maxine Turner, Cuisine Unlimited Catering & Special Events
Brent Williams, Dental Select
Stanley D. VanderToolen, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
President Dave R. Woolstenhulme, Utah College of Applied Technology
Trent Vansice, Auric Solar Vicki Varela, Utah Office of Tourism, Film and Global Branding Melanie Vartabedian, Ballard Spahr Kip Wadsworth, Wadsworth Development Group Craig Wagstaff, Dominion Questar Corporation
Todd Wolfenbarger, The Summit Group
Kevin J. Worthen, Brigham Young University Edgar Wright, Pepsi Beverages Company Thomas Wright, Summit Sothebys International Realty Brent Wyman, CenturyLink Bert R. Zimmerli, Intermountain Healthcare
Lauren Walker, Young Living Essential Oils
PA S T B O A R D C H A I R S M E T W I T H G O V . G A R Y H E R B E R T A N D C O N G R E S S M A N J A S O N C H A F F E T Z I N 2 0 1 6 . P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S A LT L A K E C H A M B E R .
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84
COMMON GROUND
S TA F F Executive Staff
Downtown Alliance
Lane Beattie, President & Chief Executive Officer
Jason Mathis, Executive Director
Heidi Walker, Chief Operating Officer
Justin Banks, Research and Community Development Coordinator
Daniel Brimhall, Chief Financial Officer
Kristin Beck, Director of Urban Activation & Public Art
Natalie Gochnour, Chief Economist & Senior Advisor
Marguerite Casale, Art & Craft Market Manager
Jason Mathis, Executive Vice President
Carson Chambers, Program Manager
Audrey Toller, Executive Assistant
Nick Como, Senior Director of Marketing & Communication Jesse Dean, Director of Urban Development
Chamber Staff
Alison Einerson, Farmers Market Director
Lori Bodily, Accounting Manager
Julie Janke, Sponsorship Manager & Grant Writer
Marisa Bomis, Manager of Marketing & Communication
Nancy Le, Operations Coordinator
Bailey Bowthorpe, Corporate Citizenship & Responsibility Coordinator
Ryan Mack, Community Engagement Coordinator
Breanna Brush, Public Policy Coordinator
Summer Martin, Farmers Market Grant & Program Manager
Rebecca Collins, Administrative Assistant/Shared Services
Gregory Yerkes, Business Outreach Coordinator
Wendy Cooley, Member Relations Austin Cox, Prosperity 2020 Manager
Women's Business Center
Kimberly Flores, Director of Public Relations & Communication
Ann Marie Wallace, Program Director
Mark Harvey, Business Development
Deborah Bilbao, Business Consultant
Angela Johnson, Accounting Clerk
Valkyrie Johnson, Program Coordinator
Maria Loftis, Operations Manager
Deborah Marzano Pecoraro, Programs & Special Events Manager
Carole MacLeod, Business Development Tara McHugh, Programs & Events Coordinator
Women's Leadership Institute
Abby Osborne, Vice President of Government Relations
Pat Jones, Chief Executive Officer
Lisa Ostrander, Programs & Events Coordinator
Trish Hatch, Director
Michael Parker, Vice President of Public Policy
Caitlin Fellows, Intern
Rebecca Richards, Front Desk Services Christina Ripley, Public Policy Fellow
GREENbike
Jacquline Sexton, Vice President of Programs & Events
Benjamin Bolte, Program Director
Chandler Stepan, Public Policy Intern
Cameron Arellano, Operations Coordinator
Barbara Tharp, Business Development
William Becker, Programs Manager
Kelly Thomas, Human Resources Manager
Omer Hercinovic, Technician 1
Bianca Yardley, Graphic Designer
Anna Loughridge, Resolutions Team Brendon McIff, Technician 1 Jordan Powell, Technician 2 Jonathon Williams, Fleet Manager Marco Williams, Technician 2
INDEX 222 South Main 47, 52 Accord Arena 52 Adams, J. Stuart 21, 25, 39 American Institute of Architects 45 AmeriCorps VISTA 55 Anderson, Jesselie Barlow 35 Anderson, Mayor Rocky 17 Anderson, Scott 14, 16-17, 20, 24, 26, 30, 53, 58, 60 Annual Meeting 57, 63, 67 As I Remember Them 81 Ashton, Wendell 15 Association for Corporate Growth, Utah Chapter 86 ATHENA Award 58, 60-61 Atkinson, Pamela 61 Auric Solar 4 Bear River Mutual 4 Beattie, Joy 20 Beattie, Lane 3, 14-21, 23, 24-41, 43-44, 46-47, 49, 53-54, 58, 60, 63, 66-68 Bernard, Brian 63 Bingham, Bruce 43 Bishop, Congressman Rob 15 Biskupski, Mayor Jackie 53 Bouchard, Mark 35, 66 Boyer, Roger 42, 60 Broadway District 45 Bryce National Park 81 Buckner 4 Burton, Bishop H. David 32, 42, 47, 52, 60 Busath Photography 14 Business Champions 29 Business Women's Forum 58 Buswell, Keith 35 Buy It Now Day 86 Carpenter, Marty 29 Catholic Community Services 20 CBRE 4, 66 Central Business District 52-53 Century Club 13, 23 Cesar Chavez Champion of Change 37, 69 Chaffetz, Congressman Jason 83 Chamber Day on the Hill 47 Chamber International Trip 58 Checketts, Vance 63 Chillingworth, Lori 61 City Creek Center 16, 45-47, 49, 53-54 Clean Air Champions 38 Come to Salt Lake City, the Center of Scenic America 81 Common Ground 13, 70 Composite Corridor 39 Corradini, Mayor Deedee 42 Count My Vote 38-39 Cramer, Lew 54
Crossroads Mall 47, 52 Crossroads Plaza 46 Davis, Rick 52 Delta Air Lines 19, 74 Delta Center 52 Deseret Management Corporation 5 Deseret News 20, 42-43, 45 Dominion Questar 5 Doty, David 21, 35 Downtown Alliance 20, 24, 36, 42-44, 46-49, 52-53, 69 Downtown Farmers Market 24, 48, 52 Downtown Rising 13, 16, 25, 42-46, 48-49, 53 Eagle Gate Tower 54 Ebersol, President Dick 15 Eccles, George 15, 48, 53 Eccles, Spence 42, 60 Education First 21 ElevateHER Challenge 56 Energy Resources Task Force 19 EnergySolutions 35 Envision Utah 45 Evans, Ryan 38 EVE WinterFest 24, 53 Farrington, Bob 44, 52 Fidelity 5 Five-star Accreditation 68 Frontlines 2015 Project 17, 32 FrontRunner 48 Fruit Highway 52 Gallivan Center 52-53 Gallivan, Jack 15 Gardner, Kem 15, 24, 40, 42, 60 Garn, Senator Jake 42 Gates, John 52 Gateway District 45 GENCOMM 6 George and Dolores DorĂŠ Eccles Theater 48, 53 Giant in Our City 32, 58, 60 Gochnour, Natalie 16, 20, 25, 28-29, 33-36, 39-41, 43-45, 53 Golden, David 32-33 Goldman Sachs 39, 48 Governor's Office of Economic Development 18, 39 Graham, Winifred 76 Grand America Hotel 22, 45 Grand Boulevards District 45 Grand Canyon National Park 81 Great Salt Lake 13,15, 81 GREENbike 53 Gunn, Karen 61 Hale, Val 25 Hall, Alan 35 Hamilton Partners 43 Hamlin, Lenora Austin 72
Harris, Fisher 72, 74 Hatch, Trish 23 Heiner, Clyde 52 Herbert, Gov. Gary 17, 20, 27, 34, 36, 38, 41, 53, 83 Home League Trade 77 Home Seekers' Bureau of Information 80 Hotel Temple Square 43 Hotel Utah 81 Hughes, Speaker Greg 27, 35-36 Huntsman Jr., Gov. Jon 25, 32, 43, 54 Huntsman Sr., Jon 58 I-15 CORE 17 Inn at Temple Square 47 Intermountain Healthcare 6 Irish, Carolyn Tanner 60 Ivory, Clark 34 Ivory, Ellis 60 Ivory Homes 34 Joklik, Frank 60 Jones, Senator Patricia 56, 61 Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah 40 Kendell, Richard 21 Kenyon Hotel 72, 75 Key Bank Tower 47 Klas, John 15 Lampropoulos, Fred 27 Larsen, Peggy 59, 61 Leadership Utah 57 Leavitt, Gov. Mike 15-17, 38, 42, 60 Leckman, Dr. Linda 61 Lee, Senator Mike 68 Legacy Highway 17 Lehman, Mark 34 Little America Hotel 30 Lockwood, David 35 Love, Tom 37 Mahate, Lavanya 55 Main Street Plaza 16, 24, 44, 46 Malone, Karl 52 Mankin, Larry 14, 17, 22-24 Marquardt, Bob 35 Mathis, Jason 36-37, 49 ,53, 69 Mazzolini, Molly 23 McAdams, Mayor Ben 53 Menzies Building 72 Mero, Paul 37, 53 Military Affairs Committee 57 Miller, Derek B. 25, 54 Mitchell, Nancy 55 Mortimer, William James 22 McMullin, Keith 3, 20, 63 National Immigration Forum 38 National Senate Presidents Forum 15
Neiderhauser, Senate President Wayne 27, 36 Nelson, Jeff 63 New York Times 37 Non-compete agreements 13, 39 Noorani, Ali 38 Nordstrom 16, 24, 44, 46 Obama, President Barack 37, 69 Odell, George T. 72 Okumura, Pamela 55 Olympic Winter Games 13, 15-16, 22, 52, 54 One Utah Center 52 Osborne, Abby 29, 31, 63 Parker, Michael 28 Parker, Scott 60 Parker, Ray 58 Parley's Canyon 72 Peterson, Craig 17, 20, 23 Pignanelli, Frank 32 Pioneer Park 20, 48, 52 Political Development Series 56 Potts, Becky 22, 61 President's Ambassadors 57 Priority Votes 29 Property Reserve 47 Proposition 3 13, 31-32 Prosperity 2020 13, 19, 21, 35-36 Prosperity Through Education 36 Public Market 48 Public Policy Guide 27-29 Questar Corporation 45, 62-63 Qwest 17 Rampton, Calvin 15 Rattie, Keith 30, 38, 45 RC Willey Home Furnishing 6 Redgrave, Chris 61 Richards, Patricia 61 Riggs, Robin 17, 32 Road Home 20 Romney, Gov. Mitt W. 60 Roosevelt, President Theodore 76, 79 Rosenblatt, Joe 15 Ruch, John 22 Rudert, Ramona 55, 61 Russell, Isaac 76 Ryan , Speaker Paul 17 Salt Lake City-Seven Days in and Around “The Center of Scenic America” 81 Salt Lake City and the State of Utah 80 Salt Lake City Central Business Improvement District (CBID) 24 Salt Lake City Corporation 45 Salt Lake City International Airport 18, 74, 81 Salt Lake City Public Library 44, 52 Salt Lake City: a Sketch of Utah’s Wonderful Resources 80 Salt Lake Commercial Club Bulletin No. 1 81
INDEX Salt Lake Community College Women’s Business Institute 55 Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau 52 Salt Lake County Council 32 Salt Lake Temple 44 Salt Palace District 45 Schultz, Mike 40 Schumann, John 52 Second Century Plan 44 Sherman Antitrust Act 77 Shopper Sales' Day 77 Shumway, Randy 63 Shurtleff, Mark 37 Silicon Slopes 39 Simmons, Harris 58 Skyline District 45 Smith, Wesley 28-29 Snow, Lowry 25 Staker & Parson Companies 7 Steorts, Phyllis 58 Stockton, John 52 Strevell, C.A. 72 Sunset Magazine 79 Taft, President William Howard 77 Tang, Marilyn 61 Tanner, Eldon 15 Taubman Centers Inc 46-47 Taxpayers Advocate Award 15 Temple Square 24, 45, 47 Temple Square District 45 The Boyer Company 24, 52 The CEO as Urban Statesman 18 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 5, 16, 24, 32, 42-43, 46-47, 49, 69, 76 The Gateway 20, 42, 45-46, 52, 54 The New Utopia 80 The Salt Lake Tribune 38, 70, 72, 74, 76-77, 81 The Salt Palace 44, 52 The Utah Compact 13, 36-38, 69 The Utah Jazz 13, 52 Thomas, Gov. Arthur 72 Thought Leader Symposium Series 54 Topham, Verl R. 60 Tozer Jr., James 53 Transportation Alliance 32 TRAX 31, 44, 47-48, 52-53 U.S. Small Business Administration 55 Unified Transportation Plan 32 Union Pacific Railroad 74 United Way of Salt Lake 19, 65, 67 University Boulevard 48 University of Utah 16, 18, 29, 40, 45, 48, 70 University of Utah Hospital 57
USTAR 13, 18 Utah Association of Counties 32 Utah Clean Air Partnership 38 Utah County Commission 32 Utah Global Forum 54 Utah Jobs Agenda 34 Utah League of Cities and Towns 32 Utah State Capitol 19, 27, 31, 74-75 Utah State Legislature 17, 36, 39, 53, 76 Utah State University 18 Utah Taxpayers Association 15 Utah Transit Authority 47-48 Utah Transportation Coalition 32-33 Utah World's Fair Commission 74 Vista Outdoor 7 Vivint Smart Home Arena 52 Wagner, Izzy 15 Walker Center 48, 53 Walker, Heidi 28 Walker, Gov. Olene 27, 37, 54, 61 Wall Street Journal 47 Wall Street of the West 39 Wallace, Ann Marie 55 Washington, D.C. Trip 17, 58-59, 68 WCF Insurance 7 Webb, LaVar 32 Welling, Angie 25 Wells Fargo 32, 52 Wells, Gov. Heber M. 72, 74, 79 Wester, The Most Reverend John 37 Williams, John 52 Wilson, Ted 15 Winter Market at Rio Grande 48 Women & Business Conference 59 Women's Leadership Institute 56 Women’s Business Center 55 World Trade Center Utah 18, 54 World's Fair 74 ZCMI Mall 47, 52 Zion National Park 81 Zions Bank 14, 24