Building Utah

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. This year’s four-day Utah Arts Festival will feature more than 170 artists and hundreds of performances – all at Library Square in Salt Lake City. Executive Director Aimée Dunsmore provides the rest of the picture. Here’s Aimeé.  AIMÉE DUNSMORE Our mission is to promote the arts and enhance the quality of life in Utah by producing an outdoor, multi-disciplinary event in Salt Lake City. After a scaled-down version last year due to Covid, we’re excited to say: The Utah Arts Festival is back!  For the first time since 2019, the Utah Arts Festival will take place over four days – June 23rd through the 26th – with a full Artist Marketplace, seven performing arts stages, a Kids’ Art Yard, and the return of face painting. This year we’re launching the Emerging Artists Program to provide opportunities for new and under-recognized artists to show their work. Our goal is to represent artists of all ages, races, experience, ethnicity, identity, and ability whose careers are

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Mountainland Technical College was established by the Utah legislature in 1989. Today it serves over 5,000 students at locations across Utah, Wasatch and Summit counties. Mountainland’s President Clay Christensen shares more of their illustrious story. CLAY CHRISTENSEN As Utah’s largest and fastest growing technical college, we are proud to partner with the Salt Lake Chamber. Together, we share the common goal of enhancing a robust economy with an energetic and qualified workforce.  At Mountainland Technical College, we are thrilled to offer first-class education and training programs that enhance student’s upward mobility and strengthen Utah’s economy. But our relationship with the business community starts long before we send students to work.  Our partnerships with companies across all industries help us build a relevant curriculum and incorporate workforce alignment strategies to ensure our students contribute to your business on day one. Over 99% of our stud

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Khosrow Semnani came to the U.S. as an immigrant and succeeded in Utah, and then launched the Semnani Family Foundation to provide humanitarian relief around the world. He now shares his latest effort to make the world a better place. KHOSROW SEMNANI When I immigrated from Iran, so many people in Utah were kind to me. Those simple acts made a great difference in my life and inspired this simple but profound idea – we call it One Kind Act a Day. The Semnani Family Foundation is starting this campaign in the Beehive State, but our intention is for it to go national, and then global. If we can all just try, every day, to perform one intentional kind act, it will make the world a better place because small acts spark other acts of kindness.  Companies like Zions Bank and organizations like the Salt Lake Chamber are embracing this as part of their permanent culture.  Find out more on our website, ThePowerofKind.org, and take the kindness pledge and find inspiration a

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Utah is home to over 300,000 small businesses, companies that often need help with insurance, payroll, taxes, accounting and more. Mikalyn Paulson, Director of Client Success at Integrated Companies, explains how her business can help yours. MIKALYN PAULSON Utah’s healthy economy continues to be one of the highest-performing states in our country and our unemployment rate of just 1.8% is the best in the nation. But while business is booming, there is one problem almost every employer in Utah is trying to solve; retaining or hiring staff.  That’s where Integrated services helps other companies shine. Because we serve over 3,500 small businesses, our firm has identified what works and what doesn’t to retain or attract the best team.  When small businesses partner with Integrated, they have access to fortune-500 benefit plans they would not receive on their own. We also provide the infrastructure of consistent HR practices, payroll processing, and tax filings.  This

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Davis Technical College serves more than 6,000 students and hundreds of businesses each year in northern Utah. It’s one of Utah’s eight technical colleges. Here’s Davis Tech’s President and CEO Darin Brush with more. DARIN BRUSH For 44 years, Davis Technical College has provided affordable, flexible higher education that prepares people for high skill, high demand jobs, and rewarding careers. Our main campus is in Kaysville, but our impact is statewide. Davis Tech’s 35 programs are short-term and competency-based in areas like Business and IT, including Software Development and Cybersecurity, Construction, Healthcare, Advanced Manufacturing, Service Professions, Transportation, and more! Someone can enroll almost immediately in most programs, and because we’re competency-based, we recognize students’ prior experience, so they can focus only on the skills they need to develop. Our average total program cost is less than $3,500, and we offer financial aid. Davis T

This is Derek Miller, Speaking on Business. Water is the lifeblood of the West, and watching over Utah’s supply is Candice Hasenyager, director of the Utah Division of Water Resources. She’s here to fill us in on what we can all do to conserve this precious resource. CANDICE HASENYAGER Utah is the fastest growing state in the nation, and if we want our kids and grandkids to be able to live here, we need to use our water more efficiently. Most of us recognize that Utah has been in drought for eight of the last 10 years. And this year’s snowpack hasn’t been enough to end it. With these real challenges, we all need to use less water in our homes and businesses to increase our resiliencies in these uncertain times. With that in mind, we encourage everyone to cut back where they can. It takes approximately 3,000 gallons to cover a quarter acre yard, so eliminating even one watering yields big savings. Taller grass means deeper roots, so raise the blade on your lawn mower and don’t water when it's windy. But do

This is Derek Miller, Speaking on Business. Martha Knudson is a lawyer directing the Well-being Committee for The Legal Profession – a joint initiative of the Utah Supreme Court and the Utah State Bar. She’s with us today to share what they are doing to help our state’s lawyers and staff. MARTHA KNUDSON Utah has a highly skilled legal community with a long history of helping our businesses and economy grow and thrive, while also giving countless hours to volunteer services to Utah’s citizens, courts and community organizations. This work ethic and diligence helps to make Utah a great place to live and do business. But, it’s also demanding and stressful on lawyers, especially if we regularly put our professional demands ahead of caring for our well-being. Fortunately, well-being is recognized as being the value of Utah’s legal community.  The Utah Supreme Court and Utah State Bar are committed to this effort, helping to create professional cultures where we’re supported to be at our best and healthiest. W

This is Derek Miller, Speaking on Business. The hospitality industry is vital to Utah’s thriving economy. And like any business, has unique challenges when it comes to mental health. Kelly Lake, the managing partner at LUX Catering and Events, explains what their community is doing to help.  KELLY LAKE For years, I’ve been increasingly aware of the stresses that come along with the hospitality industry. As a group, we’ve needed to focus on our mental wellness; we’ve needed to create a space where we are just as conscious of our needs as we are with the concerns of our guests.  Now, along with the Salt Lake Chamber’s Community Builders Foundation, we have a beautiful blueprint on what businesses can do. We have an opportunity to support each other. We can offer peer-to-peer support, we can model self care, and in so doing, we can create openness about mental health that empowers people to get the resources they need.  I’m excited to keep working with Utah Community Builders Foundation to make sure we remai

This is Derek Miller, Speaking on Business. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, lawyers have a suicide rate that is four times greater than the general population. It’s a serious issue, and one that attorney Nicole Salazar-Hall is here to discuss. NICOLE SALAZAR-HALL My firm, Parsons Behle and Latimer, cares about the professional success and personal fulfillment of our attorneys. That’s why we strongly endorse Living Well in Law – a new best practices guide to help legal firms foster engagement, resilience and well-being for employees. The legal profession is unique because it intersects with all other industries. It is also an amazing industry to work in, but it’s not without its challenges. The health and well-being of the attorneys at my firm is important to me – not just as a shareholder, but as a friend and colleague. Ensuring that our attorneys can access the help they need without judgment or stigma allows the entire firm to flourish and serve our clients and the community more e

This is Derek Miller, Speaking on Business. An estimated 264 million people worldwide suffer from depression — a reality that impacts performance in the workplace. Robert Walker, president of Kirton McConkie, is here to discuss what his firm and others are doing to address this issue.  ROB WALKER Kirton McConkie is one of Utah’s largest law firms, and as such, we have a responsibility to offer our employees ways to maintain their physical, spiritual, intellectual and emotional well-being. We’re passionate about helping our employees because we know that dealing with life’s challenges and fostering a welcoming, satisfying workplace culture is vital. Our commitment to well-being allows our team to more effectively represent Utahns, their businesses and their families. We all need a little help sometimes. That’s why I’m excited that the Salt Lake Chamber and Utah State Bar teamed up to develop the Living Well in Law guide, specifically designed for professionals in the legal industry. It will help build engag

This is Derek Miller, Speaking on Business. Water is the lifeblood of the West, and watching over Utah’s supply is Candice Hasenyager, director of the Utah Division of Water Resources. She’s here to fill us in on what we can all do to conserve this precious resource. CANDICE HASENYAGER Utah is the fastest growing state in the nation, and if we want our kids and grandkids to be able to live here, we need to use our water more efficiently. Most of us recognize that Utah has been in drought for eight of the last 10 years. And this year’s snowpack hasn’t been enough to end it. With these real challenges, we all need to use less water in our homes and businesses to increase our resiliencies in these uncertain times. With that in mind, we encourage everyone to cut back where they can. It takes approximately 3,000 gallons to cover a quarter acre yard, so eliminating even one watering yields big savings. Taller grass means deeper roots, so raise the blade on your lawn mower and don’t water when it's windy. But do

This is Derek Miller, Speaking on Business. Mental Health is a concern for every industry as we emerge from the pandemic and seek to recover a sense of normalcy. Here’s Rich Thorn from the Associated General Contractors of Utah to share some good news. RICH THORN The construction industry has the second highest rate of suicide on all occupations. AGC Utah is addressing the mental health crisis our industry is facing with a new Total Safety guide. We are collectively bringing companies and organizations together to be more aware of the signs of someone who may be struggling or battling mental health issues. In our 100 year of service, AGC Utah is recognized by the Utah State Legislature for its contributions to the State of Utah, and especially the construction industry for suicide prevention and mental health awareness. Several local and national publications from the AGC can be used as a resource for mental health in the construction industry. Now, we have the new Total Safety Guide as well to positively

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Utah is a great place to live and do business. We are consistently ranked as best in the nation for our business-friendly environment, quality of life, and access to top-quality healthcare. To add to this quality of life, the Salt Lake Chamber’s social impact foundation, Utah Community Builders, has recently partnered with mental health experts and leaders from the Associated General Contractors of Utah, the Utah Restaurant Association, and the Utah State Bar, to improve mental fitness in the workplace. From that effort we recently released three new industry guides to adopt as employer toolkits, and they are available for free on the Salt Lake Chamber’s website. Since mental health can be a difficult or awkward subject, the toolkit emphasizes that business leaders set an example by talking openly and honestly about mental health. They also focus on manager training which focuses on equipping leadership with the skills necessary to build and foster a workplace an

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Researchers from Utah State University and BYU recently reported that our current drought is comparable to the Dust Bowl era during the 1930’s. It’s a serious situation, which is why Michael Shea, the Sustainability Director for Salt Lake County, is here to share more. MICHAEL SHEA As we enter another year of drought, we all need to look at how we can better conserve water. Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson has set ambitious goals over the last 2 years to cut our county’s water use by five percent per year. While reducing that amount is important, investing in long term conservation measures is what will solve the problem. That’s why the county is spending $2 million to redo the landscapes of park strips from grass to xeriscaping – an effort that will save an estimated 5 million gallons of water every year. While the county is working to reduce its consumption, we need the help of residents and businesses as well. Cutting outdoor sprinkler use by 10% and wate

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Addressing the mental health needs of employees is one of the duties of Marissa Gallegos, the Benefits Coordinator for Big-D Companies. Her firm is one of the largest construction companies in the United States. Here’s Marissa with more. MARISSA GALLEGOS Big-D Construction is on a mission to be the most sought-after construction company in the business. Our core values are based on Respect, People, and Truth. We give equal respect to employees and customers. We assemble the best people in the business, and we build with truth. One of our mottos is, “If you say it, you do it.” As a company, we encourage our associates to participate in health and wellness management through a variety of avenues, extending our culture beyond hard hats and safety glasses, to take care of our own. In collaboration with the Utah Community Builders Foundation and the Salt Lake Chamber, Big-D is honored to participate in the release of the Total Safety Guide to Resilience and Mental Fi

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Leadership Utah is the Salt Lake Chamber’s signature leadership program, an exclusive experience for mid-and upper-level management professionals. Megan Sanburn, the business manager at Federal Reserve Bank in Utah, shares her experience. MEGAN SANBURN It’s been incredible participating in Leadership Utah and representing the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. The Fed promotes a strong, healthy, sustainable economy and fosters the nation’s financial and payment system. We cannot achieve this mission without understanding the needs of our communities.  Leadership Utah really delivered this community connection. Thanks to the program, I believe I am more equipped than ever to understand the economic and social issues that impact Salt Lake City.   Leadership Utah has also helped the Fed expand its community outreach. I’ve met so many people dedicated to building a better Salt Lake City, and I’m really looking forward to deepening these new relationships in the f

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Taking care of your teeth is an important part of good health, and fortunately for Utah, companies like Dental Select make dental care affordable. Company Vice President Ben Williams shares their story. BEN WILLIAMS Dental Select began administering discount dental programs in 1989 and we now serve more than 470,000 customers nationwide. We offer employer-sponsored dental and vision insurance. We also provide individual and family dental plans. We know you have many options when it comes to choosing a dental insurance plan for yourself or your employees. So why choose us? That’s simple – we make dental insurance easy. Dental Select's mission is to lead the benefits industry by providing innovative, cost-effective, and flexible dental plans that leverage new technologies to far exceed our customers' experience and expectations. We are a family of over 100 employees who all believe that simplicity is the key to good benefits. The same thing that drove us nearly

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. One of the blessings of democracy is the ability of citizens to band together and make a difference, and one of those groups in Utah is called The Policy Project. Mary Catherine Perry serves as the Director of Government Affairs and shares their recent success. MARY CATHERINE PERRY The Policy Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to removing barriers to education and the workforce. Over the past year, we have worked on the Utah Period Project, an effort specifically focused on ending period poverty in our state. Too many girls have missed school due to a lack of menstrual products and too many women in the workforce know the fear of being caught unprepared without access to supplies in company restrooms. This past legislative session, The Policy Project helped pass House Bill 162, which will provide free access to all of Utah’s K-12 students in public and charter schools. Universities throughout Utah have also pledged to provide products in their bathrooms

This is Derek Miller Speaking on Business. Utah’s economy is booming, and our statewide unemployment rate is currently the lowest in the nation. But there are challenges under the surface, which Jevon Gibb, Salt Lake County’s Economic Development Director, is here to discuss. JEVON GIBB Salt Lake employers have record numbers of unfilled, high-quality jobs. At the same time, many Salt Lake residents work multiple jobs with low pay and no benefits. Connecting those citizens with higher-paying jobs often requires training, but, in many programs, for every 100 students, 85 drop out. Solving this problem is potentially expensive, but could a better approach pay for itself? Salt Lake County’s WISE Program is a $10 million effort to answer this question. It will fund a team to assist over 2,000 lower-income residents with career coaching, academic advisement, mental health counseling, and connecting them to childcare, housing, and other services. If these teams succeed, residents will land better-paying jobs, sa

This is Derek Miller, Speaking on Business. Twenty-one years ago, Equality Utah hit the scene with the goal to build bridges and find common ground on LGBTQ issues. Executive Director Troy Williams tells us more. TROY WILLIAMS Utah is number one in the nation when it comes to marriage – nearly 93% of straight couples living together here are married. Family and kindness are values that are deeply instilled in our state’s culture. Utah also has a sizeable gay population. In fact, a recent Gallup Survey revealed that Salt Lake City is the 7th Gayest City in America. To ensure a high quality of life for all, it’s imperative that we bridge any social divisions. We are all Utahns. And learning to live together is something that Utah does particularly well. If we can accommodate each other, regardless of our backgrounds, we’ll build stronger communities. At Equality Utah, we work with businesses to help leaders unite people from diverse backgrounds. Inclusion means everyone – gay, straight, the faithful, t