Capitol Club expanding scope

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

Just announced, the Salt Lake Chamber is expanding the scope of the Capitol Club and we’ve named the 2012 chair and vice chair for the program.

Launched in 2010, the Capitol Club is comprised of Utah business leaders with a keen interest in policy issues affecting the business community. Members engage top policy and business leaders to gain insight on the most pressing issues impacting the community. This year, events will also include an emphasis on sharing business and career development expertise.

Aaron Call, regional vice president of G&A Partners, will serve as the 2012 chair of the Capitol Club. G&A Partners is a licensed professional employer organization and human resources outsourcing provider. Call has been a member of the Capitol Club since its inception. He takes over for outgoing chair Anne Marie Gunther of Vivint.

“As a member of the Capitol Club, you can’t beat the access you get to the key decision makers in our state,” said Call. “With an increased emphasis this year on career development and counsel from the top business leaders in the state, we will provide an even greater value for our membership. I’m very excited about the opportunity to be a part of it.”

Call will serve a one-year term as the chair of the Capitol Club. Angie Welling, director of public relations at Love Communications, will serve as vice chair. Welling previously served as director of communications to Gov. Gary R. Herbert.

“There is a real value to this type of setting with the business leaders who are key decision makers and run businesses in our state,” said Welling. “Capitol Club members are able to build relationships while gaining a stronger understanding of the issues that impact our economy, which is a true benefit for members and for the community long-term.”

Capitol Club membership is available by invitation of the chair. Members pay an annual fee. For additional membership information, contact us at 801.364.3641.

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Justice Lee champions civility in Capitol Club meeting

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011

The Capitol Club got a lesson in civility from Utah Supreme Court Justice, Thomas Lee. Today’s Capitol Club meeting was hosted by Ray Quinney & Nebeker.

Justice Lee shared his feelings on the importance of civility in public debate, in government and in law.

Justice Lee pointed out failures to maintain civility on both sides of the political isle. He encouraged Capitol Club members to adopt a habit of civility in their professional lives.

Justice Lee says there are three root causes of our civility problem:

1. Anatomical or chemical
He says we are wired to respond to acts we perceive as threats or attacks with incivility. ”We are committed to civility in the cool comfort of our living room but we lose that commitment in the heat of the dispute.”

2.  Civility does not mean concession
Civility is pushed on us as something we must embrace at the expense of good debate. Justice Lee says that is civility in a caricature. Acting in a civil manner does not prohibit intelligent, passionate debate.

3. The affect of incivility on the listener
Since becoming a judge, Justice Lee says he has noticed how the bombastic, Rambo-like arguments from many lawyers, hurt their ability to be an effective advocate. He says the message gets lost because the listener begins to wonder why it is being presented in such an aggressive manner.

Having identified the three roots, Justice Lee pointed out remedies to the problem. He says we need to educate advocates that it is misguided to believe the argument is better when you use inflammatory language. He also says we need to debunk the misconception of civility—it is better to use civil tones and tactics than to simply attack. Disagreements can be debated on merit, not on volume.

He says we need to surround ourselves with models of civility. Everyone has these people in the workplace: those who will not be taken off point, never engaging in name calling, never questioning motives.

“If we consciously seek to pattern ourselves after their behavior, we can change the way we react. We can gradually move ourselves in the right direction.”

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Capitol Club gets tips on organizational change

Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

Leading an organization through change was the hot topic at this morning’s Capitol Club meeting, held at the Vivint headquarters in Orem.

Utah Valley University President Matthew Holland (pictured, right), who leads the largest public institute of higher learning in the state–and one of the fastest growing in the nation–shared his insight on the role leadership plays in change.

Holland says every organization creates culture to some degree. He says change management is about culture management.

“Leaders make mistakes by paying too little attention to process and pace,” said Pres. Holland.

Vivnt CEO Todd Pedersen added that innovation and evolution are key to the survival and success of any organization.

“We know if we don’t look completely different in five years, we won’t likely be in business,” said Pedersen.

Both leaders addressed the issue of balancing the need for input from the team and charting the course for the organization. Both say you have to listen and take input, but ultimately the decisions rests with the leader to move the organization forward.

The Salt Lake Chamber Capitol Club is composed of business leaders with a keen interest in policy issues affecting Utah’s business community. The Capitol Club meets monthly to engage with policy and business leaders regarding the most pressing policy issues of the day.

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Mayor Becker meets with Capitol Club

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker fielded questions from the Salt Lake Chamber Capitol Club this morning.

Mayor Becker is campaigning for a second term in office. He discusses everything from the Occupy Salt Lake movement to the city’s non-discrimination ordinance to his plans for the next four years should he win re-election.

The mayor said this is the biggest time of change in our city since the valley was originally settled.

“I meet with other mayors from around the country quite often and I’m almost emberassed to talk about SLC and what’s going on here,” said Becker. “There is so much positive news in our city, it’s a stark contrast to the rest of the country.”

Mayor Becker fielded a question about the city’s handling of the Occupy Salt Lake City protests. He praised the Salt Lake City Police Department for its calm approach. He said Occupy Salt Lake City is certainly costing us more for police protection but, “that’s the price of protecting free speech.”

Becker also answered questions regarding the non-discrimination ordinance. He said the support of so many in the community, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was key to it’s passing and to what he called the, “seamless transition.”

Looking ahead, economic development throughout the city and energy conservation will be a priority. Education is another issue he would like to take on.

Becker says his plans are still in the early stages but he did mention the need to better utilize technology and measuring achievement.

“Education is a great economic development tool,” said Becker.

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Utes A.D. discusses Pac-12 opener with Capitol Club

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

Three days before the University of Utah hosts its first Pac-12 football game, Utes Athletics Director Chris Hill visited the Salt Lake Chamber Capitol Club to discuss the opportunities that come to our community thanks to the move.

Hill says the opportunities for the state that reach far beyond the five conference football games.

“For better or for worse, the athletics program is the first impression people have of the university,” said Hill. “We want the economic development. We want this to be a boost to the economy.”

The U is going to great lengths to make fans and alumni feel welcome in Salt Lake City. He says even parking attendants have been trained to welcome guests with a smile.

“We are a whole different deal than we were a year ago,” said Hill “We’re jumping from non-BCS to a BCS conference. It is essential that our experience begins with the airport, and continues to the parking lot and into the game.”

Part of the new experience is to make a Utes game more than just three hours at the stadium. Hill’s off-field team is working with the business community to make a Utah game a 48-hour experience. Programs like Paint the Town Red encourage downtown businesses to decorate their buildings in red during home game weeks, and UNight, a program that brings local business leader together with influential alumni from fellow Pac-12 schools, are both part of the Red Movement.

“This is an opportunity to align ourselves with Seattle, Phoenix and Los Angeles,” said Hill. “We were associated with Colorado Springs, Albuquerque and Wyoming. We want to make the most out of this new opportunity.”

Hill also discussed some of the challenges his athletics department faces. The Utes have the smallest budget in Pac-12, just $4 million compared to $13 million for a school like the University of California at Berkley. He says to compete, every resource has to be used to the fullest.

“We’ll never have USC money, but we are out raising money,” he says. “When you move up a step, things cost you more.”

Hill says the Pac-12 is impressed with Utah, but both the conference and the Utes know they have “a lot of work to do.”

For now, that doesn’t mean expansion of the stadium. Some Pac-12 schools are actually planning to reduce their seating capacity. Hill says there will be improvements to the football facilities, specifically a media center to accommodate national broadcast requests and an updated sports medicine facility.

TV money will be a big boost to the Utes. The new Pac-12 TV deal kicks in next year and jumps the Utes’ take from $1.2 million last year in the Mountain West Conference to $15 million by the fourth year of the new deal.

Hill will gladly take the money, but the real benefit comes in notoriety.

“This is a boost to student and faculty recruitment,” he says.

Hill also discussed the international element of the move. To compete in some sports, the Utes will have to recruit from other countries. He believes the Utes and the Pac-12 will have a significant presence outside the U.S., specifically in the Pacific Rim.

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Chamber Board Chair discusses, “Things I’ve Learned Along the Way.”

Friday, August 12th, 2011

At the Capitol Club meeting held at Vivint in Provo this morning, we heard remarks from David Golden, he’s the chairman of the Salt Lake Chamber Board of Governors and, for his day job, he’s the Executive Vice President and Manager of Wells Fargo Commercial Banking’s Mountain Division.

He discussed the importance of embracing change, including technological advancements, as well as never being afraid to ask for help, competing with class and building a strong network.

His complete comments can be heard in the podcast below or on iTunes.

PODCAST: David Golden Capitol Club

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Caucus system insight

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

The Salt Lake Chamber Capitol Club learned from some experts on the Utah caucus system at the annual retreat held today at Workers Compensation Fund.

We got some great information at the Captiol Club retreat this morning. LaVarr Webb, partner at the Exoro Group, Kirk Jowers, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics and Senator Pat Jones provided shared some important insight on candidate selection and elections in our state.

The big takeaway? Increasing participation across the state is key to making the system work the way it is designed to work.

Webb and Jowers sat down to discuss the caucus system. Here’s the link to the podcast. You can also find it on iTunes. We encourage you to subscribe to our channel for more great insight from Utah business and community leaders.

Capitol Club Podcast-Caucus

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Senator Lee visits Capitol Club

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011

Utah’s new junior senator, Mike Lee, spoke at this morning’s Capitol Club meeting, in the boardroom at University Hospital.

Sen. Lee has been vocal about his support for a balanced budget amendment as well as his opposition to raising the nation’s debt ceiling. He explained his position on both issues and took questions a wide range of topics from Capitol Club members.

We also had health care reform questions answered by University Health Care CEO David Entwistle.

The Salt Lake Chamber Capitol Club is composed of business leaders with a keen interest of policy issues affecting Utah’s business community. The Capitol Club meets monthly to engage with policy and business leaders regarding the most pressing policy issues of the day.

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Sen. Hatch addresses Capitol Club

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

Senator Hatch addresses Capitol Club from Salt Lake Chamber on Vimeo.

During the Salt Lake Chamber Capitol Club meeting this morning, special guest U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch announced that legislation he is sponsoring has added four influential endorsements. The American Job Protection Act, a proposed repeal of the employer mandate portions of the recently-passed $2.6 trillion health law is supported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the National Association of Wholesalers (NAW), and the National Retail Federation (NRF).

“Our economy remains fragile and our job creators won’t start hiring, because of the Obama Administration’s costly, job-killing agenda,” said Hatch. “Business owners in Utah and across the country have told me that the $2.6 trillion health law and its punitive employer mandate is a significant reason they aren’t putting more Americans back to work. That’s exactly why the employer mandate needs to be repealed. I’m glad these groups are joining me in this fight.”

Sen. Hatch discussed the legislation and took questions from members of the Capitol Club. Following the meeting he sat down to discuss a number of topics including immigration, exports and predictions for the upcoming midterm elections.

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Governor hosts business leaders at Governor’s Mansion

Monday, May 24th, 2010

Governor Gary Herbert hosted The Salt Lake Chamber Board of Governors and the Capitol Club at the Governor’s Mansion yesterday. The Governor praised the business leaders for their perseverance during difficult times and shared some positive business news.

“We all appreciate the importance of the private sector and the opportunites provided to the people of our state,” said Gov. Herbert. “The risk of capitalism is what has made America great and we understand that in Utah.”

Local business leaders also had a chance to share some good news with the governor. Jonathan Johnson, president of Overstock.com, told the group his company just reported the strongest quarter in its history.

Lew Cramer, president of the World Trade Center reported that Utah merchandise exports are up 65 percent over last year, tops in the nation.

“You are the cornerstone of our efforts,” said the governor. “Our job is to stay out of your way and to help you prosper. My goal is to keep that commitment to you.”

The governor also applauded the Chamber for its leadership. He shared the story of Boise St. running the hook and ladder with the game on the line against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. The governor pointed out that the play was called by the back-up quarterback.

“It is a team game and we all play a role. We are all on team Utah,” said Gov. Herbert. “We have to get contributions from everyone. The engine that drives our team and our economy is our business community.”

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