At the 2025 Annual Meeting, the Salt Lake Chamber will honor individuals and organizations whose dedication has strengthened both the Chamber’s mission and the community. We’re proud to recognize Jonathan Hafen, attorney at Parr Brown Gee & Loveless, with this year’s President’s Award for Excellence, which honors an individual or organization selected by the Salt Lake Chamber President & CEO.
As an attorney, Hafen focuses on commercial litigation, with an emphasis on investor fraud and disputes over business ownership and control. Most recently, he has served as the court-appointed Receiver in the Rust Rare Coin Ponzi scheme case, where he and his colleagues at Parr Brown have recovered more than $50 million for victims.
Hafen is deeply engaged with the Salt Lake Chamber, currently serving on its Board of Directors. He has also been co-chair of the Chamber’s Public Policy Committee, chair of its International Committee, and a member of the Board of Governors. Beyond the Chamber, he was recently named board co-chair of the Women’s Leadership Institute, completed his term as national president of the Federal Bar Association, and serves as board chair of the Tuacahn Center for the Arts. He is a past president of BYU’s Alumni Association.
Recognized for his commitment to mentorship and service, Hafen has received awards from the Salt Lake Chamber, BYU Law School, and the Federal Bar Association. In 2025, the Utah State Bar honored him as its “Lawyer of the Year.”
Here’s what Hafen had to say when we asked about his involvement with the Chamber and our community.
You’ve had a long and distinguished career in law and civic service. What values or principles have guided your professional journey and how have they shaped the impact you’ve had on Utah’s business community?
I have long believed that integrity, a willingness to serve and hard work will lead to success and happiness in our careers and in our lives. While there are a lot of things out of our control, we can control those three things completely. If we channel our energies into faithfully serving those around us and help them overcome their challenges, we will find not only personal satisfaction in that service, but we will also see positive change in ourselves and those whom we serve.
You have been a vital partner and volunteer of the Chamber over the years. What drives your engagement in organizations like the Salt Lake Chamber?
As we decide how to devote our time away from work and family to serve others, it is critically important that we choose organizations that have missions and cultures that align with who we are and who we want to become. I have long loved the Salt Lake Chamber because it is filled with people and companies I admire so much, from the Chamber’s wonderful internal team to an incredible group of member organizations and volunteers. The Salt Lake Chamber is the respected voice of Utah’s business community. That is an important role that I have personally watched help guide our state to unprecedented success and a worldwide, well-deserved reputation as a great place to do business.
As I have engaged with the Chamber and its many worthwhile initiatives and programs, I have served shoulder to shoulder with people who care passionately about helping Utah succeed. The Chamber’s culture is one of treating others with kindness and respect, even with occasional deeply held differences of opinion. That culture then becomes the foundation for forward-looking policies that benefit everyone. The statewide initiative Utah Rising is a prime example of the Salt Lake Chamber working with other chambers and groups across the state to both create and implement an optimistic and achievable vision for the future of Utah’s economy. To top it off, Chamber devotees are genuinely fun and interesting people who become your lifetime friends!
What advice would you give to emerging leaders who want to make a difference in both their profession and their community?
I was moderating a panel discussion on leadership on a college campus a few years ago. This is the same “advice question” I posed to an incredibly successful entrepreneur, professor and author. The audience and I expected something complicated and profound. Instead, his response was simple and profound: “Do Stuff.” As I look back on my life’s journey, I realize that my most important opportunities to make a difference came from just showing up and “doing stuff.” Our community needs selfless and strong leaders who will show up and do what needs to be done. At times, this requires a measure of sacrifice, which, to me, means giving up something good for something better. So be willing to take a chance and devote some time to faithfully serving a worthy cause. Soon you will find yourself in a leadership role with an opportunity to positively influence people you have come to care about.
To learn more about our honoree or the 2025 Annual Meeting, click here.
