A Utah native, Theresa Foxley is passionate about promoting the Beehive State. She has served as EDCUtah’s president and CEO since 2017 and has helped usher in a new era that is highly focused on internal team culture, driving stakeholder value, and economic development preparedness.

A recovering attorney and self-described “deal junkie,” Theresa has enjoyed being part of Team Utah’s efforts to attract dozens of companies on expansion and relocation projects representing various industries throughout the state, including Goldman Sachs, Vista Outdoors, Stadler Rail, and Facebook.

Before joining EDCUtah Theresa was a senior leader at the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development. Earlier in her career, Theresa represented a diverse set of clients in private legal practice on a multitude of general corporate and financial matters.

On November 12, Theresa will be recognized by the Salt Lake Chamber as a 2019 Pathfinder at the Women & Business Conference and ATHENA Awards Luncheon. This award is given to community leaders who “create new paths” and promote the development and recognition of women in business.

Here are six questions to get to know Theresa a little bit better:

  1. What is your most rewarding professional experience? I love leading this organization. We work with companies and entrepreneurs who solve challenging problems and create great economic opportunities for their employees and partners. But moreover, I get the chance to work with all of Team Utah: the amazing internal team we have and our remarkable community partners. It’s extremely gratifying to watch our internal team’s personal and professional progression. And nothing beats seeing Team Utah come together united by our mission.
  2. What do you see as the biggest challenge women face in business today? “Always on” culture. It’s challenging for everyone in the workplace, but can be particularly challenging for women because statistically, women tend to manage more household and caregiving responsibilities.
  3. What does your organization do to support women in business? EDCUtah wants to be the type of employer we hope to attract into the Beehive State. A prime example of that is our flex schedule – It allows our team to manage family, personal, and work responsibilities according to their preferences (within reason). In this way, we hope that our flex policy helps not only the women in our office, but also the partners and families of all our employees. We are trying to “do right” by our employees and their “village.”
  4. Who are your heroes and why? Lots of historical figures, but I am really inspired by the everyday heroes who sacrifice to make life better for their families and communities.
  5. What is the best advice you’ve ever received? Probably the Oscar Wilde quote, “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.”
  6. What advice would you share with young professionals? I always tell people starting in their careers to find work they love, co-works with whom they enjoy working, and to make sure their employer values them. If you can find the right mix of those three things, you’ve found a great fit.