The Salt Lake Chamber will host the Annual Meeting & Awards Luncheon on September 25, 2025 at the Salt Lake Marriott Downtown at City Creek.
Step into the gallery of Utah’s business legacy and join us for a celebration of leadership, impact and progress on display.
We invite you to help honor the Chamber’s 138-year legacy of doing business in Utah, recognizing the accomplishments of the past year and envisioning the next chapter in our shared story of success.
In this year’s museum-inspired setting, we will also unveil the portraits of success — extraordinary individuals and organizations who have demonstrated exemplary commitment to our mission and community.
2025 Annual Meeting
September 25, 2025
11:15 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Salt Lake Marriott Downtown at City Creek
75 S. West Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Honors an individual or organization selected by the president & CEO
Jonathan Hafen, Attorney, Parr Brown Gee & Loveless
Jonathan Hafen is an attorney at Parr Brown Gee & Loveless, where his practice focuses on commercial litigation, particularly regarding investor fraud and disputes over the ownership and control of businesses. Lately, he has spent significant time serving as the court-appointed Receiver in the Rust Rare Coin Ponzi scheme case, where he and his colleagues at Parr Brown have recovered over $50 million for victims so far.
Hafen loves being part of the Salt Lake Chamber and currently serves on the Chamber’s Board of Directors. He has previously served as co-chair of the Chamber’s Public Policy committee, as chair of its International Committee and on the Chamber’s Board of Governors.
Hafen also loves being a lawyer and takes seriously his commitment to serving those around him. He was recently named board co-chair of the Women’s Leadership Institute and just completed his service as the Federal Bar Association’s national president. He serves as board chair of Tuacahn Center for the Arts and previously served as president of BYU’s Alumni Association. He has received numerous mentoring and service awards, including from the Salt Lake Chamber, BYU Law School and the Federal Bar Association. The Utah State Bar recently named him its “Lawyer of the Year” for 2025.
Hafen and his wife, Joy, have seven kids, including triplets. He loves reading, sports and traveling with his family.
Honors a long-standing business in Utah
Woodbury Corporation
Woodbury Corporation is one of the oldest and most respected full-service real estate development companies in the Intermountain West.
With assets under management approaching $6B, Woodbury Corporation’s diverse 15 state portfolio includes 12.7 million square feet of retail and office, 2,383 hotel rooms across 19 hotels, 5,124 residential units and over 5,000 acres of land.
Woodbury Corporation was founded in 1919 by F. Orin Woodbury, whose goal was to build a company by developing and managing a portfolio of well-located real estate equities. Now, 106 years later, the Woodbury Corporation is run by the third and fourth generation Woodbury family members, following the same principles of hard work, honesty and integrity as their grandfather and great-grandfather, with a commitment to improving the communities in which they do business.
Honors a corporate business in Utah
American Express
American Express (NYSE: AXP) is a global, premium payments and lifestyle brand powered by technology. Their colleagues around the world back its customers with differentiated products, services and experiences that enrich lives and build business success.
Founded in 1850 and headquartered in New York, American Express’ brand is built on trust, security and service, and a rich history of delivering innovation and membership value for its customers. With a hundred million merchant locations on its global network in over 200 countries and territories, they seek to provide the world’s best customer experience every day to a broad range of consumers, small and medium-sized businesses, and large corporations.
Honors an organization that helps build our community through volunteerism
One Kind Act a Day/Semnani Family Foundation
The Semnani Family Foundation has a long history of charitable work both locally and internationally. Seeking to empower the disadvantaged by supporting the unseen and forgotten, the arts, civic groups and even a volunteer-staffed clinic that has given free care to over 260,000 patients. Its current mission of empowerment spreads the power of kindness through the organization, One Kind Act a Day.
One Kind Act a Day is building kinder communities through intentional acts of daily kindness. This message is shared in our schools, educating our children. It is shared in our businesses, creating kinder corporations. It grows in our communities through efforts with the local government. Skills in community building and kindness are taught in correctional facilities, both adult and juvenile, establishing skills that help inmates when they rejoin us as neighbors and coworkers.
One Kind Act a Day is grateful to its many volunteers who champion kindness in their spheres of influence. Establishing and running programs at schools, teaching classes, sharing signs, running employee connection initiatives and more. One Kind Act a Day wants every person to be a volunteer by encouraging them to live with a little more charity and kindness, every day.
Honors a small business in Utah
Nothing Bundt Cakes Salt Lake City
Brad and Fawn Berrett decided to pursue a franchise with Nothing Bundt Cakes and were approved for the Salt Lake City area. Salt Lake City holds many wonderful memories, including their courtship and marriage. Brad’s career took them to other states. They are grateful to be back where their story together all began. They are so excited to be a part of this community and to have this chance to share a special treat with others.
Nothing Bundt Cakes Salt Lake City is located at 1354 S. Foothill Dr., Suite B, in the Foothill Village Shopping Center. The concept combines the warmth of nostalgia with a fresh, modern approach. The luscious cakes are handcrafted in their bakery using the finest ingredients, including real eggs, butter and cream cheese.
Nothing Bundt Cakes was founded in Las Vegas in 1997. There are now more than 700 bakeries in the United States and Canada.
Love is at the heart of everything they do. You’ll taste it in their innovative flavors, thoughtful designs and unwavering commitment to make every moment unforgettable. Because they believe all celebrations — big and small — deserve a special touch. That love shows in every bite, from just-the-right-size, blissful Bundtlets to showstopping decorated cakes and beyond.
Honors a woman-owned business in Utah
Pierpont Place
Founder Janice Boes launched Premier Event Services LLC (formerly Premier Corporate Events) in 2001. One of the company’s first major projects was “Bud World,” a high-profile Olympic venue featured at the 2002 Winter Olympics. From there, Boes expanded Premier’s offerings beyond event coordination to include bar services, wedding planning and full-scale event production.
Boes saw an opportunity to better serve her growing base of conference clients, especially one of her largest at the time, “Outdoor Retailers.” In December of 2006, she opened Pierpont Place, “Salt Lake’s Premier Event Venue.” At the time, Salt Lake City had few venues in the area, and none offered the unique modern aesthetic and concept Pierpont brought to the market.
Soon after, Pierpont Place, in partnership with “The Hospitality Group,” led more than a year-long effort on Capitol Hill to expand the liquor licensing availability and options to accommodate a broader variety of small businesses. Pierpont became one of the first three venues in Utah to secure a banquet/venue liquor license — paving the way for other small businesses outside of restaurants and private clubs to obtain a liquor license.
Continuing today, the team at Premier Event Services & Pierpont Place design, plan, coordinate and curate a wide array of events — from corporate functions, fundraisers and seminars to weddings, holiday parties, concerts, birthdays, reunions and celebrations of life. Every event is a custom experience, combining innovative design with “service focus” planning to create something truly one-of-a-kind.
Despite facing challenges like economic downturns and a global pandemic, both companies have proven remarkably resilient, constantly evolving to meet client needs. They continue to be recognized with community-voted awards for excellence and service.
Boes was the first in the region to offer a raw, industrial-style “blank canvas” venue with full-service event capabilities — from customized original design to immersive, themed entertainment. To this day, Pierpont Place remains unmatched in the event market. Boes has brought a combination of “urban chic” sophistication and authenticity to Salt Lake’s event scene for 20 years this December.
Honors “rising stars” in our community
Makaila Kelso is the community director at Kiln Salt Lake City, where she leads a thriving coworking community with a focus on belonging, connection and intentional leadership. Known for creating spaces where people feel seen, supported and empowered, Kelso brings empathy to every aspect of her work.
Beyond her role at Kiln, Kelso is an active force in strengthening Utah’s business and nonprofit communities. She serves as chair of the Business Women’s Forum, sits on the Board of Directors for Best Seat in the House and serves on the Advisory Board for the Women’s Business Center of Utah. A former nonprofit leader, she continues to advocate for nonprofit/for-profit collaboration.
Kelso is also a small business owner, a lover of travel and houseplants and someone who builds community wherever she goes. Her accolades, including the Applied Psychological Service Award, the Bill E. Robins Award and a two-year AmeriCorps Service Award, reflect a lifelong commitment to service, leadership and meaningful impact.
Elsie Powley is a dynamic project manager at Clyde Companies, Inc., where she specializes in real estate development, strategic planning and community relations. She currently directs Springville Rising, which is dedicated to transformational redevelopment projects in Springville, where Clyde Companies was founded in 1926. This visionary effort will create a 40-acre vibrant community destination for families and the community to gather, redefining the area’s future. Passionate about empowering others, Powley promotes growth and belonging through mentorship and development initiatives at Clyde Companies. A dedicated lifelong learner, she graduated from the Salt Lake Chamber’s Government Affairs Boot Camp and Leadership Utah program, as well as the Women’s Leadership Institute’s Career Development and Political Development Series. Known for her integrity, vision and collaborative leadership, Powley bridges public and private sectors to drive sustainable, impactful growth. Honored with the Trailblazer Award, she remains committed to building stronger, more connected communities across Utah.
Honors outstanding Chamber volunteers
Benjamin Brown has dedicated 21 years to Fidelity Investments, joining in 2004 and spending the first half of his career helping customers with retirement planning and investing, before pivoting to director of government relations & public affairs. In this role, he has built strong connections with government officials, as well as forged lasting connections with new friends and partners at the Salt Lake Chamber, nonprofits and the broader business community. Brown’s commitment to community service is evident through his active participation in multiple boards, including Downtown Alliance, Center of Economic Opportunity & Belonging, Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake and Utah Foundation.
A proud Westminster College graduate, Brown lives in Salt Lake City with his husband, Steve, and their beloved pugs, Barney and Bogart. Brown’s journey reflects a heartfelt dedication to his community and a talent for forging meaningful connections wherever he shows up.
Brandon Hansen’s life centers around his wife, Andrea, and their two children, Chandler and Hailey. He and Andrea met while working at Morris Air in 1991 and will celebrate 30 years of marriage on September 25, 2025. As a family, they enjoy skiing, snowboarding, hiking and fly fishing throughout Utah’s outdoors.
Hansen began working in hospitality at age 12 in his family’s hotel business, Pearson Enterprises. He later held a leadership role at Morris Air and built a successful career with The Mark Travel Corporation, Solitude Mountain Resort and The Falls Event Center. Since 2018, he has served as General Manager of Hyatt Place Salt Lake City/Downtown.
Hansen studied at Dixie State on a football scholarship and continued at the University of Utah before retiring due to injury. He serves as chair of the President’s Ambassadors for the Salt Lake Chamber, sits on three Visit Salt Lake committees and coaches football at Bountiful High School.
Troy Keller is a partner in the Salt Lake City Office of the national law firm, Dorsey & Whitney LLP, where he represents clients on strategic corporate transactions and law and policy matters. Before joining Dorsey, Keller was vice president of corporate law and government relations at Huntsman Corporation. Previous to Huntsman, he was Securities & M&A counsel at Qwest Communications and he began his career as an attorney at the New York office of Sidley Austin.
Keller currently serves as co-chair of the Salt Lake Chamber’s Public Policy Committee. He also serves as World Trade Center Utah’s international trade and commercial policy advisor and is a member of the Board of Directors of 47G-Utah Aerospace and Defense. Keller is admitted to practice law in New York, Colorado and Utah.
Jen Parsons-Soran is a passionate changemaker committed to helping nonprofit organizations realize their greatest impact. As the founder of Nonprofit Development Partners, she has partnered with more than 50 organizations, guiding them in organizational management, fundraising, grant writing, leadership development and strategic planning. Known for bringing clarity, purpose and heart to every project, her work spans diverse missions, including homelessness, the arts, education, health and human rights. She serves on the boards of the Women’s Business Center of Utah, Flying Bobcat Theatrical Laboratory and Utah Youth Athletic Association.
A certified fundraising executive, Parsons-Soran holds a master’s in public administration and bachelor’s degrees in political science and film studies from the University of Utah. She is the proud mom of three extraordinary humans — Alexandra, Zach and Drew — with husband, Tim Soran. When not assisting nonprofits, you can usually find Parsons-Soran putting together Legos or a puzzle, enjoying time with friends and family, reading a grown-up fairy tale or snuggling with her cats, Delphi and Zeus.
Dr. Jennifer Robinson serves as the chief of staff at the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah, where she directs the operations team and oversees research on Utah’s demographics, economy and public policy. A trusted advisor to state and community leaders, she co-authored influential works including “The New Utah: Keepers of the Flame” and directed high-impact reports like the “Diversity in Utah Data Book" and the annual “Utah Informed” publication. She assisted the Salt Lake Chamber as it developed Utah Rising, a statewide business-led plan to help Utah become and remain the top-performing economy in the nation. Dr. Robinson serves on several nonprofit and civic boards, including the Community Foundation of Utah, Visit Salt Lake and Utah Foundation. Dr. Robinson is a proud graduate of the University of Utah.
As part of his duties as executive director, Don Stirling serves as a liaison among the Larry H. & Gail Miller Company’s portfolio companies and the Miller Family’s philanthropic activities. Stirling also provides administrative support services such as professional and personal development, family education, budget planning and oversight, and media and community relations.
Stirling has a diverse and extensive background in development, marketing, communications and policy. Prior to joining the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation / Miller Family Services, Stirling was the executive vice president of Marketing and Communications for Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment, vice president of special projects for the Larry H. Miller Company and chief revenue officer for LHM Sports and Entertainment.
Additionally, Stirling spent six years as national finance director/senior finance advisor for Governor Mitt Romney. He held strategic sales and marketing positions with NBA Properties, Ladies Professional Golf Association, Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and the Massachusetts Sports Commission. Stirling also served as chief of marketing and publishing for Deseret Book.
Stirling is a graduate of Brigham Young University. He and his wife, April, reside in Salt Lake City and are the parents of four children and ten grandchildren.