The Salt Lake Chamber and the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute hosted the Utah Economic Outlook & Public Policy Summit on January 10, 2025 at the Grand America Hotel.
As the state’s premier economic forecasting and public policy event, this summit brings together policy and academic thought leaders from across the state to share insights on the future of Utah’s economy and the business community’s policy priorities for the upcoming legislative session. This is an event that no one who is invested in Utah’s economic future should miss.
Registration
Location: Grand Ballroom
*Breakfast will be provided.
Welcome
Location: Grand Ballroom
Presenter:
Economic Report
Location: Grand Ballroom
Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute will provide an overview of the 2025 Economic Report to the Governor, which has been a key resource for information on the Utah economy over the past 37 years. The report’s central objective is to enhance economic literacy among readers, enabling decision makers in the public and private sectors to make informed plans, budgets, and policy decisions.
Presenter:
Salt Lake Chamber Legislative Priorities
Location: Grand Ballroom
Presenter:
The Salt Lake Chamber will unveil the 2025 Public Policy Guide, outlining and framing the key policy priorities that will shape the Chamber’s policy positions entering the legislative session.
Legislative Panel Discussion
Location: Grand Ballroom
Panel:
Moderator:
This panel brings together legislative leaders to outline their priorities and objectives for the upcoming legislative session. Panelists will discuss key policy areas, challenges, and opportunities as they set the agenda for addressing pressing state needs.
Keynote: Leadership in a Complex World
Location: Grand Ballroom
Speakers:
In this engaging and thought-provoking fireside chat, General David Petraeus will share his vast experience and wisdom on leadership in a rapidly changing and complex global environment. Drawing from his distinguished military career and leadership roles in both government and the private sector, General Petraeus will provide insights into the qualities necessary to lead organizations in an era of constant change and uncertainty. General Patraeus will offer attendees a rare opportunity to gain insights from one of the world’s most respected leaders on how to excel in leadership amidst global complexities and rapid technological advancements.
Economic Report Presentation
Location: Grand Ballroom
Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute will present the 2025 Economic Report to the Governor which has been a key resource for information on the Utah economy over the past 37 years. The report’s central objective is to enhance economic literacy among readers, enabling decision makers in the public and private sectors to make informed plans, budgets, and policy decisions.
Participants:
Commentary from the Governor’s Office
Location: Grand Ballroom
The Governor’s Office will provide commentary on the Economic Report and addresses the business community.
Presenter:
Utah Rising Lightning Round
Location: Grand Ballroom
Moderator:
Panel:
This panel of business and community leaders will discuss Utah Rising, the collective private sector vision for our future and what we can expect moving into the next decade.
Speaker: General David Petraeus
General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.) is one of the leading battlefield commanders and strategists of our time. He served over 37 years in the US military culminating his career with six consecutive commands as a general officer, five of which were in combat, including command of the Surge in Iraq, US Central Command, and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan. He subsequently served as Director of the CIA, following confirmation by the Senate by a vote of 94-0, during a period of significant achievements in the global war on terror.
General Petraeus is now a Partner with the global investment firm KKR and Chairman of the KKR Global Institute, which he established in 2013. He also serves on corporate boards, is a strategic advisor to multiple firms, is a member of the Simon and Schuster Advisory Board, and is a personal venture capitalist, invested in over 30 startups. Additionally, he is the Kissinger Fellow at Yale University’s Jackson School and is the co-author, with Andrew Roberts, of the award-winning, New York Times best-selling book, Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine.
General Petraeus graduated with distinction from the US Military Academy, earned a Ph.D. from Princeton University in international relations and economics, completed a fellowship at Georgetown, and has held academic appointments at 5 universities (USMA, USC, Harvard, CUNY’s Honors College, University of Birmingham (England)) in addition to his current position at Yale. He is the only person in Army history to be the top graduate of both the demanding US Army Ranger School and the year-long Command and General Staff College Course. He is also Co-Chairman of the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Global Advisory Council, Senior Vice President of the Royal United Services Institute, and a member of the Trilateral Commission, Council on Foreign Relations, and Aspen Strategy Group.
His awards include four Defense Distinguished Service Medals, the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award, the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, two NATO Meritorious Service Medals, the Combat Action Badge, the Ranger tab, and Air Assault and Master Parachutist wings. He has also been decorated by 14 foreign countries and is believed to be the only person in uniform to throw out the first pitch of a World Series game and do the coin toss for a Super Bowl. He was runner-up to Vladimir Putin for Time Person of the Year in 2007, the 2007 Daily Telegraph Man of the Year, twice a Time 100 selectee, three times a Foreign Policy top public intellectual, Prospect magazine’s Public Intellectual of the Year, one of US News and World Report’s Top 25 Leaders, Princeton University’s Madison Medalist, and sanctioned by Russia (in 2022).
President J. Stuart Adams graduated from Layton High and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Utah in business finance. He currently resides in Layton, where he and his wife, Susan, raised their four children. Today, they are the proud grandparents to 16 grandchildren.
Pres. Adams is a partner in the Adams Company, a Real Estate, Construction and Development Firm in Kaysville. During his time in real estate, he has been named Builder of the Year by the Northern Wasatch Home Builders Association.
Before being elected to the Senate, Pres. Adams served four and a half years in the Utah House of Representatives and nine years on the Layton City Council. He is the former Chairman of the Utah Transportation Commission and Chairs the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA).
During his time representing the 22nd District, Pres. Adams passed legislation to address religious freedoms, affordable energy, clean air and transportation.
In his words, he is “honored to represent the community where he grew up and raised a family” and enjoys working in his capacity as Senate President to benefit all of the great State of Utah.
Mike Schultz was born and raised in Weber County, and doesn’t want to live anywhere else. In 2015, he was elected to the Legislature to represent Utah’s 12th House District that includes Hooper, Roy, and West Haven. He has been Speaker of the House since November 2023.
Schultz learned the value of hard work at a young age by working on his grandfather’s cattle farm, selling worms to fishermen, milking cows at a neighbor’s dairy farm, hauling hay, and roofing homes. As a general contractor, Schultz owned and operated several small businesses, including his home building company, which he stepped away from in 2023. Schultz currently owns and operates a family ranch in Croydon, Utah.
Speaker Schultz has a passion for public service and has championed policies like increasing funding for Utah students, conserving Utah’s water supply, and investing in transportation infrastructure all while balancing the budget and cutting taxes. He’s known for building partnerships, creating wins through smart compromise, and he believes common sense and straight talk should guide the way.
Mike and his wife, Melissa, are the proud parents of six children and three grandchildren. When not busy with work, he can be found in the great outdoors hunting, fishing, snowmobiling or fixing something on the ranch.
Senator Kirk A. Cullimore Jr. has represented District 19 in the Utah State Senate since he was elected in 2018. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in music from Brigham Young University. He later earned his law degree at the University of Oklahoma. He began his law career in Oklahoma primarily in Federal Indian Law including tribal business transactions, gaming law, organization and development of tribal policies and procedures, and administrative law. His practice in Oklahoma also included areas of general business and contract law, property management, fair housing, homeowner association and collections. He returned to Utah to work for the practice established by his father which focuses on property management, fair housing, collections and real property. Senator Cullimore and his wife Heather live in Sandy, Utah with their 6 children.
Representative Karianne Lisonbee is the Majority Whip in the Utah House of Representatives. Her legislative efforts have spanned a range of issues, from health care and tax reform to educational opportunity and economic development. Rep. Lisonbee passed significant legislation protecting victims and making Utah’s communities and schools safer through increasing accountability and transparency in the criminal justice system. Her efforts have been instrumental in advancing Utah’s prosperity. She is serving her 4th term representing District 14. Before her election to the legislature, Rep. Lisonbee served on the Syracuse City Council. Rep. Lisonbee earned a degree in Family Studies from Brigham Young University, where she met Seth, her husband of 31
years. They have six children and six grandchildren. She enjoys singing, reading and hiking.
Bennett B. Borden is a globally recognized authority on the legal, technological and policy implications of AI. His career has focused on helping clients use the power of AI to drive strategic outcomes and improve business operations.
As a lawyer, data scientist, and AI ethicist, Bennett has made significant contributions to the field of AI governance and algorithmic bias testing. He has built a reputation as a trusted counsel to major generative AI companies and Fortune 500 companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, Amazon, and dozens of others.
His deep understanding of AI governance has helped him establish programs in a variety of industries, including technology, insurance, financial services, labor and employment, manufacturing, retail, health, and life sciences.
Bennett’s background in US Intelligence, and his roles as Chief Data Scientist and Partner at DLA Piper, and Founder and Chair of the Information Governance Initiative, have shaped his understanding that electronic information reflects human thought, choice and conduct.
He has developed strong relationships with US Federal and State legislators & regulators and governmental entities worldwide, and has been influential in the writing and passing of several AI regulatory laws. Bennett’s passion for AI has led him to open a boutique AI Law Firm that specializes in helping promote AI for Good and AI for All, ensuring that AI technology isn’t reserved solely for the wealthiest companies and the largest law firms.
His commitment to promoting constitutional rights and access to justice is a core part of his professional identity. His involvement in numerous civil rights groups and a passion for equality and justice have earned him a Pro Bono Award in each of the 25 years of his practice.
More information to come.
Judd E. Cook is vice president and general manager of Enbridge Gas Utah Idaho Wyoming.
Cook leads the company’s western gas distribution operations, which serves over 1.2 million customers in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming.
Cook assumed his current role in December 2022. In this role, he oversees all operations and engineering for the Western U.S., including emergency response, technical service, construction, system planning, system maintenance and project management.
Previously, Cook was head of the company’s sustainability initiatives where he promoted the use of and market development for hydrogen, renewable natural gas (RNG) and liquified natural gas.
As a lifelong resident of Utah, Cook is passionate about serving the community. He joined Enbridge Gas, formerly Questar Gas, in 1997 as a meter reader. He has held several positions throughout his career including working in the company’s data security group, the Corporate Audit group, and Business Development, as well as leadership and strategic planning positions.
Cook is a graduate of Weber State University with a bachelor’s degree in Information Systems and Technology and a master’s degree in Business Administration. He is a graduate of the American Gas Association’s Executive Leadership Development program as well as the Western Energy lnstitute’s Business Acumen program. He is active in the AGA’s executive leadership committee.
Phil Dean is the chief economist and public finance senior research fellow at the Gardner Institute. His research focuses on the Utah and U.S. economies and on public finance issues such as state and local taxes and budget management over the business cycle. Phil also teaches economics, public policy, and public finance and budgeting as an adjunct instructor and serves as co-chair of the Utah Economic Council.
Prior to joining the institute in 2021, Dean served as former Governor Herbert’s Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) after having previously served in the Herbert administration as the State Budget Director and Chief Economist. In this capacity, he directed the work of GOMB in preparing the Governor’s budget recommendations and oversaw GOMB’s state revenue estimates and economic analysis. He served the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) on the Executive Committee and as Western Regional Director.
Prior to joining GOMB in 2013, Dean worked for the Utah Legislature for nearly a decade, specializing in the areas of tax and education. He began his professional career in Sacramento, working on the state budget at the California Department of Finance.
Dean holds master’s degrees in public administration from BYU and economics from the University of Utah, and a bachelor’s degree in political science and Spanish from BYU.
Sophia M. DiCaro is Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget and a Senior Advisor to Gov. Spencer J. Cox. Prior to her current role, Sophia was the chief compliance officer for The Cynosure Group, an investment advisory firm in Salt Lake City.
Public service began in 2001 in the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget, where she ran the Utah State Data Center performing demographic and economic analyses and later became a lead budget and policy analyst. She then spent six years in the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, first as finance director, and later as deputy director and chief operating officer.
DiCaro taught public budgeting and finance as an adjunct instructor for the Master of Public Administration program at University of Utah for five years and served a term in the Utah State House of Representatives, representing northern West Valley City. She also served as a commissioner for the Utah Alcoholic Beverage Services Commission for several years.
DiCaro serves on multiple boards and commissions and currently chairs the board of trustees for Primary Children’s Hospital. Other advisory boards include the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, UCAIR (Utah Clean Air Partnership), the Governmental Accounting Standards Advisory Board, the Utah Women’s Leadership Institute, the Charter School Finance Authority, and several others.
Kaitlin Eskelson, President & CEO of Visit Salt Lake has a long and accomplished career in travel and tourism and continues to make profound contributions for the betterment of the industry. Kaitlin is a visionary leader and tireless project organizer, building the right teams to succeed by focusing on major projects to drive both growth of the organization and Salt Lake’s entire visitor economy.
More information to come.
Natalie Gochnour serves as an associate dean in the David Eccles School of Business and director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah. She also serves as the chief economist for the Salt Lake Chamber. In these roles, she provides policy leadership that helps Utah prosper.
Gochnour’s experience includes a diverse mix of public service and business experience. During her public service, she advised Utah governors Norm Bangerter, Mike Leavitt, and Olene Walker. She also served as a political appointee in the George W. Bush administration, serving as an associate administrator at the EPA and counselor to the secretary at Health and Human Services. For seven years she led the public policy business priorities of the Salt Lake Chamber.
Gochnour has authored over 250 published columns in Utah Business magazine and the Deseret News and co-hosts the weekly public radio program Both Sides of the Aisle on KCPW.
She has been recognized by the Downtown Alliance, YWCA of Salt Lake City, South Valley Chamber, Friends for Sight, Girl Scouts of Utah, and other community-focused organizations for her service and example in the community. Gochnour also serves the community by serving on the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, Utah Transportation Commission, O.C. Tanner, and Altabank boards. She is also vice-chair of Envision Utah and World Trade Center Utah.
Gochnour has both an undergraduate and master’s degree in economics from the University of Utah and specializes in and teaches public finance.
Benjamin Hart serves as the executive director of the Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) after being appointed by the UIPA board in September, 2022. During his tenure at UIPA Hart has prioritized economic optimization with port facility development, along with strong internal controls and transparency for the organization. Under his leadership the Port is focused on statewide, along with regional projects and ensuring world-class global access for Utah businesses.
Prior to his position at UIPA, Hart served as the deputy director of the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (Go Utah). During his time at Go Utah, Hart oversaw The Unified Economic Opportunity Commission, corporate recruitment efforts, international and diplomatic responsibilities, small business programs and statewide workforce partnerships.
Prior to his time at Go Utah, Hart served as the director of employer initiatives for the Department of Workforce Services, the CDBG and Economic Development administrator at Layton City, and in underwriting at Zions Bank.
Hart has served on numerous statewide and national government and trade association boards during his career. He completed both his undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Utah, where he currently serves as an adjunct instructor. Hart lives in Layton, Utah with his wife and three kids.
Miles Hansen is the President and a board director for The Stirling Foundation, a global philanthropic organization based in Utah. Miles also serves as the Vice Chair of World Trade Center Utah, where he previously was the President & CEO. Earlier in his career, Miles served in the White House on the National Security Council as the Director of Gulf Affairs and worked as a U.S. diplomat focused on energy, security, and business issues throughout the Middle East and Eurasia. Miles has served on various private and public boards, including as Chairman of the Utah Inland Port Authority and as a member of the U.S. Trade Representative’s Policy Advisory Committee. He graduated with honors from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and with distinction from Brigham Young University. Miles and his wife, Siena, are the proud parents of five children.
Ally Isom is a community leader and strategist where brand, policy and public engagement intersect. Ally is the chief strategy and marketing officer for Clyde Companies. Previously, she was an executive in nanotech, a Republican candidate for the US Senate, head of global branding and messaging for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Utah Governor’s deputy chief of staff, and a state agency leader.
Ally also has broad civic experience with numerous boards and commissions. Currently, she is the Utah Behavioral Health Commission chair, a Primary Children’s Board member, UVU International Advisory Board member, and Enbridge Gas Utah Advisory Council member. Ally has a Bachelor of Arts from Brigham Young University. She and her husband, Eric, have four children and six grandchildren. When she finds free time, she relishes historical fiction and biographies, preferably on a beach, and mole poblano, pretty much anywhere.
Clark D. Ivory leads Ivory Homes, Utah’s Number One Homebuilder since 1988. Ivory was ProBuilder’s National Home Builder of the Year in 2021. Clark’s business accomplishments, leadership acumen, community spirit, and family focus distinguish him as a prominent business leader, philanthropist, statesperson, and father.
Clark grew up in the shadows of the Wasatch Mountains in Millcreek, Utah. As a slightly above average student with a passion for tennis, football, and selling innovative new products, he cultivated the art of selling at the young age of 14. He traveled door to door to sell Paper Mate erasable pens and Nike athletic shoes to various teams with their team logos stenciled on the back.
After one year of college, Clark served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Rome, Italy. While studying Italian in the Mission Training Center, he met Christine Cahoon who served in Milan, Italy. They married a year after his mission and built an inspiring life together.
Clark graduated from the University of Utah in 1988 and received an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1992.
Clark purchased Ivory Homes in 2000 and built upon his father’s legacy of principled leadership. Ivory Homes has built more than 25,000 single family homes and 3,000 apartment homes for customers throughout Utah.
For nearly 20 years Ivory Homes focused on building semi-custom homes for move-up buyers in Utah. Recognizing the changing needs in Utah, the company’s focus shifted to building housing at every price point. As of January 1, 2024, Ivory had 1,917 homes under construction — 667 traditional Ivory homes and 1,250 apartment homes, student housing or affordable townhomes for its non-profit.
Clark served as a director of the Salt Lake City Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco from 2006 to 2011, including three years as chair. He also served on the University of Utah’s Board of Trustees from 2007 to 2014, serving five years as chair. In 2005 he chaired the Salt Lake Chamber Board of Governors and more recently co-chairs Utah Community Builders — the Chamber’s non-profit entity that focuses on employee mental health and family- friendly workplaces. Clark helped found the Utah Impact Partnership (utahcf.org), advancing impact solutions for homelessness. He also helped start the Utah Housing Preservation Fund (uhpf.org). In 2018 Clark and his daughter Abby launched the non-profit Ivory Innovations (ivoryinnovations.org), which showcases the most promising innovators in housing affordability.
Clark and Christine believe in the power of education to improve lives and support civil society. Their philanthropic spirit and commitment to education includes gifting more than 4,100 scholarships to students at Utah universities and colleges. They recently opened Ivory University House (ivoryuniversityhouse.com), providing housing for 624 students next to the University of Utah. All proceeds from this project accrue to student scholarships, internships, and housing stipends.
Clark, Christine, and their son Ellis lived in Bucharest from 2014 to 2017 where they served as mission leaders of the Romania-Moldova Mission. This experience heightened their awareness of human suffering and increased their commitment to helping those in need.
Clark and Christine are the parents of four daughters and one son. They have four grandchildren and hope for many more.
Troy Keller is a partner in the Salt Lake City Office of Dorsey & Whitney LLP. Before joining Dorsey, Troy was Vice President of Corporate Law and Global 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.
Troy currently serves as World Trade Center Utah’s International Trade and Commercial Policy Advisor and is a member of the Salt Lake Chamber Board of Governors. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Utah Aerospace and Defense Association. He is a founding member of FinTech Utah and has been instrumental in helping to develop the FinTech community in Utah. Troy is a frequent commentator in business and media publications. He is admitted to practice law in New York, Colorado and Utah.
Fred Lampropoulos has been in the medical device industry for more than 30 years. After serving as the Chairman and Chief Executive of Utah Medical, Lampropoulos founded Merit Medical Systems, Inc., in 1987, where he currently serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Lampropoulos has invented and holds more than 200 patents on devices used in the diagnostic and therapeutic treatment of cardiac, peripheral, gastrointestinal, and pulmonary conditions.
He is also highly involved in his community and serves on many boards. Lampropoulos is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology and CEO of the Year. He was inducted into the Utah Business Hall of Fame.
Lampropoulos is a former Special Forces Officer and an Honorary Colonel in the Utah National Guard. He holds several honorary doctorates, including Doctorate in Business Administration from Westminster College in Salt Lake City, recognizing his contribution to and development of industry and education within the state of Utah.
Derek Miller is the president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance. The Chamber is the state's oldest business association that "stands as the voice of business." In this role, Derek leads the business community in advocating and leading Utah's continued economic prosperity.
Previously, Derek served as the president and CEO of the World Trade Center Utah, helping to “Promote prosperity across the state by attracting investment and increasing exports.” He also served as Chief of Staff to Gov. Herbert and as Managing Director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development for Gov. Huntsman.
Recognizing his leadership, Gov. Herbert lauded Derek as, “an architect of economic opportunity and innovation,” and “instrumental in transforming Utah into one of the most competitive and fastest growing economies in the country.”
Derek began his career in Washington, D.C. as a management consultant with Arthur Andersen and as legal counsel in the U.S. House of Representatives.
He is a graduate of the J. Reuben Clark Law School and holds a Master of Public Administration from the Romney Institute of Public Management at Brigham Young University.
Derek and his wife, Laura, live in Salt Lake City with their three children. They enjoy spending time together exploring Utah’s countless natural wonders.
Lampropoulos has invented and holds more than 200 patents on devices used in the diagnostic and therapeutic treatment of cardiac, peripheral, gastrointestinal, and pulmonary conditions.
He is also highly involved in his community and serves on many boards. Lampropoulos is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology and CEO of the Year. He was inducted into the Utah Business Hall of Fame.
Lampropoulos is a former Special Forces Officer and an Honorary Colonel in the Utah National Guard. He holds several honorary doctorates, including Doctorate in Business Administration from Westminster College in Salt Lake City, recognizing his contribution to and development of industry and education within the state of Utah.
Mary Catherine Perry is the vice president of government affairs and public policy for the Salt Lake Chamber.
Previously, she was the former director of policy and government affairs for The Policy Project. In that capacity, Perry helped unanimously pass The Period Project, which she drafted, advocated for and implemented legislation that requires all of Utah’s public and charter schools to offer free period products to K-12 students. Perry also helped secure a $15 million legislative appropriation with the Teen Center Project to create spaces inside Utah high schools to offer vulnerable and at-risk students a place to do laundry, shower and access food resources. She helped draft and unanimously pass legislation with The Safe Child Project that offers child abuse prevention education in Utah elementary schools with historic ongoing funding. She has also advocated for policies involving public education and affordable home ownership.
Perry began her career as a policy analyst with the Utah Legislature at the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, where she worked for several years researching and developing policy and drafting legislation primarily in Business, Labor and Economic Development. Perry received a B.A. in English and a Master of Public Administration from Brigham Young University, where she developed a love for advocacy and sound policy.
Perry has spent over 25 years volunteering in many capacities including the Salt Lake City School District and on nonprofit boards in Utah including the Board of Directors of the University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics, Utah Women Run, Junior League of Salt Lake City, Tanner Dance at the University of Utah, and she was appointed by Governor Cox to serve on the Utah Marriage Commission. Mary Catherine and her husband, Jason Perry, reside in Salt Lake City with their children.
Taylor R. Randall was selected by the Utah Board of Higher Education as the 17th president of the University of Utah in August 2021. An award-winning educator, innovative leader, and champion of higher education, he comes to the position with more than two decades of experience at the U, serving as both dean of and an accounting professor in the David Eccles School of Business. He is the first alumnus since 1973 to serve as president.
Randall began his tenure by declaring a bold vision to make the U a top 10 public university with unsurpassed societal impact. His strategy outlines three objectives: to inspire a new generation of students by revolutionizing the student experience, innovate and generate discoveries that change the world, and serve our state to impact the lives of all 3.5 million Utahns. The vision includes goals to increase enrollment to 40,000 students and secure $1 billion in research funding annually.
Randall began his career at the U as a professor of accounting from 1999-2009, then led the David Eccles School of Business from 2009-2021. Under his leadership, the school grew five-fold and expanded its experiential learning opportunities with the creation of the Goff Strategic Leadership Center, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, the Marriner S. Eccles Institute for Economics and Quantitative Analysis, and the Sorenson Impact Center. His professional experience includes consulting positions with major companies such as General Motors, Dupont, and O.C. Tanner. He graduated from the University of Utah in 1990 with honors in accounting and earned an MBA and a doctorate in operations and information management from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
Randall and his wife, Janet, have four children, one daughter-in-law, and one son-in-law. He loves spending family time playing games, relaxing in the backyard, mountain biking, road biking, golfing, and all things sports-related.
More information to come.
Ryan Starks was appointed executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity by Governor Spencer J. Cox on January 12, 2023. In this role, Starks oversees Gov. Cox’s vision of providing economic opportunities for all Utahns. The office supports business, industry, and community growth through various financial incentives and grant programs. The office fosters innovation and entrepreneurship, supports targeted industries, promotes responsible tourism, and works to strengthen Utah’s diverse workforce.
Starks was previously the managing director of growth and innovation in the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, overseeing business expansion programs and partnerships, rural economic development initiatives, and the state’s international trade and diplomacy efforts. He also serves as an honorary commander of the 419-fighter wing at Utah’s Hill Air Force Base.
Previously, he has worked for the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in Washington, DC, as the executive director of the Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce, and as the founding director of the Wasatch Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) — an innovative workforce partnership between students and industry. He also taught as an adjunct professor of management for 10 years in the BYU Marriott School of Business.
Starks earned a bachelor’s degree from Weber State University, where he served as student body president, and a Master of Public Administration degree from BYU. He earned a certificate in economic development from the University of Oklahoma and a certificate in entrepreneurship and innovation from Harvard University. Starks, his wife Amy, and their four children reside in South Jordan.