Utah’s business community celebrates local leaders for their service and positive impact on communities across Utah
Today, the Salt Lake Chamber honored Lisa Eccles, president and COO of the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, as the 46th Giant in our City. The award, widely known as the most prestigious business award given in Utah, recognizes those with exceptional and distinguished public service as well as extraordinary professional achievement.
“Lisa Eccles’ legacy as an engaged, devoted philanthropist and leader can only be described as transformative for Utah’s community and culture,” said Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber. “From the start of her career, she has been a champion for Utah’s nonprofit community while also enriching the state’s culture through advocating for education, the arts, health and wellness, social services, historic preservation and conservation. By honoring Lisa with this award, we are recognizing her tremendous impact and thanking her for her ongoing commitment to guiding Utah into a better future.”
Here are some of Lisa’s accomplishments:
- Philanthropic Leadership: For over 30 years, Lisa has led the Foundation’s vast grantmaking program, awarding nearly 400 grants annually and contributing close to $1 billion to nonprofits to date. Through her work at the Foundation and board membership, Lisa has supported hundreds of nonprofits and bolstered the state’s cultural, social and economic vitality.
- Civic and Economic Contributions: Lisa co-founded the Utah Community Builders, bringing together the business community, nonprofits and thought leaders to drive social impact for good. In addition, she spent eight years on the University of Utah’s Board of Trustees and served on its National Advisory Council. Her dedication extends across numerous other boards and committees focused on advancing the state’s economic vitality and community growth.
- Arts Advocacy: Lisa has been instrumental in supporting the arts throughout Utah, both through nonprofits backed by the Foundation and direct personal advocacy for arts organizations like Ballet West and the Eccles Theater. She has also served on the boards of the Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, Utah Shakespeare Festival and Utah Museum of Fine Arts.
- Preservation: Lisa has played a pivotal role in preserving and restoring historic, cultural and environmental sites across the state, like the Peterson Dance Hall, Brigham Young Academy and the Grafton ghost town. Her service on the boards of Preservation Utah, the National History Museum of Utah and the National Park Foundation has been a catalyst in fostering enduring appreciation for Utah’s extraordinary landscapes, history and culture.
- Awards and Recognition: Lisa received the Sundance Institute’s 2019 Women’s Leadership Award and has been recognized by Utah Business Magazine as one of “Utah’s Most Influential Women” in 2024 and a “Forty Under 40” honoree. She was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Utah State University and received the University of Utah’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2025.
“My parents instilled in me and my siblings a deep love for Utah and for all those who live here. It’s been a tremendous honor and joy over so many years to partner with outstanding organizations that enhance our quality of life,” Lisa Eccles said. “I’m humbled by this recognition. I hope this award will shine a light on the incredible work of our dedicated nonprofits that help Utah children, families and communities thrive.”
The Salt Lake Chamber, in partnership with the Utah Community Builders, also recognized Joseph Grenny, co-founder and board chairman for The Other Side Academy and The Other Side Village, with the 7th annual Utah Community Builder Award. This award recognizes an inspirational individual who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to address critical community needs.
“Joseph Grenny’s impact on our community has been far-reaching and profound,” said Utah Community Builder Co-chair Heather Brace. “By combining purposeful and compassionate leadership with his dedication to fostering critical personal and business skills worldwide, Joseph has empowered countless individuals to change their lives for the better. His unwavering commitment to service and personal development exemplifies what it means to be a true Utah Community Builder.”
Attendees of the Giant in our City celebration were treated to a musical performance by Loren Allred and William Joseph and experienced the floral artistry of Utah native Jeff Leatham, as well as watched video montages of congratulatory salutations from business and community leaders across the state.
The Premier Sponsors of the Giant in our City event were The Cynosure Group, George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation and the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation. Presenting Sponsors included The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Foundation, Clark and Christine Ivory Foundation, Clyde Companies, Inc., Gardner Group, Huntsman Family Foundation, Ivory Innovations, Merit Medical Systems, Robert H. & Katharine B. Garff Foundation and WCF Insurance. Enbridge, Intermountain Health, The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, O.C. Tanner, One Kind Act a Day/Semnani Family Foundation, S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney Foundation/Janet Q. Lawson Foundation, Sorenson Impact Group and Sorenson Legacy Foundation/Crocker Catalyst Foundation were Event Sponsors. Executive Sponsors were The Andrus Family Foundation, Ann and Mitt Romney, Avalanche Studios, Beesley Family Foundation, Big-D Construction, The Boyer Company, The Buckner Company, CBRE, Cumming Foundation, The Daniels Fund, Dinesh and Kalpana Patel Foundation, doTERRA, Jacobsen Construction, Lawrence T. & Janet T. Dee Foundation, Modern Display, Okland Construction, Staker Parson Materials & Construction, The University of Utah, Utah’s Hogle Zoo and Zions Bank.
For more information and a full list of sponsors, click here.
Giant in our City Honoree Bio:
Lisa Eccles is President, COO and a Director of the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, one of Utah’s largest and oldest private philanthropic foundations.
Lisa has always had a strong personal commitment to making a difference which has guided her work at the Foundation for the past 30 years. She oversees the Foundation’s vast grantmaking program that distributes nearly 400 grants each year and has awarded nearly $1 billion in grants since 1982. Along the way, she’s cultivated impactful public-private partnerships and philanthropic collaborations, and developed deep and lasting relationships with Utah’s nonprofit community, actively supporting their dedication in serving the people of Utah.
In addition to her leadership of the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, Lisa serves as a director of the Spencer F. and Cleone P. Eccles Family Foundation and the Eccles family-owned hotel, the Goldener Hirsch, in Deer Valley, Utah. Active both locally and nationally, she is a board member of the National Park Foundation and has served on the National Trust for Historic Preservation – National Trust Council as well as the boards of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, Utah Community Builders – Salt Lake Chamber, Preservation Utah, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Salt Lake County Center for the Arts, Natural History Museum of Utah, Utah Museum of Fine Arts and Intermountain Healthcare’s Community Care Foundation among others.
Lisa’s years of leadership and community involvement has been recognized by many organizations including Catholic Community Services of Utah, Junior Achievement and the Utah Humanities Council. In 2019, she received the Sundance Institute “Women’s Leadership Award,” and in 2024, Lisa was named one of Utah’s Most Influential Women by Utah Business Magazine.
An ardent lifelong fan of the University of Utah, she holds a bachelor’s degree in art history from the U and has served two terms on its Board of Trustees, and chaired its Campus Master Plan Committee. She has also served on the U’s National Advisory Council, its capital campaign steering committee, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Endowment for Medical School Excellence and the College of Music advisory board among others.
An avid skier, tennis player and enthusiastic sports fan, Lisa enjoys hiking – especially in our national parks – exploring the world, doing good, cheering for her beloved Utes and spending time with family and friends.
Utah Community Builder Award Honoree Bio:
Joseph Grenny is a New York Times bestselling author of eight books, including leadership, influence and communication classics like Crucial Conversations, Crucial Influence, Crucial Accountability, and Change Anything. His work is used by over two thirds of Forbes Global 2000 companies and is taught by over 20,000 trainers across the world. He is a co-founder of Crucial Learning, one of the world’s most respected training and organization development firms.
He is a co-founder and current board chair of Unitus Labs, an international nonprofit that has helped over 50 million of the world’s poorest to move toward self-reliance. Unitus Labs was instrumental in launching some of the most successful impact investment and related firms in the world, including Unitus Seed Fund (and its successor, Capria), Unitus Equity Fund, Unitus Ventures (and its successor, Patamar), and Unitus Capital. Unitus Capital has provided capital arrangement services of over $4 billion to some of the world’s most successful socially-oriented ventures.
In 2015, he and his colleagues started The Other Side Academy, a 2.5-year school for those with long histories of crime, addiction and homelessness. Students at The Other Side Academy, or TOSA run some of the most admired businesses in Utah, including The Other Side Movers, The Other Side Thrift Boutiques and The Other Side Builders. Over their tenure at TOSA, students not only learn life changing vocational skills, but they also learn life skills like integrity, selflessness, communication and self-discipline.
In 2021, Joseph and leaders of The Other Side Academy co-founded The Other Side Village, a 430-home community for those who are chronically homeless based on principles of self-reliance and peer accountability.
