Originally published in Utah Business.

I recently attended Sen. Mike Lee’s Utah Solutions Summit. The focus was Utah’s workforce and economy. The program not only included a who’s who of education, business and economic leaders, but keynote presentations by Indiana governor and Donald Trump running mate Mike Pence, and former presidential candidate Carly Fiorina. I left the conference thinking about the Utah economy and Utah’s future and want to share a few thoughts.
Continue reading Adapting to the future →

Originally published in Utah Business.

My husband and I ride our bikes together along the Jordan River Parkway several times a week. We love cycling because you see and feel things in a different way. The Wasatch Range, sunsets, wildlife, and other details feel closer and more real. There is a depth of feeling that you just can’t find when you are behind a windshield or on a city street.
Continue reading Make gentle the life of this world →

Originally published in Utah Business.

Hosting the Olympic Games is not for the faint of heart. The spotlight is bright, the logistics are complicated, and the cost is substantial.

Nobody knows this better than Rio de Janeiro, the host for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. The Rio Olympics have been beset by extraordinary challenges, including the Zika virus, doping scandals, serious crime, environmental problems, political mayhem, and the nation’s worst recession since the 1930s.
Continue reading Rio 2016: Learning from the Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games →

Originally published in Utah Business.

The American intellectual Walter Lippmann warned in 1914 that the United States had entered a period of drift. He recognized rapidly changing forces in society and suggested the country should address tensions by creating more balance. Extremism brings drift, moderation brings mastery. There’s something about his thesis that deserves attention today.

Continue reading Drift v. Mastery: Finding a path forward in difficult times →

Originally published in Utah Business.

Many times in public policy we share a common goal, but choose a different path. This is the case with the minimum wage debate. Utahns share a sincere interest in helping low-income families secure a more stable future. Some policy makers choose the minimum wage policy path to lift these families out of poverty. Other people, like me, choose a different path. I favor enhanced training opportunities and the earned income tax credit as superior policy interventions.

With California, New York and other jurisdictions pursuing a $15 minimum wage, it’s time to consider the right policy intervention for Utah.

Continue reading Minimum Wage Debate: Utahns should consider alternative ways to lift families out of poverty →

Originally published in Utah Business.

I’m a native Salt Laker, so I should know how to describe Utah’s capital city to someone new to our state. Still, when I’m asked by a non-Utahn to describe Salt Lake City, I struggle with the right response. Salt Lake City, for all its stereotypes, is difficult to fit in a box.

The British poet John Betjeman invented a word that captures my feelings about this place. He combined the words topos, which means “place,” with the Greek word philia, which means “love of,” to coin the term topophilia or “love of place.” For me, it’s the combination of love and place that makes me so proud to be a Salt Laker.

Continue reading The soul of our city →