INSIGHTS

Valor and sacrifice: A visit to the American Cemetery in Luxembourg

By Natalie Gochnour | 06/12/2015

Originally published in the Deseret News. I’ve been to an American cemetery overseas before, but not as part of an official delegation led by a commander and chief. The Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial includes the remains of 5,076 Americans, including Gen. George Patton. Also included are 13 Utahns and one Utahn listed as missing…

European Commission meeting reiterates that Utah is small, but has significant reach

By Natalie Gochnour | 06/11/2015

Originally published in the Deseret News. I was honored to accompany Gov. Gary Herbert and his economic team on two appointments with the European Commission (EC) in Brussels. We met with three heads of cabinet in the morning and later that afternoon with Vice President Jyrki Katainen, one of the top officials in the EC…

Utah punches above its weight

By Natalie Gochnour | 06/10/2015

Originally published in the Deseret News. We are now two countries into Gov. Gary Herbert’s Western Europe Trade Mission, and a theme is emerging: Utah punches above its weight. Forgive me for the boxing metaphor, but it seems to fit and has been frequently quoted during this trade mission. It all started with comparisons between…

Utah women lead

By Natalie Gochnour | 06/09/2015

Originally published in Utah Business. I attended the launch last month of the Women’s Leadership Institute, a group of men and women in Utah committed to elevating the stature of women’s leadership in our state. Pat Jones, who serves as CEO of the institute, said it best: “Our state will fall behind if we don’t…

New Delta flight presents economic growth opportunities for Utah, Western Europe

By Natalie Gochnour | 06/08/2015

Originally published in the Deseret News. This week I am traveling with Gov. Gary Herbert in Western Europe with a delegation of 40 business and community leaders. We are here to promote trade and tourism between Utah and five countries in Europe. The catalyst for the visit is Delta Air Lines’ new nonstop flight from…

Combating global terror is possible thanks to Little League coaches

By Natalie Gochnour | 06/05/2015

Originally published in the Deseret News. I attended a meeting last week where Congressmen Rob Bishop and Chris Stewart shared their thoughts on the challenges ISIS, rogue states and radical Islam present to the world. It was a discouraging presentation that left everyone in the room feeling ill at ease. After 20 minutes of disturbing…

Utah is a model of constructive Republicanism

By Natalie Gochnour | 05/11/2015

Originally published in the Deseret News. As a college student interning in Washington, D.C., I heard a friend offer a view of conservatism and liberalism that still affects me decades later. She said our job as responsible citizens is to conserve ideas that are right and true and liberate ideas that are right and true.…

Hope is the beginning of a better future for all of us

By Natalie Gochnour | 05/08/2015

Originally published in the Deseret News. I love the month of May. It brings clear skies, green trees, yellow flowers and an assortment of new life. Mother Earth smiles with newfound energy, and most of us feel a sense of renewal. There are new graduates, new brides and new babies. Life resets and everything seems…

A rising tide

By Natalie Gochnour | 05/08/2015

Originally published in Utah Business. As a college student interning in Washington, D.C., I heard a friend offer a view of conservatism and liberalism that still affects me decades later. She said our job as responsible citizens is to conserve ideas that are right and true and liberate ideas that are right and true. This…

Lasting Impressions

By Natalie Gochnour | 04/14/2015

Originally published in Utah Business. I recently returned from a 10-day vacation in England with my daughter. My husband picked me up at the airport and during the drive home we compared stories about my trip and his time here at home. Within about 15 minutes of conversation a theme emerged that gave me pause.…