Happy Friday from #OneUtah, a weekly update from the office of Gov. Spencer J. Cox. Here’s your recap of what we did this week, what's on the horizon, and more. Reply to this email with any questions or suggestions regarding the newsletter. And thank you for subscribing! 

Guiding Our Growth

What makes Utah great also makes Utah grow. People come here, they like it and they want to stay. But growth can threaten what makes Utah great if we don’t plan for it. Utah is growing and 70% of Utahns think the most important state issues are growth related. 

Utah can remain a great place to live, but we must work together to protect or improve Utah’s housing costs, water resources, transportation convenience, recreation opportunities, and sense of community. So we’re inviting all Utahns to take an online survey to help guide our growth. 

Take the survey here, and help guide Utah’s growth!

Public Service Recognition week

This week was Public Service Recognition Week! More than 22,000 Utahns work in state government and thousands more work for our cities, counties, federal agencies and schools. From fighting fires to teaching to maintaining our roads, public employees keep Utah moving!

Thanks to all those who have chosen public service. We salute you!

Tearing the paper ceiling

While we’ve seen record unemployment in Utah over the past few years, for many Americans one hurdle still remains: degree requirements. A degree is necessary for many fields, but in many cases a four-year degree is not needed to show competency. That’s why, along with Gov. Murphy of New Jersey, we are leading the way to break down hiring barriers and implement skills-based hiring. 

Utah boasts many stellar colleges and universities, and we will continue working to make higher education more accessible and affordable for students who choose that path. For those who don't, we need fresh alternatives and paths that are equitable. Read the full op-ed published in Newsweek here. 

Connecting Utah: Central/Southern Utah

This week we made more stops on our Connecting Utah Tour! We stopped in Wayne, Garfield and Kane Counties. We love meeting with students and the community members all throughout our state. 

Next week we’re headed to our last stops on our tour! View more here.

Serving with our fellow Utahns

Utah is the #1 state in the nation year after year for volunteerism and charitable giving – and we have to lead by example! This week we joined First Lady Abby Cox and her Show Up Initiative and the British Consulate-General in recognizing the Big Help Out 2023. We made thank you kits for history and government teachers throughout Utah. 

Teachers do so much for our young people and communities, and we love giving back. Grateful for the diplomatic relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom! View photos here. 

Investing in Utah’s water future

Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson jumped in the driver’s seat of an excavator on Thursday and broke ground on a $100-million project at Deer Creek Reservoir.

The Deer Creek Intake Project will rehabilitate the aging dam infrastructure, which has reached the end of its useful life. Construction crews will replace the 80-year-old guard gate valves to ensure water keeps flowing to the 1.5 million Utahns along the Wasatch Front who depend on water storage in Deer Creek Reservoir.

Around 95% of Utah’s water supply comes from snowpack. Reservoirs like Deer Creek collect spring runoff and store it for use throughout the year. Deer Creek holds almost 50 billion gallons of water when full — enough to fill the Rose Bowl Stadium 590 times.

Thanks to all the Utahns whose vision will keep Deer Creek operating for another century.

Touring the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services

The team at Utah's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services (DABS) is meeting the moment.

On Monday, Lt. Gov. Henderson got a first-hand look at how DABS is modernizing old systems, investing in its 660+ employees, and building state-of-the-art capital facilities to keep up with Utah’s rapidly growing population.

DABS Executive Director Tiffany Clason and her leadership team have prioritized service at every level, generating huge returns for critical public services in the Beehive State. This past session, the Legislature funded the Warehouse Expansion Project, which will double warehouse capacity as demand grows.

We’re grateful to Tiffany and her team for acting recklessly good.

ICYMI

• Each year the Utah Labor Commission sponsors a statewide campaign to educate middle school students about workplace safety through a poster contest. We got to meet the finalists this week!

• This week we issued Executive Order 2023-07. Each state facility will now assess its compliance with water conservation requirements for state facilities under Executive Order 2023-07 and will coordinate with the Division of Facilities Construction and Management and the Division of Water Resources to implement and follow those requirements and follow the Division of Water Resources’ weekly watering guide. Read more here. 

• Lt. Gov. Henderson joined members of Congregation Kol Ami to celebrate 50 years of the storied synagogue.

• Lt. Gov. Henderson welcomed the Consul General of Ireland on her first visit to the Beehive State. The Utah-Ireland relationship is strong.

• Don’t forget to nominate someone for a 2023 Utah Philanthropy Day award before the June 1 deadline. Watch the lieutenant governor’s video and submit your nomination here.

   

   

Coming up

• May 15: We’re headed to southeastern Utah for our Connecting Utah Tour!

• May 16: Lt. Gov. Henderson will welcome the president of the United Nations General Assembly to Utah.

• May 17: We’re honored to be presenting the Utah Servicemen of the Year award. 

• May 18: It’s time for our monthly news conference! Watch live here. 

• May 18: Have a question you’ve always wanted to ask the governor? Tune into KSL NewsRadio’s Let Me Speak to the Governor. 

• May 19: We’re wrapping up our Connecting Utah Tour with our final stop in Salt Lake County!

Get involved!

Looking for a new job opportunity? From great employee benefits to versatile work schedules, the career opportunities with the state are truly endless. Join Team Utah today! 

Those looking to volunteer can also consider more than 300 boards and commissions. Find out which openings are available and how you can get involved here!

Get in touch!