Happy Friday from #OneUtah, a weekly update from the office of Gov. Spencer J. Cox. Reply to this email with any questions or suggestions regarding the newsletter. And thank you for subscribing!

An exciting announcement 

It’s 99% official – we’re bringing the Winter Olympics back to Salt Lake City! This week the International Olympic Committee announced Utah as the preferred host for the 2034 Winter Games. 

The state of Utah is prepared to build on the vision and positive legacies of our previous experience hosting the world. 2002 was the most financially successful Games and because we’ve taken good care of our venues, we’re ready. In 2002, a record number of volunteers stepped up and lent a helping hand – so much so that we had to turn people away. Our service-driven culture is part of what makes Utah a prime candidate for hosting the Winter Olympics. Once again the world’s eye will be on Salt Lake City, and we’re looking forward to welcoming world-class athletes back to Utah in 2034 to compete in the greatest snow on earth!

‘A Storybook Christmas’ at the Mansion

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Kearns Mansion!  

This week we welcomed 4th grader students from Lincoln Elementary School to help us decorate the Christmas tree in the library of the Mansion. First Lady Abby Cox read the students a story and took them on a tour of the people’s house. We love hosting these young guests and teaching them about the history of the Kearns Mansion and the Beehive State – they had so many wonderful questions! Plus, we had a blast playing a quick game of basketball before they had to head back to school. View photos here. 

The power of service

Each year UServeUtah awards the Lieutenant Governor’s Power of Service Award to a volunteer who shows significant commitment to the overall well-being of the populations they serve. This year, two individuals were selected: Henry Savage and Mary Boyer. 

Their combined 57 years of volunteering with United Way and SLCo Aging and Adult Services earned them this well-deserved recognition. Lt. Gov. Henderson was able to present these awards in front of the honorees' friends and family at the Capitol building this week. We are so grateful for all they have done to serve their communities!

Celebrating art in Utah

This week we were honored to continue our great Utah tradition of honoring and supporting artists by awarding two new Utah artists with the Governor’s Mansion Artist Award. We recognized artist Jeff Hein and violist Joel Rosenberg. 

Jeff Hein specializes in portraits, multi-figure paintings, and large scale still-life works. When you look at a Jeff Hein painting, it’s not just the accuracy of detail that stands out, but the emotional presence and depth of character present in his subjects. Jeff’s work is included in notable fine art collections in Utah and throughout the country.

Joel Rosenberg is the music director of the American West Symphony, the Paradigm Chamber Orchestra, and a long-time collaborator with the University of Utah’s piano and opera departments. He has a widely acclaimed performance history here in Utah with his work at the American West Symphony and partnerships with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and at the Cathedral of the Madeleine. 

Read more about these artists and view photos here. 

Visiting BYU

Lt. Gov. Henderson was invited to speak to students at BYU’s Marriott School of Business this week. She shared her story of being a non-traditional student, culminating in her graduation from BYU last year as lieutenant governor before taking questions from students about elections and her other duties. We love any chance we get to interact with students preparing to be Utah’s next leaders. Thank you, Dean Brigitte Madrian, for the warm welcome.

Governor’s Award for Excellence Highlight

Each week, we’re highlighting a state employee who was recently awarded the Governor’s Award for Excellence. This week we are recognizing Alexander Bybee with the Utah Department of Commerce. 

Alexander’s innovative and creative thinking as the Division of Professional Licensing foreign credentialing specialist has helped position Utah as one of the most welcoming communities in the nation. In 2022, labor shortages, international refugee crises, and the increasing needs of Utah’s underserved populations resulted in intense demands for Utah qualified professionals. This led to Utah’s groundbreaking policy shift to begin considering qualified, internationally trained applicants for licensure. Alexander and his team created an automation that takes prospective applicant information, sends an auto response to the applicant, then organizes that data into a visual presentation. This automation has saved time as this work was done manually previously. Alexander’s collaboration with other agencies and businesses is helping Commerce create priority frameworks, through which Utah’s existing & potential licensure pathways for internationally trained professionals can be reviewed, and targeted for improvement in light of Utah’s needs and priorities.

Thank you, Alexander, for your dedication to the state of Utah. Keep up the great work! To read about the Governor’s Awards for Excellence, click here. 

ICYMI

• Congratulations to the 2023 National Junior High Rodeo Association Girls National Champions! Rodeo has a special place in Utah, and we were glad to meet with these champions. 

• The Department of Financial Institutions participated in the fifth annual “Rake Your Heart Out” service project! What a great example of getting out and serving the people around us. Read more here.

   

Coming up

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