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!

Answering the call for help

This morning we announced we’re sending Utah law enforcement and National Guard resources to the southern border. This week Texas sent requests to our Department of Public Safety and the Utah National Guard asking for help.

We're grateful to our National Guard members, state Troopers and their families for their willingness to serve and keep us safe. Read more about this EMAC deployment here.

Visiting the Alma Mater

We took a trip to Logan this week to visit our alma mater, Utah State University! 

We enjoyed meeting with students and university leadership, and joining President Elizabeth Cantwell and author and “Moral Courage Project” founder Irshad Manji at the President’s Forum on Conflict and Conflict Resolution. We discussed the importance of disagreeing better and listening more. Thank you, USU, for an engaging conversation!

See photos from our visit here, and learn more about our Disagree Better initiative here.

Fintech in Utah

In the past few years, Utah has become a hub for finance and technology, with an economic impact of $21.8 billion and over 160,000 Utahns employed in the finance and technology fields. Fintech is a rapidly growing industry in Utah, and we have a strategic plan to further cultivate a rich fintech ecosystem, support the rising generation of fintech founders and leaders and promote a balanced approach to data rights, privacy and governance. 

We’re expanding fintech beyond Utah and even beyond the U.S. This past year, we signed MOU’s with the United Kingdom and France to increase collaboration and work on programs together that will accelerate the growth of fintech. 

Thanks for having us this week, 2024 Fintech Xchange!

Attracting top talent to Utah

This week we attended the Talent Challenges event to discuss additional ways to attract, develop, and retain senior-level talent in Utah. 

As one of the fastest growing states, it’s crucial that we continue to improve Utah's economy. We enjoyed visiting with business leaders as well as students from the University of Utah, Weber State, and Westminster.

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’re recognizing Ivette Orozco with the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs.

Ivette is the Veteran Service Officer Supervisor for the Utah Department of Veterans & Military Affairs (UDVMA). In 2023, Ivette was selected to conduct training for all Outreach Program Representatives in UDVMA and for Stakeholders and Partners throughout the state. Through her engagement she has continued to build on relationships with Veterans Service Organizations like the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, and other nonprofits. Ivette is an Army veteran and supervises nine employees from Ogden to St. George. She always leads by example. Ivette is always asking her team if there is anything that they need to accomplish the goals of the Department. She is dedicated to her Veterans Services Team, helping others achieve their goals, Ivette always puts others before herself and in doing so has uplifted employees and those in the community with whom she serves. 

Thank you, Ivette, 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

• This week we loved meeting the interns who are working with Utah’s legislators this legislative session! View photos here. 

• Utah has sought for a collaborative, inclusive approach to managing our public lands, yet the Biden administration continues to ignore our good faith input, so we’ve withdrawn from a proposed land exchange. Read our full statement here.

Coming up

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!