A Utah native, Theresa is passionate about promoting the Beehive State. She has served as EDCUtah’s President and CEO since 2017 and has helped usher in a new era that is highly focused on internal team culture, driving stakeholder value, and economic development preparedness. A recovering attorney and self-described “deal junkie,” Theresa has enjoyed being part of Team Utah’s efforts to attract dozens of companies on expansion and relocation projects representing various industries throughout the state, including Goldman Sachs, Stadler Rail, and Facebook. Prior to joining EDCUtah Theresa was a senior leader at the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development. Earlier in her career, Theresa represented a diverse set of clients in private legal practice on a multitude of general corporate and financial matters. Theresa lives in Salt Lake City with her husband and son. They love spending time outdoors together with their Bernese mountain dog.

Salt Lake City, Utah

JD University of Utah / BA Political Economy, Utah State University

Mike served as Vice President of Economic Development Services in Charlotte (NC) Regional Partnership before rejoining EDCUtah in 2015. He loves helping companies solve complex problems, and working toward creating better jobs for Utah residents. As a father of two young children, Mike jokes that his only remaining hobby is sleep. In over 10 years with EDCUtah, he has lived in Utah, California, and North Carolina. He recently returned to Utah to raise his family.

Hometown Fairview, Montana

MBA Education, Westminster College

Jill is a CPA with diverse financial and operations experience, primarily in non-profit organizations. She joined EDCUtah in 2016, bringing a focus on compliance and financial systems. She enjoys attending concerts and traveling with her husband and three kids.

Salt Lake City, Utah

MBA Westminster / BS Accounting, University of Utah

Prior to joining EDCUtah, Stephanie’s career included experience as a medical device engineer and a software account manager, as well as a year of Americorps service with the Utah Food Bank. As Director of Strategic Initiatives, she is currently leveraging her 15 years of economic development experience as a dedicated innovation officer for EDCUtah. Stephanie is an avid skier and hiker with a passion for travel. She recently returned to EDCUtah after taking a leave of absence to backpack around the world with her husband and two young daughters.

Grosse Pointe, Michigan

BS Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan

From 2014 to 2021, Xiao served as director of the Mayor’s Office for New Americans at Salt Lake County. She is a Fellow with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Community Leadership Network. Among a host of other volunteer activities, she serves as co-chair of the Multicultural Advisory Committee of Utah’s Covid-19 Response.

BS Political Science, University of Utah / Masters Art in Community Leadership, Westminster College

A native of the Congo, and raised in Uganda, Jolly (Jo' Lee) moved to Utah in 2014. Fluent in seven languages, she is interested in culture, and looks forward to learning more about economic development and business in general.

Ituri, Congo

BS in Business Information Systems, University of Utah

Colby came to EDCUtah after having worked at the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) as Lead Fellow. He loves the opportunity that working at EDCUtah provides him to meet people from all over the world, to be involved in important decisions being made in Utah, and to learn from incredible resources within the organization and the community at large. Aside from his healthy love of bright socks and good beards, Colby is also an avid sports fan. He supports the University of Utah Utes football team and REAL Salt Lake soccer, and enjoys skiing, boating, and discovering great new spots to explore with friends.

Salt Lake City, Utah

BA History, University of Utah

Prior to graduate school, Erin worked in the U.S. Senate and for EDCUtah managing events. Ten years later, she returned to EDCUtah after stints at an Investment Advisory firm and as a management consultant to the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Transportation. As senior business development manager, Erin specializes in office and technology projects. In her spare time, Erin enjoys cycling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, wakesurfing, painting, helping refugees, family and friends, and trying to make a difference for good wherever she goes.

MS Public Administration, The George Washington University / BS Family Public Policy & Business Management Minor, Brigham Young University

Katherine Morrell joined the Business Development team in 2021. Previously she worked on the Community Strategy team and managed the Utah Mega Sites program, Community Match Grants program, Utah Sure Sites, and EDCUtah Rural Committee. In that role, Katherine coordinated with EDCUtah’s Business Development team and communities on their strategies and preparation for business growth and recruitment. Katherine enjoys utilizing her urban planning background to assist with EDCUtah priorities. Outside of work, Katherine likes traveling, biking, and reading.

Gilbert, Arizona

MS City and Metropolitan Planning, University of Utah / BS Geography, Urban Planning Emphasis, Brigham Young University

Stephanie came to EDCUtah from Silicon Slopes where she was working for Qualtrics. She joined the fast growing tech unicorn after she earned degrees in Political Science and Spanish from Utah State University. She was originally on track to go into education, but a brief internship in rural Peru teaching business classes to locals, instilled in her a passion for business development and entrepreneurship. She has started a business and co-founded another but chooses to focus on helping other businesses thrive. She’s a florist, blogger, musician, artist, outdoor enthusiast, and hobbyist who’s always looking for new opportunities to learn and grow.

North Logan, Utah

BA Political Science, BA Spanish, Utah State University

Vlada Yaremenko graduated from the University of Utah summa cum laude with a degree in International Studies and a minor in Music. Originally from Ukraine, she has lived in four different countries. Her previous experiences include working with impoverished communities in India, with Young Professionals in Foreign Policy in Washington, D.C., and with the United Nations as a Youth Sub-committee Co-chair for the 68th United Nations Civil Society Conference. Furthermore, Vlada has served on the board of the United States National Committee for UN Women Utah Chapter as the Vice President of Public Relations and Membership Committee where her focus was to improve the status of women in Utah. She joined EDCUtah in 2019 and was promoted to Business Development Manager in 2021.

Dniprodzerzhynsk, Ukraine

BA International Studies. Minor in Music, University of Utah

Matt has experience as a statistician, marketing researcher, university instructor, and analytics curriculum developer. Matt has a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and a Master's Degree in Econometrics, and spends most of his time meeting with people in business and government to discover ways they can work together to help grow Utah’s economy. Matt enjoys spending time with his wife hiking, watching movies, traveling to new places, and playing guitar.

Salt Lake City, Utah

MS Statistics in Econometrics / BS Economics, University of Utah

After working as Special Projects Lead at the Corporation of the Presiding Bishop, Michael came to EDCUtah to assist in the research department as Research Project Manager. He was promoted to Research Manager in 2018 and now leads all EDCUtah research requests and projects. He loves being a part of helping show how great Utah is and what the state has to offer and experiencing the diverse Utah economy. Father of two daughters and one son, Michael enjoys sports, reading, writing novels, board games, and exploring the outdoors. He also is lucky enough to enjoy dual citizenship after having been born in Madrid, Spain.

Colorado Springs, CO

BS Business Management, BYU Idaho / MS Management and Leadership, Western Governors University

Olivia holds a degree in Economics and a minor in Mathematics from Westminster College, where she also competed as DII soccer player. A native of Utah, Olivia likes rock climbing, skiing, and mountain biking.

Alpine, Utah

BA in Economics, Westminster College