Our Team

As a leader in both the public and private sectors of economic development, Ryan Starks has been instrumental to positioning Utah as the top-performing economy in the United States. His work has focused on fostering entrepreneurship, business expansions, international trade, rural development, and targeted industry growth. Prior to EDCUtah, Ryan led the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and served as a cabinet member and trusted advisor to Governor Spencer J. Cox.

In her leadership role, Erin provides operational oversight, strategic direction, and guiding of corporate recruitment, expansion, and retention initiatives. She has helped scores of companies to expand within or relocate to Utah. These efforts have helped to catalyze capital investment and add more than 18,000 jobs to the state’s economy. Prior to EDCUtah, she was a management consultant in Washington, D.C.

Greg leads EDCUtah’s community development and Site Ready Utah initiatives. Previously, Greg worked for the University of Utah, building partnerships among the university, its students, the real estate and financial services business community.

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.

Val has extensive experience working in economic development, serving more than six years as head of the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development and two years as president and CEO of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce. He spent a lot of time traveling the state and meeting with civic and business leaders. He enjoys golf, pickleball, woodworking and spending time with his 13 grandkids.

Erika has more than 15 years of office management and executive assistant experience, with a diverse background in industries ranging from industrial equipment manufacturing to financial services. Erika’s academic background includes studies in ballet, history, and architectural preservation at the University of Utah. She enjoys hiking, sailing, trail running, and quality time with her husband, four children, and her rescued cat and dog.

In this role, Jon will help support community development, advise cities on Olympic readiness initiatives, and foster economic development opportunities throughout Utah. Jon’s experience in Olympic readiness includes consulting, governance, and advocacy. He serves on the boards of the Utah Sports Commission, the Olympic Legacy Foundation, and the USA Climbing Foundation, and he also chairs the legislative Olympic Coordinating Committee.

Jared oversees recruitment and expansion efforts across the energy, data center, and manufacturing sectors. Before joining EDCUtah, Jared worked for 8 years as a municipal economic development director and urban planner. He built and led comprehensive economic development efforts at both the city and county levels. Outside of work, Jared enjoys cycling, skiing, rock climbing, and reading. He volunteers on the Salt Lake City Historic Landmark Commission and admires architecture.

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. 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.

Andy comes to EDCUtah from the print production industry. In his current role, Andy collaborates with his team to improve EDCUtah’s digital marketing infrastructure and produce content that shares EDCUtah’s vision and successes with clients and investors. Andy enjoys spending time with his family, playing sports, and being outdoors.

Justice is a Business Development Manager at EDCUtah. She previously served as EDCUtah’s Project & Events Manager and brought prior experience as an events director at Backyard Media. Outside of work, you can find her skiing, mountain biking, or relaxing with a good book. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Portland State University.

Lindsey serves as Director of Marketing and Communications at EDCUtah, bringing strong experience in public policy communications, brand strategy, and strategic messaging. Her background in leading communications for state economic development initiatives and managing media relations strengthens EDCUtah’s mission to drive business recruitment and economic growth across Utah.

Prior to joining EDCUtah, Michael served in marketing roles for the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, USTAR, and GE Capital. As a consultant, he supports EDCUtah’s diverse marketing initiatives. In his spare time, he is a ski and hiking guide at Deer Valley Resort and a licensed Idaho whitewater river guide.

Preston joins EDCUtah with experience in public policy, stakeholder engagement, and relationship management. His background in building partnerships and supporting strategic initiatives will strengthen EDCUtah’s business recruitment and expansion efforts.

Spencer oversees corporate recruitment and expansion in the manufacturing industries. Prior to joining the business development team, Spencer worked in the financial services industry. Spencer graduated from Ensign College with a BS in Finance with certificates in Accounting, Business Analytics, and Business Management. Spencer enjoys spending time with his wife, playing sports, watching Utah football, being outdoors, and being with friends.