“There is no doubt we are stronger as a state when we embrace our differences and use our diversity as an asset.” —Utah Governor Spencer Cox
In January 2021, Governor Spencer Cox was sworn in as Utah’s 18th Governor. On day one, he signed the Utah Compact on Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and appointed Nubia Peña to his cabinet as Utah’s first Senior Advisor on Equity and Opportunity.
Utah’s business and government leaders have also signed the same compact, reaffirming our vision to create a society in which race and ethnicity do not determine or limit value, opportunity, and life outcomes. Similar Utah initiatives include:
In May 2021, EDCUtah launched the Center for Economic Opportunity & Belonging (CEOB). The Center is funded in part by grants from the Walton Family Foundation, the Jacquelyn and Gregory Zehner Foundation, and the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation. Learn more about CEOB here.
With the support of Comcast, EDCUtah and the CEOB have published the Telly Award-winning "We Are Utah" video featuring Utah executives from a variety of backgrounds sharing their Utah stories. Companies that are seeking ways to recruit and retain talent from diverse backgrounds are welcome to use it. Watch it now, and look for it in the Salt Lake International Airport.
A follow up to the video -- a "We Are Utah Toolkit" to help Utah employers foster belonging in their workplaces -- is scheduled to be released in early 2023.
A subtitled version is available here.
Utah employers are successfully hiring, retaining, and elevating world-class talent from many diverse backgrounds. Click on the logos below to read in-depth interviews with DEI experts. Current stories include:
Utah is home to many terrific advocacy groups who connect, support, and elevate diverse and underrepresented talent. EDCUtah works closely with these partner organizations and can make local introductions to additional advocacy groups upon client request. In addition to the partners below, Magnify Utah maintains a wide range of resources for diverse Utahns and their families.
To stay informed about news and events affecting Utah's multicultural communities, sign up for the weekly newsletter from the Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs.
"Economic development and DEI are connected at the hip. It's imperative that we enable every dynamic in a community. Nobody can be left out if we're going to reach an economy's full potential." — Tom Morgan, Executive Vice President of Zions Bank and EDCUtah board chair emeritus
In late 2020, EDCUtah chartered a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Board Committee. Members include executives from private companies, Utah communities, and the State of Utah. The committee seeks to:
Diversity News
