The Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUtah) is pleased to announce that Ryan Starks will be the new Executive Director and will start on May 19. We caught up with Ryan to learn his thoughts about this new chapter for our organization.

What are your short-term and long-term goals for EDCUtah?

First of all, I want to state that I have been a long-time fan of EDCUtah and believe in its mission. I admire the leadership of Jeff Edwards, Theresa Foxley, Scott Cuthbertson, and others who have helped shape Utah’s economy in lasting ways. Their contributions and leadership are legendary.

Long-term I want to establish EDCUtah as the private sector leader in the economic development space, and that means working closely with our different partners. There are a lot of different entities out there: associations, chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, and the State of Utah. I want EDCUtah to lead in convening these groups to accomplish shared goals. The time is now to do that convening and to create that shared vision. As part of these long-term efforts, I want to increase our membership significantly.

In the short term, I want EDCUtah to establish local and national relationships that will lead to long-term projects. This means a focus on in-state and out-of-state marketing the likes of which we've never yet done as a state. I feel like there's a space for EDCUtah to really own that business branding, much the way the Utah Office of Tourism is branding the state in the travel sector. I think EDCUtah can do similar work, to help tell the story to the business community of why we're such a great place to do business.

In a recent LinkedIn post, you talk about “We Build Together.” Please elaborate on that.

It's pretty simple. It's not just EDCUtah, rather it's many people working together. When it comes to building business ecosystems and building a lasting economy, it’s all hands on deck. We have to look at ways in which we can solve some of the big problems that the state has, to attract new companies, and to facilitate existing company growth.

It takes all of us working together. “And” is an important, powerful word. It takes the public sector and the private sector. It takes rural Utah and urban Utah. It takes legislative leadership and executive leadership and leadership from EDCUtah. It takes universities and associations. How do we build together? We do it in partnership and in collaboration, in a way that will support job creation, capital investment, infrastructure, human talent, and an unparalleled quality of life—across the state. It’s not a one or the other approach. It's a collective approach where we leverage the relationships with all partners, and we help drive positive economic growth through EDCUtah. I want to emphasize that.

How would you describe your management style?

I like to work hard. I like to have a lot of fun while working hard. I like to lift other people up who I get to work with, and so I believe in delegation. I believe in positive feedback and helping people become their best selves. I've taken different tests over the years, including StrengthFinders. It says that one of my inherent strengths is building other people up.

I also like to look at process, looking for efficiencies, pulling people together to solve complex problems. I love tackling big challenges, with a positive, focused attitude.

How did your time leading the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity set you up for this role?

What my time at GOEO gave me is an understanding of the ins and outs of economic development across the state. I visited every single county, and spoke with city and county leaders, with chambers of commerce, with economic development directors.

I was at GOEO for six years, but I think we can look even further back than that. I worked for Wasatch County for eight years, and that gave me the county-level perspective. I learned that every county has unique opportunities, and that counties can really benefit from a partnership with EDCUtah. Wasatch County was an investor in EDCUtah, and we were able to do a lot of our work in partnership with EDCUtah. There’s value in strategic partnership between counties and EDCUtah because we can all leverage resources in a greater way.

I learned in these jobs that economic development is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. It takes unique strategies to solve the various economic development issues in every part of Utah. The GOEO experience also helped me understand the tools and resources available at the State level. That could be grants or incentives, or even the power of just convening people.

At EDCUtah, I envision doing similar things, working with stakeholders and communities, connecting them with those resources that I became so familiar with, and connecting them to the vision of building a strong economy, into where the State's going. There are a lot of unique lessons that I only could have learned from the State, and I'm excited to apply those lessons now to the private sector.

There are concerns about a downturn in the economy. What’s your take on that?

There are concerns, but Utah maintains one of the most diverse economies in the country.With that economic diversity, we've proven in the past that we're able to weather difficult storms. COVID-19 is an example of Utah coming out as the best state in terms of our recovery.

Another example is the Rich States, Poor States Report, commissioned by the American Legislative Exchange Council. Using 70 different data points, the report just ranked Utah as having the best economic outlook in the country for the eighteenth year in a row.

Even though there's some economic uncertainty right now, the future still looks very bright. This is a time where we need to continue to build, and not pull back.The challenges are real. But the strength of our economy is also very real, and I'm confident that we can maintain our strength by continuing to invest in the long term. I believe our best days are still ahead of us, and I invite businesses and organizations to join us in this important cause and movement.

What specific message do you have for current and future EDCUtah investors?

That the State of Utah is growing, that our economy is hot. That we need to stay focused on growing our economy in smart and strategic ways. We have the 2034 Olympics knocking on our door. We have a unique opportunity to prepare for those Olympics by making key investments into infrastructure and into Utah's economy. These investments will create long-term returns that will benefit the next generation of Utahns.

EDCUtah can be more than an organization to promote the economy. It can be an integral part of a movement that benefits and lifts all communities in the State. I'm really confident that this window of time is going to create some unique opportunities for EDCUtah and for the State to accomplish big things. We can recruit big companies, support rural Utah, and hone in on our targeted industries.

Our investors have a voice in Utah's economic growth. This is the opportunity to jump onboard with us, and together create some amazing things over the next decade.