I recently attended an economic summit where Utah Gov. Spencer Cox made a passionate plea to those in attendance to get involved with advancing public initiatives and setting policies that impact how we live, learn, work and play in Utah. It was fantastic!

He said what many people think but are often reluctant to say publicly. He called upon the majority of Utahns who are politically right or left of center to step up and get involved so the few on the political fringes stop being the dominant voices heard in the public square. I couldn’t agree more.

Don’t misunderstand me. I am not suggesting those on the fringe ought not to have a voice. Freedom of speech is a bedrock principle of our country, and I will defend it even when other voices oppose what I believe.

What I am saying, however, is that if the fringe voices are all that are being heard, the direction of our state and communities will not be balanced because other voices — the majority of voices on both sides of the political spectrum — will be absent from the discussions that inform public policy and fuel community initiatives like Valley Visioning.

In Utah Valley, through the leadership of our local and valley chambers of commerce and in partnership with our public officials and business leaders, we are engaged in a Valley Visioning initiative with six objectives that will ensure we:

1. Have a business environment that enables responsible business growth,
2. Support education and workforce development and opportunities,
3. Have access to quality and affordable healthcare,
4. Are smart stewards of our natural resources,
5. Provide attainable and diversified housing options that are also affordable, and
6. Ensure transportation and infrastructure options are convenient, affordable and effective in providing people easy access to the places where they live, learn, work and play.

Throughout 2023, members of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce who are actively engaged in the Valley Visioning movement will provide further insight into its six focus areas in future Chamber Chat articles. Please read them. Debate them. Learn more about them and, most importantly, get involved with the efforts that are of interest to you through your local chamber of commerce so your voice is heard.

In some of our communities, extreme voices are clamoring for growth while others are protesting it. Others are calling for more government subsidies for public services while others are pushing for more tax cuts. Where are you on these matters and other initiatives that influence our quality of life? How can you ensure your voice is being heard and answer the call of Gov. Cox to get involved? Through your local chamber of commerce.

Our chambers of commerce provide a forum of engagement that helps organize the many voices of our community in a meaningful and productive way. While the outcome of one measure may not be what you had hoped for, the outcome of the next may.

Either way, you have a voice that our chambers will listen to if you offer it. Lend your voice and efforts to the Valley Vision movement and help our public officials act upon its initiatives to ensure Utah Valley is the place to live, learn, work and play for generations to come.

Cameron Martin, Ph.D., is the president/CEO at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. He is also chair of the Valley Visioning Executive Committee, a growth initiative of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Newsletter