In a room of business leaders and politicians, there was general agreement.

As part of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Summit held at Sundance Mountain Resort on Monday, members of the business environment panel — Randy Woodbury, president of the Woodbury Corp.; Cameron Gunter, CEO of PEG Companies; Brigitte Madrian, dean of the Brigham Young University Marriott School of Business; and Tyler Hartmann, vice president of Clarke Capital — addressed a host of topics including Utah’s reputation for inclusivity, dwindling unemployment rates and the hybrid post-COVID-19 workforce.

Including moderator Brandon Fugal, chairman of Colliers International, the panel was comprised of people with financial stakes in corporate real estate and an interest in the next generation of employees.

Starting the conversation around unemployment, Fugal asked for the panelists’ opinion on recruitment and retention amid the “unusual” business environment. Madrian mentioned that, as the person responsible for graduating business students, she has seen increasing numbers of businesses looking to interact with students and encouraged companies to “sweeten the pot.”

Fugal also asked the group what they would do, if elected president of the United States, to help the economy for businesses and business owners.

Woodbury responded first by saying there should be adjustments to the country’s immigration program. “Nobody wants the drug dealers and the gangbangers but there are thousands and thousands of good people that want jobs and we need them. It seems to be political football,” Woodbury said.

Gunter used a simple message — “Let’s just get people back to work” — while questioning government programs that allow workers to be more selective when choosing an employer. Hartmann discussed how finding a solution to the ongoing war in Ukraine would cool economic tensions while Madrian suggested a focus on finding leaders not out for “their own interest.”

The group also discussed productivity lost since the beginning of the pandemic, connecting it to work-from-home availability. All members of the panel argued in support of having workers in offices, at least several days each week in a hybrid model.

As the day went on, panelists from a host of industries continued the conversations about what drives Utah Valley forward, economically. Ryan Smith, co-founder of Qualtrics and owner of the Utah Jazz; Astrid Tuminez, president of Utah Valley University; and Stephanie Larsen, CEO and founder of Encricle, were among the rest of the day’s speakers.

Pillar of the Valley

Also Monday, the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce announced Dr. Richard Nielson of Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions as the 2023 Pillar of the Valley Award recipient.

The award is given annually to people “who have made extraordinary contributions to the business, civic, social, education, and cultural climate of Utah Valley.”

Nielsen is the founding president and CEO of both Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions and the Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine after serving in the U.S. Army National Guard and Navy Medical Service Corps. He along with his wife, Jodi Nielsen, and their daughter have also founded multiple nonprofit organizations.

“Dr. Nielson is truly authentic; he is a man who understands the principle of paying it forward. We are thrilled to honor him as our 2023 recipient,” said Curtis Blair, chamber of commerce executive director.

In 2021, the organization recognized Carine Clark, president and CEO of Banyan, and the late-Orem mayor and business leader Steve Densley.

Newsletter