#RFNavAwards
UNCOVERING INNOVATION IN SALT LAKE CITY
The Route Fifty Navigator Awards seeks to identify and highlight individuals and teams of state and local innovators, technologists, leaders, and rising stars who have demonstrated their ability to conceive and implement great ideas. In 2017 we are traveling across the country to talk with exceptional individuals about their collaborative skills, leadership styles, and innovative programs.
Route Fifty was in Salt Lake City to highlight the innovations driving Utah’s state, county, and municipal governments. We’ll talk with state and local officials about what what makes these leaders, teams, and programs so successful, as well as what lessons can be applied governments across the country.
Agenda
Welcome Remarks
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Opening Keynote
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Panel Discussion - Combatting Air Pollution in Utah
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Closing Fireside Chat
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Speakers
Kristen Cox, Executive Director
GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
Governor Herbert appointed Kristen as the Executive Director, Governor’s Office of Management and Budget in August 2012. A champion of continuous process improvement, Kristen has designated Theory of Constraints and her SUCCESS Framework as the guiding process improvement tool for Utah state government. By integrating operational excellence with the state’s management and budgeting practices, Kris and the GOMB team are working closely with all Cabinet agencies to improve state government operations with a focus on quality, capacity, and cost.
Born and raised in Utah, Kristen received her Bachelor of Science in Educational Psychology from Brigham Young University. She served an LDS mission to Brazil and treasures any opportunity to speak Portuguese. Kristen and her husband, Randy, have two sons. They love the outdoors—especially hiking Utah’s mountains and trails.
Bryce Bird, Director
UTAH DIVISION OF AIR QUALITY
Bryce Bird was appointed director of the Utah Division of Air Quality in June 2011, after having managed the Division's Planning Branch, Compliance Branch, and Hazardous Air Pollutants Section. Bryce completed a degree in biology at the University of Utah and began working at the Utah Department of Environmental Quality in 1991. He has developed a key interest in ensuring that all regulatory programs are tied to measurable air quality improvements.
Mayor Ben McAdams
SALT LAKE CITY MAYOR
Ben McAdams was sworn into office as Salt Lake County Mayor on Jan. 7, 2013. Mayor McAdams pledged to work collaboratively, across party lines, to find efficiencies in County government and to be open and accountable to citizens.
During his tenure as County Mayor, he has championed education, helping the county become the first in the country to partner with the private sector to offer greater access to high-quality preschool for low-income children. Mayor McAdams has also emphasized economic development and job growth, partnering with cities to attract business while being a careful steward of taxpayer dollars. He has also supported greater access for businesses and residents to transit, trails and open space.
Mayor McAdams is a graduate of the University of Utah and Columbia Law School. After Columbia Law School, he worked as a corporate finance attorney with firms in New York and Salt Lake City.
Representative Patrice Arent
UTAH HOUSE DISTRICT 36
Representative Patrice Arent has devoted much of her life to public service. She is currently the Co-Chair of the House Ethics Committee, Co-Chair and Founder of the bipartisan Clean Air Caucus and Co-President of the National Association of Jewish Legislators.
Representative Arent has passed nearly 70 bills during her 16 years in the Utah House and Senate, including several clean air bills, legislation prohibiting smoking in cars when children are passengers, Utah's Newborn Safe Haven law, consumer protection legislation, campaign finance reform, outdoor recreation infrastructure improvements, and laws that improve education and health care. Representative Arent has also helped lead successful efforts to provide stronger penalties for identity theft and defeat legislative proposals that waste tax dollars.
Raised in Salt Lake City, Representative Arent is a graduate of the University of Utah and Cornell Law School. She was a division chief in the Utah Attorney General's Office, worked in a private law firm, served as Associate General Counsel to the Utah Legislature, and taught at the University of Utah College of Law. She has served on several community boards, including Ronald McDonald House, Envision Utah, Hale Center Theatre, and University of Utah Hospital.
Deborah Burney-Sigman
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BREATHE UTAH
Deborah Burney-Sigman grew up in San Francisco. She earned her B.A. in Molecular Biology from UC Santa Cruz in 1994 and her Ph.D. in Biology from MIT in 2000. She joined her husband Matt in beautiful Salt Lake City in 2000. She left research and teaching in Cell Biology and Biochemistry to raise their children in 2003. Embracing Utah as her family’s home, she made the switch from being silently disturbed by its bouts of appalling air quality to taking action in 2007. In 2010, having found the company of folks bringing air quality field experience, political savvy, familiarity with nonprofits, and passion for the cause, Debbie helped to found Breathe Utah.
Air quality has similar complicated but logical rationales to biological systems, and Dr. Sigman is gratified to be involved in methodical problem-solving again. With excitement for science education and avoiding partisan bias, she works with her team to open up bottlenecks in our community’s progress towards better air quality.
Jonathan Larsen
MANAGER, MODELING, FORECASTING, INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, WFRC.
Jon is the manager of the Modeling, Forecasting, and Information Services group at WFRC. This group is in charge of model development and application, data management, and geographic information services (GIS). This work provides the technical base for nearly all of the work performed by WFRC. While Jon’s training is in traffic engineering, he has spent much of his career focusing on urban design and the transportation/land use interaction. Prior to joining WFRC, Jon worked as a consultant where he managed projects and performed travel demand modeling, traffic engineering, and transportation planning. Jon currently serves as the President of the Utah Chapter of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU).
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