Happy Friday from #OneUtah, a weekly update from the office of Gov. Spencer J. Cox. Here’s your recap of what we did this week, what's on the horizon, and more.

Utah: The most charitable state

We are grateful to live in a state full of compassionate people who serve their neighbors and fellow Utahns! Utah was named the most charitable state by WalletHub for the third year in a row. This ranking is based on volunteer rate, volunteer hours per capita, share of population who do favors for their neighbors, share of population collecting/distributing food and clothes among other factors.

Thanks for all you do, Utah! To learn more about the most charitable state survey, click here.

USU Land, Water and Air Report

On Thursday, we received the 2022 annual report from the Utah State University Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air. We learned that Utah has been losing farming land since 1975, precipitation across Utah has declined overall since 1950, temperatures have increased and we now get more rain than snow, and the Great Salt Lake is at its lowest level in recorded history.

Research is foundational to sound policy and this partnership with USU’s new Institute for Land, Water & Air couldn’t have come at a better time as the state faces challenges with prolonged drought, air quality issues and changes in how our lands are used – all amidst continued growth and demands on our resources. Connecting policymakers with research institutions like Utah State University helps us tap into valuable expertise and leverage work that is already underway. We are taking an “all hands on deck” approach to finding solutions. 

To read the full report, click here.

The Holiday Season is here!

We invited 30 Midvale Elementary fourth-graders to the Governor’s Mansion this week to decorate the mansion library tree, and wow, they did an amazing job! The theme was the Roaring ‘20s and the students decorated the tree with feathers, shiny silver disco balls and ornaments with pictures of them dressed in attire from the Roaring ‘20s.

The First Lady read a couple of books to the children and we were honored to take them on a short tour of the historic mansion. 

We were delighted to bring these engaged students into the mansion and especially grateful this holiday season to celebrate with so many wonderful Utahns across the state. To learn more about the Historic Governor's Mansion, click here.

Mansion Artist Awards

We’ve been lucky to celebrate many talented artists this year with Governor’s Mansion Artist Awards and this week we added two more honorees to the list: LeRoy Transfield, Visual Arts; and Clytie Adams, Performance Arts. 

LeRoy Transfield has been sculpting for 30 years. He started when he was young sculpting nativity scenes his mother cherished, which inspired him to seriously pursue sculpting. LeRoy creates sculptures that convey beauty, movement and emotion from his studio in Orem. Clytie Adams grew up in Kanab and traveled by grocery truck to Salt Lake for dance lessons. When she was older, Clytie took lessons from the founder of Ballet West and ballet has been her passion and life's work ever since! She owns several ballet studios across Utah, and many of her students have become professional dancers. 

We always enjoy celebrating the achievements of our artists here in Utah and appreciate their impacts on our communities. See photos from the event here.

Governor’s Award For Excellence Highlight

We’re continuing to highlight a state employee each week who was recently awarded the Governor’s Award for Excellence. This week we are recognizing Dr. Robert Erickson with the Department of Agriculture and Food. 

Dr. Erickson is a veteran in the Department of Agriculture and Food and consistently stepping up and taking on extra tasks to help his fellow UDAF colleagues. Dr. Erickson is a positive influence on the department! If you ever ask him how he is doing you will always hear, “really good”, and he means it. It makes the day better each time. It’s easiest to point to the great work he performed during the avian influenza outbreak this spring; but that’s how he treats every day. He brings an elevated level of commitment to things like county livestock check-in’s, animal sampling, and covering auctions. He is an unbelievably hard worker and his commitment to being the best public servant is evident in each and every day he works.

Keep up the great work, Dr. Erickson! We are grateful for your leadership and service.To read more about the Governor’s Awards for Excellence, click here.

A town hall at UVU with an old friend

Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson fielded questions from students, faculty, and chamber of commerce members at a town hall meeting hosted by the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy and Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday.

A good friend of ours – Gov. Herbert – kicked off the town hall with an assist from Curtis Blair, the president and CEO of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce. Attendees asked important questions about water, housing, elections, tribal relations, and the proposed state flag. The lieutenant governor even changed a few minds after she talked about the process behind the More Than A Flag initiative.

Even when Utahns disagree with us, we love and value hearing everyone’s unique perspective on the state of our state.

A half century of service

Lt. Gov. Henderson is headed down to Parowan today to honor and celebrate Carolyn Jones of Iron County.

For the first time in 1972, Carolyn worked as a poll worker in Enoch and she hasn’t stopped helping Iron County voters since. The state of Utah doesn’t run without the help of the Carolyn Jone-es of the world. Elections, the very foundation of our democratic republic, don’t run without the help of the Carolyn Jone-es of the world.

We’re thankful for Carolyn’s love of community and her servant’s heart. As we continue to look for the helpers in Utah, we wanted to celebrate a 50-year achievement. Good deeds don’t go unnoticed in the Beehive State.

Utah’s winter wonderland 

Utah is home to some of the greatest outdoors in America and winter brings another side of our natural beauty to enjoy.

From skiing to visiting ice castles to sledding, Utah has a lot to offer in the winter. The opportunities are endless to experience the greatest snow on earth. Click here to learn more about winter activities in Utah!

ICYMI

• The #LightTheWorld Giving Machines are now open! Utahns are known for their generosity and the Giving Machines provide opportunities for people around the world to donate and serve. Click here to learn more. 
• The 2022 General Election is complete. This week, the statewide canvass certified the election results.

Coming up

• Dec. 5: We will be meeting with other western governors at the Western Governors Association winter meeting. We are excited to meet with our counterparts here in the western United States!
• Dec. 18: Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate!
• Dec. 25: Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! Our offices will be closed on Dec. 26. 
• Dec. 26: Happy Kwanzaa to all who celebrate!
• Jan. 1: Happy New Year, Utah! We are looking forward to a prosperous 2023. Our offices will be closed on Jan. 2, 2023.

Get involved!

Looking for a new job opportunity? From great employee benefits to versatile work schedules, the career opportunities with the state are truly endless. Join Team Utah today! 

Those looking to volunteer can also consider more than 300 boards and commissions. Find out which openings are available and how you can get involved here!

Get in touch!

You can reach the Governor's Office here. And you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for the latest news and updates.

Contact the Governor's Office

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