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.

Honoring Utah’s First Lady

We were proud to help celebrate Utah First Lady Abby Cox at this year’s Utah Business Women of the Year Luncheon.

Our first lady inspires Utahns to break down the barriers that separate people from treating one another as equals. She is an outspoken advocate for “getting proximate,” connecting through our differences, and combating the empathy crisis our country is facing. She uses her platform to convene, contribute, and champion projects related to statewide service, foster care, educator wellness, and sporting opportunities for children with intellectual disabilities. 

We’re so proud of the work she does and we were honored to celebrate her and the other women making Utah a better place for all!

Remembering a father’s legacy

Unfortunately, we said goodbye to an incredible man this week. Ken Palmer, father to First Lady Abby Cox and her nine siblings, passed away on Wednesday. It was his 76th birthday.

He was a husband, father, farmer, and so much more. He loved this world and the good that was everywhere. He believed in family, faith, and community — and he loved his guitar.

We honor his legacy and are proud of the life he lived.

A flag to represent our past, present, and future

Creating a new flag is a rare opportunity to represent Utah’s past, present, and future to the rest of the world. In the past few months, Utahns submitted more than 7,000 flag ideas and designs. Now we’re asking the public to tell us what they like – and don’t like – about the 20 semi-finalist flag designs. 

We’ve already heard from nearly 20,000 people – representing every county in our state – who provided feedback about these flag designs through the survey. The Design Review Subcommittee will use these survey results to make changes and refinements based on your feedback. The Subcommittee will then present a handful of final selections to the Task Force, who will then vote to send a final design to the Utah Legislature.

Tell us what you think about these flags by taking the survey at flag.utah.gov by Oct. 5. Thank you for helping us tell this story about what a new flag will mean for Utah!

Another impressive jobs report for Utah

The most recent jobs report shows Utah’s economy remains strong as the nation grapples with inflation and other economic hurdles. During the past year, Utah's job count grew by 3.4%, or 54,400 jobs. The unemployment rate held to its historical low of 2%. 

We're proud of the hard-working Utahns who contribute to one of the most robust economies in the nation. Read more here.

Environmental Council of the States

Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson and Kim Shelley, the executive director at the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, welcomed members of the Environmental Council of the States to Utah on Monday.

In her remarks, Lt. Gov. Henderson nodded to some big wins in the Beehive State, including reducing per-capita emissions by 45.7% in the past 15 years, converting our state fleets to zero and low-emission vehicles, and utilizing Tier-3 fuels. So while Utah’s population grew by 37% from 2002 to 2017, statewide air emissions fell by 27.3%.

Our secret weapon for all this progress? The Utah Way. By coming together to find pragmatic solutions, we’ve shown that improved air quality and environmental stewardship don’t have to be partisan issues.

Celebrating Utah’s vibrant culinary culture

We’re spotlighting Utah’s vibrant culinary culture this month, and this week we’re looking at the James Beard-nominated Table X in Millcreek.

The dishes are intricate, edible artwork. Menu descriptions read like poems, detailed with descriptions of garden-fresh vegetables grown on site. Confit celeriac, beet molasses, lemon verbena mascarpone, coconut-curried leeks, winter squash nage, smoked sunchoke — the list goes on.

“You get to a point as a chef where, really, the only thing that matters is the quality of the ingredients,” co-owner and chef Nick Fahs says. “We want to showcase the best product we can get. And by growing it, we ensure that.”

Read more from Visit Utah’s article here.

Your favorite local restaurants

Speaking of food, we’ve been asking #OneUtah subscribers which local spots rank high on their lists, and you did not disappoint. Here’s a look at your favorite Utah restaurants!

Thai Bella
Our favorite dish is Khao-Soi. It may be hard to believe but Thai Bella in Moab is hands down the best Thai food in the entire state. Bella Prucktrakhul is the owner and the most amazing individual. The food, presentation, and atmosphere are exceptional.  If you get lucky, grab a patio seat in the evening and enjoy the fresh air, conversations with good friends, and great food.  
— Brooke, Herriman

Arempa’s
Arempa's in downtown SLC is a must visit. The owner is incredibly nice and there's not a bad thing on the menu. The arepas and empanadas are all great, but the taqueños are the best. The guava and cheese are my favorite.
— Riah, Ogden

ICYMI

• Applications now open! Utah's Office of the Governor offers a number of paid fellowships intended to help young professionals gain a wide variety of experiences and unique perspectives into state government, public service, and more. Apply at governor.utah.gov/fellowships.
• It’s National Public Lands Day! Check out the Forever Mighty Initiative to learn about good stewardship over our public places.
• The Utah Labor Commission is again accepting applications for its annual workplace safety grant. Learn more here.
• Lt. Gov. Henderson delivered a keynote speech this past Friday at the Women in Money conference in Salt Lake City. Thanks to Treasurer Marlo Oaks and the Utah Financial Empowerment Coalition for hosting.
• It was good to reconnect with Mike Pence and his wife Karen to celebrate our mutual friend, Gov. Gary Herbert!
• We lost a dear friend and Utah icon this week. Restaurateur Valter Nassi left his mark on everyone who met him or dined at Valter’s. He will be deeply missed.

Coming up

• Sept. 27: Lt. Gov. Henderson will head to the Bingham Canyon Mine to help make an announcement with leaders from Rio Tinto Kennecott.
• Sept. 28: We’ll honor Utah artists who positively impact the arts and their communities in an award ceremony at the Kearns Mansion.
• Sept. 29: We’ll be in Uintah County meeting with tourism, education, and community leaders as part of the Utah 360 Tour. Stay tuned for updates!
• Oct. 6-7: We’ll be in Washington County meeting with business, education, and community leaders as part of the Utah 360 Tour. Stay tuned for updates!
• Oct. 11-13: We’re excited to head to Cedar City for the One Utah Summit! This is the 35th consecutive year of rural summits, and we look forward to seeing community leaders make valuable connections. If you’re attending, stop by the Beverly Sorensen Center for the Arts on Oct. 11, 5:30 p.m. We’ll be broadcasting our monthly rural radio show live!

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!

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Contact the Governor's Office