Season 5 Episode 14: This episode features a conversation with Kori Ann Edwards, managing director of strategic initiatives, and Kyle Palmer, director of the Unified Economic Opportunity Commission, about the economic development outcomes from Utah’s 2023 legislative session.

Utah’s 2023 legislative session recently concluded, and the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity represented Gov. Cox’s charge to foster and encourage economic opportunities for all Utahns. This year, the Legislature passed a record number of bills totaling 575 that addressed various issues.

Edwards discusses her responsibility overseeing the strategic initiatives team, what economic development planning looks like in Utah, why the Economic Opportunity office engages with the Legislature, and its role in the legislative ecosystem. She also highlights the impacts Utah businesses can expect from the recent legislative session and looks forward to the office’s priorities for the 2024 legislative session.

Palmer elaborates on the Unified Economic Opportunity Commission’s role, its impacts on Utah residents, and how stakeholder feedback is incorporated throughout the session. He also discusses policy initiatives that resulted in new legislation and how working with stakeholders creates economic opportunities throughout the year.