I continue to be captivated by San Juan County, Utah and I’m currently focusing on the town of Blanding. In this episode I chat with Debra McKee, Rural Economic Development Manager for four Utah counties, including San Juan County, for the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED). I wanted to chat with Debra to learn more about how she came to her role and to learn more about how GOED works in rural communities like Blanding. We cover all that and more (including the Road Trip Music Question) in this fun and enlightening conversation. Thanks for listening.

Podcast music: “A Happy Day” by codemusic, http://www.jamendo.com, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

In this episode, I talk to Maria Sykes, Co-Founder & Executive Director of Epicenter (https://ruralandproud.org/) in Green River, UT. Maria shares with me how and why she came to Green River from the Deep South 16 years ago and why she stays. We talk about the nonprofit Maria co-founded and leads, Epicenter, and its focus on art, affordable housing, and rural investment in Green River. Maria describes art residencies and events, like Green River Rocks, and housing design and development through programs like Fix-it First, Frontier House and Canal Commons. We talk about development that takes time and avoids booms and busts and Maria gives a great playbook for communities to follow to develop their own Epicenter as well as advice that all funding agencies should follow. We end, as always, with the Road Trip Music Quesion.

Podcast music: “A Happy Day” by codemusic, http://www.jamendo.com, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

In this episode, I talk to Markie Vetere, teacher, barrel racer, and entrepreneur in Green River (UT). Markie talks about how she balances those three passions and how they influence and reinforce each other. Markie talks about the importance of loving the kids she teaches, giving them experiences, and showing them what is possible. She talks about how and why she started her business - Rare Renegade Boutique - and the importance to her of being authentic and supporting local. Markie gets real about the challenges of growth (like trying to find a store front or even a physical presence) and understanding her market of fellow working women. We end with learning about Markie’s horses and with the Road Trip Music Question and some suggestions to get us through long barrel racing road trips.

Podcast music: “A Happy Day” by codemusic, http://www.jamendo.com, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

In this episode, I talk to Edward Castro Bennett, Green River (UT) City Manager. Edward explains how he came to be city manager (it includes having Green River roots, his economic development background, and LinkedIn actually working). We talk about Green River’s history and future as part of the Wild West (connections to Butch Cassidy, John Wesley Powell, and of course, melons and Ray’s Tavern). Edward highlights Green River’s potential as a transportation hub (planes - a municipal airport, trains - one of only 4 Amtrak stops in Utah, and automobiles - right off I70) and how he is focused on listening, building trust, and representing Green River and other rural small Utah towns. We end with very fitting, and classic, Road Trip Music choices.

Podcast music: “A Happy Day” by codemusic, http://www.jamendo.com, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

In this episode, I talk to Louis Williams, river and backcountry guide and owner of Ancient Wayves (the only indigenous owned and operated outfit commercially permitted to provide guided tours within the Bears Ears National Monument). Louis shares how he caught the river guiding bug (through a Navajo friend in Bluff, UT), branching out on his own, and how it’s community that sustains him and his growing business. Louis explains that what he really does with clients on guided trips is time travel and help people connect with the land and his language and culture - the ancient ways! He wants people to understand the importance of preservation, conservation, and education and he is hoping to inspire both guests and other Navajo entrepreneurs. We end with a favorite place (Goosenecks!) and a native band recommendation (Native Roots) for the Road Trip Music.

Podcast music: “A Happy Day” by codemusic, http://www.jamendo.com, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

In this episode, I talk to Sarah Burak (Education Director for the Bears Ears Partnership) about what brought her to the Bluff (UT) area from Alabama and why she never left. We talk about her journey to the Bears Ears Partnership and what she does in her current role as Education Director. We talk about what a Dark Sky designation means and requires (a commitment to dark skies, education, and monitoring light pollution) and what it can do for a community like Bluff. Sarah also shares the Dark Sky initiatives she and her colleagues are working on (field trips for elementary schools, star parties, a Night Sky Festival, and Dark Sky Ambassadors - go be one, you don’t have to be local to Bluff!). We also talk about the increased interest in Bears Ears and the importance of visiting with respect and working with Native American tribes. Sarah shares a surprising but awesome favorite place (along with Natural Bridges National Monument) and we end, as always, with the Road Trip Music Question.

Podcast music: “A Happy Day” by codemusic, http://www.jamendo.com, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

In this episode, I talk to Erin Nelson, owner of Canyon Smokehouse in Bluff (UT) and Bluff Town Manager. Erin shares how she came to live in Bluff and own Canyon Smokehouse (it involves dark skies, small town life, marrying a chef and chasing their joint dreams). We talk about how hard it is to get financing in a rural, remote, small town, and how creative you have to be. Erin talks about how often they have to DIY solutions and the importance of community. With her town manager hat on, Erin shares the importance of pursuing mindful growth, a deliberate focus on small and medium sized businesses, and how she hopes for a diversification of economic opportunity (not relying on one industry) for all rural communities. Before we get to the Road Trip Music Question, Erin recommends the Smokehouse tacos with brisket and the Sand Island Recreation Area just outside Bluff.

Podcast music: “A Happy Day” by codemusic, http://www.jamendo.com, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

In this episode, I talk to Talia Hansen, Economic Development Manager for San Juan County. Talia shares a little of her traumatic childhood story of escape and survival and how she learned from it to take risks, “jump on the truck”, and to be curious and put people first. Talia also talks about how her work with nonprofits, with design thinking, and with running her own business prepared her for her economic development role. We talk about the San Juan County Basecamp conference and the goal to bring people together who aren’t typically able to come together because of the size of the county (it’s not just rural, it’s frontier rural) and then get them out in their own community through immersive experiences. Talia shares some incredible recent grant awardees (including the county’s first to a native-owned business) and how her work with the Ute and Navajo tribes is an honor that has helped her learn more about her own identity. We end, as always, with the Road Trip Music Question.

Podcast music: “A Happy Day” by codemusic, http://www.jamendo.com, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

In this episode, I talk to Michael Powell, currently a staff writer for The Atlantic and author of Canyon Dreams: A Basketball Season on the Navajo Nation (which was the inspiration for the Netflix movie Rez Ball). Michael and I talk about our brief experiences playing rez ball (he calls it a “fast flowing stream”) and Michael talks about the inspiration for the book, the reservation basketball gyms that hold more people than the population of the towns they are built in, hours long road trips with hitchhikers to games, and how basketball on the Navajo reservation is a community and generational thing where everyone knows basketball and everyone has an opinion on how it should be played. We also talk about how entrepreneurial the Navajo people are but how tribal and federal government bureaucracies, clan control of land, spirituality, history, and suspicions around change make economic development and entrepreneurship difficult on the Navajo reservation. And yet, despite the challenges, entrepreneurial activity can be found in the cracks - jewelry in the beautiful canyons and sushi in the desert! We end, as always, with the Road Trip Music Question.

Podcast music: “A Happy Day” by codemusic, http://www.jamendo.com, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

In this episode, I talk to Allison Yamamoto-Sparks, Visitor Services Manager for San Juan County, UT. Allison gives an overview of the geography of San Juan County/Utah’s Canyon Country and describes her role (a little bit of everything related to marketing and tourism for San Juan County). We talk about the county’s new “Head South to Go West” campaign and the evolution from casting a wide net to targeted marketing to places like Salt Lake City, Denver, Phoenix, Canada, France, and Germany. 

Bears Ears is in San Juan County and we talk about the impact of the Bears Ears controversy on tourism and how COVID led her office to change from focusing only on destination marketing to destination management (educating people on how to recreate responsibly). We also talk about the impact of the current political climate on international tourism and finding the balance between tourism and growth and maintaining the identities of rural communities. Allison shares some lesser-known must-sees (Goosenecks State Park and the Moki Dugway) and hikes (Needles District of Canyonlands National Park). We end with one of my favorite Road Trip Music suggestions ever!

Podcast music: “A Happy Day” by codemusic, http://www.jamendo.com, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/