30th Anniversary of the Utah Rural Summit
Published: July 24, 2017 | Author: Wes Curtis | Read Time: 3 minutes
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the annual Utah Rural Summit, making it the longest running rural development conference in the nation. The Rural Summit is hosted by Southern Utah University’s Utah Center for Rural Life, and will take place August 3 - 4 in Cedar City at the Hunter Conference Center, on the SUU campus. Attendees include government and business leaders from across the state, including legislators, county commissioners, city officials, economic development and planning professionals, and policy makers from both state and federal government offices.
With Lifting Through Leadership as its theme, this year’s Utah Rural Summit features keynote addresses from internationally acclaimed community development author Doug Griffiths, Utah Governor Gary Herbert, and former governor and former Bush Administration cabinet member Michael O. Leavitt. Other conference presenters include Deseret News political columnists LaVarr Webb and Frank Pignanelli, as well as numerous business leaders, state officials, and local leaders.
The Rural Summit will feature the statewide rollout of Governor Herbert’s 25k Jobs Initiative. This initiative is a commitment by the Governor to facilitate the creation of 25,000 jobs in communities located outside the four metropolitan Wasatch Front counties. As part of this rollout, the public is invited to join with the Governor and other state officials outside on the SUU upper quad, Thursday, August 3, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., to learn more about how to take advantage of this small business-focused effort.
According to conference organizer, Wes Curtis, “In every instance where rural communities have made progress in job creation or community development, you can always point to a specific individual or individuals who have had vision and passion, and who have done the work and led the effort. Local leadership is the key to every local accomplishment.”
This theme is echoed by keynote speaker, Doug Griffiths, author of the highly acclaimed book, 13 Ways to Kill Your Community. “Don’t just be the leader. . . show leadership,” says Griffiths.
Griffiths believes communities are the foundation on which we build stronger families, stronger businesses, and stronger nations. “Build strong communities, and success will follow.” He helps communities identify what is holding them back from finding success, and then helps them overcome it. Griffiths inspires by showing how communities are often destroying their own chance at success.
“We all do things that undermine our opportunity for success, whether we are consciously aware of it or not,” says Griffiths. “My objective is to help communities recognize their potential and to get them on a better path.”
LaVarr Webb and Frank Pignanelli have been mainstays in Utah’s political scene for decades. Their weekly column in the Deseret News offers political commentary that is insightful and lighthearted at the same time. Coming from opposite ends of the political spectrum, their friendly give-and-take adds a much-needed balance to the political dialogue. At the Rural Summit, their column shtick will come to life as they discuss what a Trump presidency means for rural Utah, along with other timely issues.
The Utah Rural Summit is especially pleased to have former Utah Governor and Cedar City native son Michael O. Leavitt as a keynote speaker. Governor Leavitt brings a national and global perspective to the topic of leadership as the critical ingredient to success in a rapidly changing world.
The Utah Rural Summit also features a number of breakout sessions covering a variety of topics, including natural resources, public lands issues, and challenges facing energy development, as well as a special tourism track.
Registration and additional information about the 2017 Utah Rural Summit can be found at https://utahlinks.org/urs, or by calling 435-586-7707.
Contact Information:
435-586-5400
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This article was published more than 3 years ago and might contain outdated information or broken links. As a result, its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.