Blog

We’re Hiring! Research Analyst Position Announcement

Written by: Shawn Teigen

POSITION: Research Analyst – The Utah Foundation APPLICATION DEADLINE: December 2, 2022 JOB DESCRIPTION: The Utah Foundation is seeking a Research Analyst to perform public policy analysis and outreach. This is a full-time, salaried position. Candidates must have a strong desire to perform analysis of public-sector issues in a professional, nonpartisan setting and must demonstrate an understanding of public policy topics such as healthcare, housing, workforce, water, and/or infrastructure. Although the Utah Foundation is not … Continued

New President at the Utah Foundation

Written by: Staff

— Shawn Teigen to Take Over from Peter Reichard — On November 15, 2022, the Chair of the Utah Foundation Board of Trustees, Art Turner, announced that Shawn Teigen has been appointed as the president of the organization. Teigen brings a wealth of experience to the position, from entrepreneur to Peace Corps volunteer to researcher at the Utah Foundation. He’s been focusing on public policy for the past 15 years, including as the Utah Foundation’s … Continued

Op-ed: Utah should grow into its gaps

Written by: Peter Reichard

When we think of growth, we often picture developers buying an old farm or ranch and building a subdivision. We picture a growing civilizational footprint, turning what was once green into something gray. But Utah can look within the existing footprint for opportunities to grow. That means identifying sites within developed areas that are vacant or underutilized. Development of these sites is known as “infill.” Multiple factors are now converging in Utah to make infill … Continued

Utah Thrives Podcast | Finding Space for New Development

Written by: Peter Reichard

In this edition of Utah Thrives, Utah Foundation Vice President Shawn Teigen and President Peter Reichard sit down to discuss the new report, Filling in the Blanks: How Utah Communities Can Deploy Infill Development to Advance Quality of Life.  

Significant Statistics | How is Utah performing on the Nation’s Report Card?

Written by: Shawn Teigen

The National Assessment of Education Progress – or the Nation’s Report Card – has been administered to students around the nation by the U.S. Department of Education for decades. Based upon the scores achieved, students are measured as “advanced,” “proficient,” “basic” or “below basic.” When looking at whether students are proficient, 2022 was a bad year. While states and the nation had been trending upward since 2000 with their proficient percentages on the math and … Continued

Utah Thrives Podcast | Getting Personal and Talking Building Codes

Written by: Shawn Teigen

Is the Well-Being of Utahns in Decline? That’s the question raised by the second report in the 2022 Utah Quality of Life project. The report focuses on personal quality of life – based on a survey where Utahns rate their well-being on a series of seven factors. In this edition of Utah Thrives, Utah Foundation Vice President Shawn Teigen and President Peter Reichard sit down to discuss that report. We also discuss another new report, on building … Continued

Op-ed: If you feel like something is ‘off,’ you are not alone

Written by: Peter Reichard

Utahns just aren’t feeling as good about life today as they were four years ago. That’s one of the big takeaways from the latest Utah Foundation report, “The 2022 Utah Personal Quality of Life Index: Is the Well-Being of Utahns in Decline?” The report focuses on personal quality of life – based on a survey where Utahns rate their well-being on a series of seven factors. In 2022, the Personal Quality of Life Index stands … Continued

Significant Statistics | The Pursuit of Happiness in Utah: How are We Doing?

Written by: Shawn Teigen

The Utah Foundation recently released its Personal Quality of Life Index. It shows that Utahns’ well-being is on the downward slide, declining from a score of 82 in 2018 to 76 in 2022. But how might Utah compare to other states? We don’t have a national version of our Quality of Life survey, but we can get a glimpse from other indicators. For instance, WalletHub’s recent “Happiest States” rating shows that Utah comes in at … Continued

Utah Thrives Podcast | Social Capital in Utah

Written by: Peter Reichard

Social Capital: An Overview of the 2021-22 Series In July, the Utah Foundation released the eighth installment in its Utah Social Capital Series. The series examined roughly 30 metrics in seven topical areas. They included civic engagement, social trust, community life, family life, social cohesion, social mobility and the focus on the next generation. The Network of Relationship: Utah’s Social Capital Index is the final report in the series. It takes together the findings of the previous … Continued

Press Release: Garffs to be Honored with the Utah Foundation’s 2022 Insight Award

Written by: Peter Reichard

Katharine and Robert Garff to be Honored with the Utah Foundation’s 2022 Insight Award Annual Luncheon Features Education Innovator Michael Horn as Keynote Speaker (August 24, 2022) – Katharine Garff and her late husband Robert will be honored with the Insight Award at Utah Foundation’s 2022 Annual Luncheon on November 16 at the Marriott City Creek Hotel. The purpose of the Insight Award is to recognize civic leaders who, through a career of service or philanthropic support, have … Continued