What do Utahns really want?
At our 2026 Annual Luncheon, we unveiled the results of the 2026 Community Quality of Life Index survey, straight from the people who call this state home.
We also honored this year’s Insight and Civic Cornerstone award winners, recognizing those shaping our communities for the better:
Civic Cornerstone Award: The Other Side Village
The Other Side Village helps people move from chronic homelessness and isolation toward permanent housing, belonging, purpose, employment, accountability, and self-reliance. The impact goes beyond the people it houses. When people become housed, employed, and connected, neighborhoods become stronger, public resources are used more effectively, businesses gain workers, and communities become healthier and more cohesive.
Preston Cochrane, who has led The Other Side Village for over three years, accepted the award. He has worked to improve quality of life for Utahns for decades. After graduating from the University of Utah, he started the AAA Fair Credit Foundation and has never looked back. He is an ideal leader for The Other Side Village, as he is “driven by a desire to contribute to something larger than himself.”
Insight Award: Dr. Susan Madsen
We were so pleased to award Dr. Susan Madsen with the Insight Award, which recognizes a civic leader with a career of service or philanthropic support who has worked with integrity to provide insights in the public policy arena to improve the quality of life for Utahns.
Dr. Madsen and her team strengthen the everyday conditions that shape quality of life for Utah girls, women, and families through the Utah Women & Leadership Project at Utah State University and the statewide initiative A Bolder Way Forward. They generate trusted, research-based insights that help leaders understand where systems are working and where gaps persist, and they mobilize thousands of Utahns across all 29 counties to address those gaps collaboratively. The top issues are safety, economic stability, education, health, belonging, and representation. Their work is built on a simple idea: when women thrive, families and communities thrive.
And we heard from some great speakers:
We heard from Spencer P. Eccles from the Cynosure Group and Utah Rising, who highlighted the Utah Rising dashboard as a fantastic economic tool. We also heard from Chris Parker with Giv Group on housing affordability and Elizabeth McMillan from UDOT on transportation. As you might have guessed, the economy, housing, and transportation greatly impact quality of life. Shawn Teigen, Utah Foundation President, discussed how this all ties together and unveiled the 2026 Community Quality of Life Index survey results.
A final shout out to our wonderful Board Chair, Carlton Christensen, for MCing the event.
We hope you were able to join us!
Thank you to our sponsors who helped make this event happen:
