Economic Development, Recruitment & Investment Working Group MEMBERS

April Cooper - Governor Appointee

April Cooper was appointed to serve on the board by Governor Herbert. She is the CEO/president of Alpine Companies, which is consistently ranked as one of Utah’s fastest-growing companies with over $250 million in federal prime contracts awarded since 2016. April has experience in government property and loan servicing as well as disposition. She is adept in financing, audit, accounting, compliance, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A).

Daniel Hemmert - Governor Appointee

Daniel Hemmert was appointed director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development by Governor Spencer Cox in 2021. He oversees promotion of business, tourism, film, outdoor recreation and international trade and diplomacy in the state. Hemmert previously served in the Utah State Senate as the Senate Majority Whip. Hemmert is also an entrepreneur with experience owning and operating businesses in the retail, service, finance, and tech industries. He has a J.D. and MBA from Brigham Young University.

Theresa Foxley - EDCUtah

Theresa Foxley is the president and CEO of EDCUtah. Prior to joining EDCUtah Theresa was a senior leader at the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development. Earlier in her career, Theresa represented a diverse set of clients in private legal practice on a multitude of general corporate and financial matters. She holds a JD from the University of Utah and a B.A. in political economy from Utah State University.

Stan Lockhart - The Lockhart Group

Stan Lockhart is principal at The Lockhart Group. He serves on multiple boards, including for Lone Peak Hospital and Utah Intergenerational Poverty Project. He holds a B.S. in business management from Brigham Young University.

Miles Hansen - World Trade Center Utah

Miles Hansen is the president and CEO of World Trade Center Utah, an organization dedicated to promoting prosperity across the state by attracting investment and increasing exports. He was most recently the director for gulf affairs at the National Security Council in the White House. He is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and Brigham Young University. A speaker of Russian, Farsi and Arabic, Hansen has firsthand experience in more than 70 countries and is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Thor Roundy - EVN Law

Thor Roundy is founder, president and attorney of EVN Law. He has been practicing law for 27 years. His legal work includes business development, real estate transactions, corporate mergers and acquisitions, contracts, estate and business planning, and litigation. He graduated from Boalt Hall Law School at U.C. Berkeley.

Joseph Spence- Goldman Sachs

Joseph Spence is currently a vice president at Goldman Sachs covering TMT; Real Estate, Gaming & Lodging; and Structured Finance. Prior to entering the financial sector, Joseph worked at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP within the intellectual property law group. There, he translated patents and other legal documents from Japanese into English. Joseph has an MBA from Columbia Business School and bachelor’s in electrical engineering with a minor in physics and pre-med studies from Howard University. He holds diplomas in yoga therapy and teaching from the secular Indian Institute of Yoga based in Patna, India and has a second-degree black belt in Japanese Swordsmanship from Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

Jonathan Francom - Adobe

Jonathan Francom is vice president of global employee and workplace solutions for Adobe. He joined Utah-based Omniture in 2008 as director of corporate real estate and facilities operations and moved into his current role following Adobe’s acquisition of Omniture in 2009. Prior to joining Adobe, Francom held positions at Wachovia Corporation and Intel Corporation. Francom holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Utah State University, an MBA from Brigham Young University, and management courses from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.

Mark Welcker - Point of the Mountain Chamber of Commerce

Mark Welcker is the president and CEO of the Point of the Mountain Chamber of Commerce. He has served on various boards and committees, such as chair of the Utah State Chamber of Commerce, Lehi City Economic Development Committee, Mountainland Association of Governments, and the Regional Advisory Council. He is a graduate of Utah Valley University with a bachelor’s degree in business management. He also holds a certificate in Nonprofit Organization Management from The US Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Derek Miller - Salt Lake Chamber

Derek Miller is the president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance. Previously, Derek served as the president and CEO of the World Trade Center Utah. He also served as chief of staff to Governor Herbert and as managing director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development for Governor Huntsman. He is a graduate of the J. Reuben Clark Law School and holds a Master of Public Administration from the Romney Institute of Public Service and Ethics at Brigham Young University.

David Carlebach - World Trade Center Utah

David Carlebach is the Head of International Investment at the World Trade Center Utah. He is responsible for attracting foreign investors to the State of Utah. Previously, he was a Managing Director at Goldman, Sachs and led them establishing and growing their presence in Salt Lake City. He holds an MBA from The Booth School of Business and a BS from the University of Michigan.

Curtis Blair - Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce

Curtis Blair is the president and CEO of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce. Blair has more than 25 years of executive experience in marketing, consulting, and negotiation. Previously, he was principal and co-founder of Hoodoo Capital and Consulting. He holds a BA from Brigham Young University.

Dr. Belkis Torres-Capeles - Utah Valley University

Dr. Belkis Torres-Capeles is associate provost of Community Outreach and Economic Development (COED) at UVU. Previously, she served as the dean of Continuing Education at Triton College. She holds a Ph.D. in cultural foundations of education, leadership, and administration from Kent State University.

 Meeting Materials