Governor’s One Utah Summit announces 2023 award recipients

The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity has announced its award recipients for the 2023 Spring One Utah Summit.

The One Utah Summit, hosted by Gov. Spencer Cox, occurs every six months, alternating between Northern and Southern Utah locations. The upcoming Northern Utah summit takes place on May 1-2 in Layton at the Davis Conference Center, where leaders in industry, the public sector and expert speakers will gather to discuss Utah’s economic development trends and topics.

At the summit, Cox will{mprestriction ids="1,3"} recognize individuals and companies that significantly contributed to Utah and beyond in economic development, local communities and industry. Recipients of the governor’s summit awards live and work full-time in Utah and have supported the local economy for a decade or more.

“We congratulate this year’s One Utah Summit award recipients,” said Cox. “These individuals and organizations contribute to Utah’s economy and exemplify the values of hard work and togetherness that the Beehive State is known for.”

The 2023 award winners are:

Utah Businessperson of the Year: Regina Hokanson, president & CEO, HHI Corp.

Hokanson is the president and CEO of HHI, a construction, engineering and manufacturing firm. Her advancement came after the joint acquisition of the firm in 2011 with her spouse, Cliff Hokanson, continuing a family legacy of more than 50 years of operating the company. Hokanson has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and leads the effort in acquiring new contracts and projects, including clients such as the Department of Defense and the State Department of the U.S. federal government. During the COVID-19 pandemic, HHI created chemical and biological isolation containers to help treat patients.

Utah Business of the Year: Lendio.

Founded in 2011 with headquarters in Lehi, Lendio is a free marketplace for small-business loans where lenders compete for business. Lendio partners with over 75 lenders to offer small-business owners access to working capital to start or grow their businesses. In 2021, Glassdoor ranked Lendio the No. 8 Best Place to Work. Lendio employees benefit from a hybrid work schedule, pay equity, generous benefits and policies supporting diversity.

Utah International Business of the Year: Beauty Industry Group.

Beauty Industry Group sells products in 165 countries to more than 100,000 stylists and salons worldwide. With a mission to deliver true beauty to the world, the hair extension and solution company is headquartered in Salt Lake City with 150 team members. It has additional offices in China, Australia, England, Germany, Canada, New York, Miami, Los Angeles and San Diego, with plans to open physical operations in another four eastern countries by mid-2023.

Cameron Russell Williams Rising Impact Award: Kenneth Boggs, The Kenneth Boggs Group.

Boggs is an African American businessman, philanthropist, investor and educational speaker passionate about empowering youth. Raised in Los Angeles, Boggs founded Kenneth Boggs Suits in 2012 and quickly became a self-made fashion mogul. In 2017, he and a childhood friend formed The Kenneth Boggs Group, a global business firm with a philanthropic focus engaged in various projects across North America, Africa and Asia. The group focuses on solving real-world problems, including constructing public restrooms, schools, affordable housing and medical clinics.

Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology/K-12 Education: Lora Gibbons. Gibbons is a teacher at Mountain Heights Academy with over 23 years of experience. She knows students are our future and inspires countless students through her teaching, mentorship and fostering a love of learning with all students, from accelerated learners to those who require more support. Gibbons strongly supports STEM education in Utah with involvement in state and national STEM competitions. She has mentored nationally winning eCYBERMISSION teams, state and national finalist Samsung Solve for Tomorrow teams, Lexus Eco Challenge teams and Thomas Edison Pitch students. She’s on the Utah Science Teachers Association board, works on various Utah State Board of Education projects and cohorts, and works with the STEM Action Center as a chief science officer.

Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology/Academic & Research: Julie L. Valentine. Valentine, associate dean for undergraduate studies and research at the Brigham Young University College of Nursing, has conducted groundbreaking research on sexual assault, driving Utah’s improvements in addressing sexual violence. Her collaborative research study with the Utah Bureau of Forensic Sciences, starting in 2011, captures data on sexual assault cases. This growing dataset of approximately 10,000 sexual assault cases is the largest database of its kind. She was the primary author of Utah’s original Sexual Assault Kit Initiative grant and the District Attorney of New York grant, which awarded around $3.2 million to Utah to fund the testing of over 11,000 backlogged sexual assault kits and identification of over 2,000 suspects. Her research has resulted in multidisciplinary reforms in education, practice and policy in Utah and the United States.

Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology/Industry: David J. Bearss. Bearss is the president, chairman and CEO at Halia Therapeutics. His mentorship and achievements are transforming therapeutics, spawning discovery, seeding startups, and strengthening Utah’s life sciences community. His successful entrepreneurial track record of drug development spans the past 25 years, including the discovery of 16 compounds that moved to clinical development. He started numerous companies, including, notably, Tolero Pharmaceuticals in Lehi. He helped establish the research arm of Huntsman Cancer Institute and the U2TAH Therapeutics Accelerator at the University of Utah, which guides investigators and researchers in moving their programs toward clinical studies and licensing.

Utah Energy Pioneer Award: Sen. David Hinkins, Utah Legislature.

Hinkins has served in the Utah Legislature since 2009, where his primary focus has been on the state’s natural resources and energy policy. A businessman by trade, Hinkins worked in the electrical business serving industrial mining and agricultural customers. As a legislator and businessman, he embodied efforts to keep electricity affordable and reliable. His work in and understanding of the energy industry have earned him the trust of state leaders in policy considerations that affect the energy sector.

Utah Energy Pioneer Award: San Rafael Energy Research Center.

The San Rafael Energy Research Center, located in Emery County, develops global solutions in sustainable energy from research and piloting to commercialization and local on-site manufacturing. Made possible by partnerships with local universities, government offices and private-sector entities, the anticipated solutions will result in dramatic reductions in the cost of energy, which in turn will accelerate the pace of technological breakthroughs and scientific advancement worldwide.{/mprestriction}