Lorena Riffo-Jenson
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall has appointed Lorena Riffo-Jenson as director of the city’s Department of Economic Development. Riffo-Jenson has served as interim director of the department since July and previously served as the deputy under Director Benjamin Kolendar. She is the department’s third director and the first Latina to head the department. Riffo-Jenson will lead city employees across two divisions, the Salt Lake City Arts Council and Business Development, in addition to leading initiatives like Tech Lake City and ARPA Community Grants. She began her career in Utah state government managing business and economic development programs, overseeing corporate filings and business registrations for the state, and taking charge of the state’s hosting program during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Riffo-Jenson spent more than 17 years of her career as founder and president of VOX Creative, a marketing and communications firm based in Salt Lake City.
