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UDVMA and Veteran Business Resource Center launch Utah Veteran-Owned Business Registry

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Utah Department of Veterans & Military Affairs and Veteran Business Resource Center launch Utah Veteran-Owned Business Registry


SALT LAKE CITY, January 9 – The Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs (UDVMA) and the Veterans Business Resource Center (VBRC) at Salt Lake Community College have launched a Veteran-owned business registry. This registry will help promote Veteran-owned businesses in Utah by allowing the public to search for and find Veteran businesses to support.

Utah is home to over 140,000 Veterans and according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 18,000 Utah businesses are Veteran-owned. The state continues to be recognized as one of the best performing economies in the nation and a business-friendly state. UDVMA and VBRC are dedicated to ensuring Veterans can take advantage of this success and grow their businesses.

“It is an honor to serve our Veterans and their families and we are excited to launch this new registry as another way to give back,” said Gary Harter, executive director of UDVMA. “Utah is a highly patriotic and military friendly state and many Utahns want to show their gratitude to those who have served. Now they have more ways to do so by supporting their local Veteran-owned businesses.”

“Veterans have a wealth of experience and skills that lend very well to starting and running successful businesses,” said Rick Brown, VBRC Director. “As we continue our work here at the VBRC helping Veterans and their families start and run businesses, we are pleased to offer this registry to further boost the great work of our Veterans.”

The Utah Veteran-Owned Business Registry can be found at https://vbr.veterans.utah.gov. Utahns can search by keywords or the name of the business. Businesses with any level of Veteran ownership can register at vbr.veterans.utah.gov/s/register-business. Veteran status and business license will be verified by UDVMA and being listed on the registry does not represent an endorsement of the business or its services.

The Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs (UDVMA) is the state agency that assists Veterans, service members and their families to access their benefits and strives to ensure that Utah remains a military and veteran friendly state. UDVMA also advises the Governor and state legislature on matters pertaining to military affairs throughout Utah and serves as a liaison to the leadership of Utah’s military installations, defense industry, and economic development organizations.

The Veterans Business Resource Center (VBRC) was created by the State of Utah and Salt Lake Community College to directly support Veterans, service members and their families in starting and growing their businesses. VBRC offers support and resources to assist in testing your business idea, developing a business plan, forming a company, analyzing financial needs, and creating an effective marketing strategy.


For more information, please contact:
Taylor Ricks, UDVMA, (801) 900-1906, tricks@utah.gov
Rick Brown, VBRC, (801) 957-5288, richard.brown2@slcc.edu

Lon Hudman, Five Star Hospitality Performance

Lon Hudman is a managing partner of Five Star Hospitality Performance, the single source partner for corporate events, experiences, team building activities, and incentive travel for over 18 years. The Worldwide Event Producers have worked with many renowned brands including Microsoft, Eddie Bauer, Outdoor Retailers, and 3M to provide unforgettable experiences.

With offices in Orlando, FL and Salt Lake City, UT, the organization provides both national and global services. Lon Hudman describes what drew him to Ogden explaining, “I recognized a need for a quality event production company in Ogden and Northern Utah.” Hudman spent 25 years in the event production industry prior to stepping away for several years to help establish a start-up nutritional supplement company. Now Hudman has returned to the event production industry to pursue the career that he has always loved.

After telling a former client of his plans to dive back into the event production industry, the client replied excitedly, “Thank goodness! No one ever matched your creativity or the quality of the events that you produced.” Another client endorsement states, “The Five Star Hospitality team are all so great to work with! The location and resort they helped us find was perfect for our company trip. They made the process very easy with constant communication and suggestions that all were on point. Five Star lives up to the name 100%!!”

Specializing in large events, Five Star Hospitality Performance’s corporate structure allows them to assemble the ideal-sized team to fit your needs and optimize the amount spent on any event. Their list of trusted and experienced partners in all areas of event production is second to none, resulting in an event that is of the highest quality and yet budget friendly.

“You rarely remember how something looks, but you will always remember how it made you feel. That’s why we work with our clients to combine creative storytelling, experiential design, and a focus on natural touch points to curate spaces that create lasting memories, not fleeting impressions.”

Hudman believes that live events are going to make a huge comeback, “Post Covid, people are looking forward to getting together again in person and enjoying conventions, meetings, and incentive travel,” said Hudman.

To learn more about Five Star Hospitality Performance, please visit https://fivestarhospitalityevents.com/ or check out their Instagram here. You can also reach Lon Hudman at lon@fivestarperformance.co








D.L. Evans Bank announces John V. Evans, III has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer and John V. Evans, Jr. will continue to serve as President


BURLEY, Idaho, January 5 – D.L. Evans Bank announced today that John V. (J.V.) Evans, III, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer and John V. Evans, Jr. will continue to serve in the role of President.

John V. Evans, Jr. joined D.L. Evans Bank in 1979 and has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Bank since 1985. His father, John V. Evans, Sr. joined the Bank as President in 1987, after serving ten years as Governor of Idaho, and he served as Bank President until 2014. John Jr. succeeded his father in the role of President. John Jr. stated: “It’s been an honor to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of D.L. Evans Bank. While I look forward to continuing my role as President of the Bank, appointing John V. Evans, III, to the Chief Executive Officer role is an exciting milestone for our company and I believe his expertise and knowledge will lead the Bank to further growth while nurturing the company culture.” John Jr. has been instrumental in the Bank’s overall success for more than 43 years. It is under his leadership that the Bank has grown from two branches and $8 million in assets to over $3 billion in assets and 38 branches throughout Southern Idaho and Northern Utah. D.L. Evans Bank is currently the largest Idaho-based community bank.

Appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of D.L. Evans Bank, John V. (J.V.) Evans, III, is a fifth-generation banker, as he is a great-great-grandson of the D.L. Evans Bank founder, David Lloyd (D.L.) Evans. He has more than 25 years of banking experience, serving as an Executive Officer and being instrumental in the success of the Bank. J.V. said: “I am excited to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of D.L. Evans Bank and for John V. Evans, Jr. to continue to serve as President. Being a family-owned and employee-owned bank, we are very proud of our company and family history. We are grateful to be able to serve our communities. We have remarkably talented leaders and employees working for our company and I am excited for the future.”

Over the years, J.V. has led D.L. Evans Bank in several different capacities, from lending and management to being appointed as a member of the Executive Management team in 2003 in the role of Executive Vice President, and in more recent years as the Chief Credit Officer. J.V. has a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Idaho and is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School. He has been active in his community serving on many non-profit and community boards. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Idaho Elks Hospital Foundation, Idaho Bankers Association, Bankers’ Bank of the West, and the Federal Delegate Board of the Independent Community Bankers Association.

John V. (J.V.) Evans, III, Chief Executive Officer (Left) and John V. Evans, Jr., President (Right)
John V. (J.V.) Evans, III, Chief Executive Officer (Left) and John V. Evans, Jr., President (Right)



About D.L. Evans Bank
Established in 1904, D.L. Evans Bank is a community bank focused on serving the local communities and providing the best banking solutions to the community members. D.L. Evans Bank has 38 branches in Idaho and Utah, with more than $3 billion in assets.

More information can be found at https://www.dlevans.com/.

Ogden School District to Provide No Cost Meals to All Students For the Remainder of the 2022-2023 School Year

OGDEN, Utah – Nov. 2, 2022 – The Ogden School District Child Nutrition Department is pleased to announce that effective November 2, 2022 through the remainder of the school year, all breakfasts and lunches served to all of our students will be free of charge. The Child Nutrition Department has elected to use available State Reimbursement funding to cover the costs of the meals for the remainder of the school year for students who do not financially qualify for free school meals. We hope this decision will benefit families by easing the financial burden of paying for school meals.

Please note this is for the 2022-23 school year only. Parents will need to plan on submitting a free & reduced meals application or pay for school meals for the 2023-2024 school year. The Ogden School District Child Nutrition Department will re-evaluate the opportunity to offer meals at no cost to all students in the future, based on available funding.

This news builds upon the announcement made on August 19, 2022 that eight of the 18 schools in Ogden School District had qualified for inclusion in the USDA’s Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program, which provides funding for school meals in school communities with high rates of poverty.

Bonneville Elementary, Heritage Elementary, Hillcrest Elementary, James Madison Elementary, Lincoln Elementary, Odyssey Elementary, Mound Fort Jr. High and George Washington High School are the schools that had already qualified for the federal CEP funding during the 2022-2023 school year. Now, Ogden School District has ensured that students at all other District schools will receive no cost meals for the remainder of the school year.

For more information, contact Jer Bates, Director of Communications or visit www.ogdensd.org.

Aerospace Expands Its Regional Office at Hill Air Force Base

Bringing Technical Expertise to Modernize and Strengthen our Nation’s Next-Generation ICBM Programs

The Aerospace Corporation (Aerospace) hosted a ribbon-cutting today for its newly expanded offices at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, where significant work is being done to support the modernization of our nation’s nuclear deterrence programs and outpace adversarial nuclear threats. From these new offices, Aerospace’s top engineers and scientists will work on advancing the development of the next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

“As adversaries develop and advance nuclear weapons capabilities, the sustainment and modernization of our nation’s nuclear deterrence is critical to protecting our national security,” said Steve Isakowitz, Aerospace president and CEO. “Building on our legacy of supporting ICBMs during the Cold War, Aerospace continues to provide unmatched technical expertise and objective analysis to ensure the success of our nation’s nuclear programs and support the Department of Defense’s deterrence mission.”

Aerospace has supported ICBM programs at Hill Air Force Base for more than 14 years. Today, company engineers and scientists continue to provide technical expertise for ICBM programs through systems, propulsion, and guidance engineering, as well as software development capabilities that include digital engineering and cybersecurity. They also aid government decision-makers in evaluating acceptance of risk-enhancing mission assurance measures.

“The Aerospace Corporation’s alignment at Hill Air Force Base is the perfect fit in the work to protect our country,” said Chuck Leonhardt, president and CEO of the Ogden-Weber Chamber of Commerce. “We are fortunate to have such a powerful leader in the space industry in our business community.”

Aerospace’s new 24,000 square foot office will accommodate up to 140 employees, customers, and contractors – more than tripling today’s staffing numbers. It will also enable Aerospace engineers to work in a co-located, secure environment alongside the U.S. Air Force’s program staff. The presence of secured IT facilities and equipment will allow for collaboration with remote locations across the nation. Additionally, local staff are part of Aerospace’s nationwide Engineering and Technology Group (ETG), which provides deep technical insight and expertise to the local customer base and other strategic customers, like NASA, across the nation.

Aerospace’s local presence is expected to have an approximate economic impact of $13 million by the end of 2023. The company has a newly formed relationship with the University of Utah, where it advises on systems engineering curriculum needs. In the community, local Aerospace employees volunteer in programs that inspire the next generation of students to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

United Way of Northern Utah Appoints Julie Johnson as New CEO

by Amanda Heperi


Johnson brings more than 11 years of program development and community resource distribution to CEO position.

The Board of Directors of United Way of Northern Utah (UWNU) are pleased to announce the appointment of Julie Johnson as Chief Executive Officer. Johnson is the first female to take the role of CEO at UWNU.

In her most recent role as Director of Community Resources, Johnson provided oversight and guidance for early childhood education, bringing operational expertise to the organization’s education initiative and enhancing its impact.

“The interview process exceeded the expectations I had,” said UWNU Chairman of the Board Rhett Long. “In the end, we had the right candidate inside the UWNU organization. Johnson stood out in several areas. Her time as the interim CEO, gave some insight to how the organization would work together under her leadership and we could see the positive impact she had leading staff.”

While at UWNU, Johnson created the Nonprofit Connection, expanded 211, and implemented Welcome Baby and Learn with Playgroups in our service area. Additionally, Johnson oversaw the distribution of community service grants to local nonprofits. Johnson has also served on many working and advisory community boards.

“Julie has a great deal of support from staff, community leaders, other nonprofits and the UWNU Board of Directors,” continued Long. “She received numerous letters of recommendation and support for the position.”

“As chair of grants committee for several years, I had the opportunity to watch Julie guide and train other nonprofits so they could receive more support for their cause and needs. Northern Utah is lucky to have Julie supporting so many!”

  • Julie Johnson, CEO, United Way of Northern Utah

Since 2010, there had been discussions of designating a space for the Arts community – a place to highlight the talent and creativity of the community in downtown Ogden. Local artists needed an affordable space in a convenient location, and East Central Ogden could provide exactly that.

Thaine Fischer started researching Arts and Creative districts in 2012 when he found an interesting statistic… Arts and Creative districts don’t fail, ever! The only recognized failure is that they become so successful, the community who started them can no longer afford to live there. In addition, they are typically founded in the less desirable or neglected parts of a community. Thaine felt Ogden’s creative and artistic community was underrepresented and needed a place to call home.

Years later in November of 2019, Thaine founded The Monarch – a collaborative environment where artists, creative businesses, and makers of all types can connect, inspire, and create together in the heart of Ogden’s Nine Rails Creative District.

“We believe that creativity drives communities,” says Thaine. “We strive to provide the region with unique experiences through artist engagement, a creative environment as a pallet for private event space, and superior management hosting memorable events.”

Thaine and his staff connected a community of artists, makers, and creatives in a redeveloped historic parking structure. In essence, The Monarch put a flag in the ground for the Nine Rails Creative District, a statement that it believes in the power of ART. The organization takes pride in their community impact and feel that their biggest win has been seeing all the support from Ogden City and the entire Wasatch Front.

“At our grand opening, we had many individuals become emotional while telling us stories of how they have interacted with this historic building,” says Thaine in regards to the overwhelming support. “They love how it has become a creative space that welcomes everyone. Now, they get to create even more memories here.”

Thaine and his team at The Monarch are excited to continue expanding the creative spirit and keep the Arts in Ogden Growing.

To learn more about Thaine, his staff, or The Monarch please visit their website here, call or email: (602) 999 1855 or thaine@themonarchogden.com

In 2021, China started Good As Gold Insurance as a one-woman business writing all different types of insurance policies customized to the lifestyle of her clients. As a mother of two girls, it was important for China to have a job where she was able to stay home with them as much as possible before the school year started – Good As Gold Insurance allowed her to do just that.

“You’ve got it gal!” is China’s motto – she never gives up on a challenge and she never wants her clients to give up either. “No” is not an option for her and she will go to any lengths to make things work. Many clients have said that China always gets back to them with not only a solution, but several options when they felt stuck. Everyone knows they can count on China!

One customer testimonial from her client, Debbie Williams, reads, “China is so bright and really knows about insurance. She is friendly and very conscientious, making sure you get the right insurance for your personal needs.”

China loves and values Ogden’s rich culture, history, and growing community. She has always been connected to this community and proud of its accomplishments and growth. Ogden was the ideal place for her to start her business and she knew that her business would prosper here. When asked what the biggest win for her business has been, China said, “Good As Gold Insurance has experienced financial every month since it opened in 2021.” China is excited for the future and looks forward to seeing the growth of a business that is her completely her own, not attached to another person!

So, what if, instead of thinking about solving your whole life, you just think about adding additional good things. One at a time. Just let your pile of good things grow.

– Rainbow Rowell

To learn more about China please call or email her at: (801) 940 2693 or goodasgoldinsurance@gmail.com

OGDEN – Ogden School District’s summer lunch program has been recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) recognized 84 summer meal sponsors and awarded them with Turnip the Beet! Awards. For the 2021 program year, 14 sponsors qualified for a gold award; 54 qualified for a silver award; and 16 qualified for a bronze award. Ogden School District was one of two silver award winners from Utah – the second award was given to Tooele School District.

Ogden School District was nominated and then given a score by the FNS. Winners of the award must provide appetizing, appealing, and nutritious meals. Categories in the scoring process include:

  • Age-appropriate meals
  • Nutrition-based activities
  • Fresh fruits and vegetables
  • Amount of whole grain foods

Summer meals supports students’ health, even when they no longer have access to the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Ogden School District provides both breakfast and lunch for children under 18 Monday through Friday during the summer months. This meal program has been available to students since 1984 and positively impacts the development of our students.

In summer 2022, Ogden School District will continue its efforts to serve our community. This year’s services will be provided June 6 – July 29.
Program sites are:

  • Ben Lomond High School
  • Bonneville Elementary
  • Lincoln Elementary
  • Monroe Park
  • New Bridge Elementary
  • Odyssey Elementary
  • Ogden High School
  • West Ogden Park
  • 4th Street Park

Breakfast will be served at school sites from 8:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.
Lunch will be served at school sites from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

For more information about the meal program visit: https://www.osdmeals.org/

About Ogden School District

Ogden School District serves the city of Ogden, educating approximately 11,000 students. The district has a tradition of academic excellence enhanced by the values of a culturally rich and diverse community. Roughly 55% of Ogden students are ethnic minorities and approximately 75% come from low-income families.

For more information visit: https://www.ogdensd.org/

For over a decade, Give Me a Chance/DeMarillac Formal Attire has changed lives.  Founder Maria Nguyen, Daughter of Charity, rented a historic building in downtown Ogden with the dream to improve our community by teaching women how to sew.

Manager Susan Thompson loves that the seamstress program provides more than just sewing skills to countless women. Not only do participating women have opportunities to earn a living, but they also gain self-confidence and improve their self-esteem along the way.

Women who graduate from the sewing programs can hone their customer service, retail, and alteration skills while working in DeMarillac Formal Attire–part of Give Me a Chance. Customers to the formal wear boutique will find gorgeous attire at affordable pricing, one-on-one service, and professional alteration.

Give Me A Chance helps improve the livelihood of entire families by offering after-school tutoring to children in the community. During the after-school programs, children have the opportunity to get direct help with their homework, practice art, do science experiments, and be kids. 

For Susan, her biggest reward has been to see the community come together to help Give Me A Chance deliver life-altering services to families in need.


You can learn more about Give Me a Chance/DeMarillac Formal Wear Attire at http://demarillacformal.com/

2380 Washington Blvd.
Suite 290
Ogden, UT 84401

Phone: (801) 621-8300

Contact: Contact The Chamber