Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity

4 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 ACCOLADES & RANKINGS Utah continues to be at the forefront of innovative and awe-inspiring economic opportunity initiatives. The list of accolades is impressive, indeed. Here is a sampling of Utah’s recent recognition: #1 Best State for GDP Growth Utah No. 1 for GDP Growth (2021) Forbes — August 2021 #3 Top State for Business Utah named the No. 3 Top State for Business CNBC — July 2021 #1 Best State Economy Utah ranked No. 1 for best economy WalletHub — June 2021 Best Economic Outlook Utah ranked No. 1 for the 14th year in a row Rich States Poor States — May 2021 Best Economy Utah ranked the nation’s best economy and No. 3 Best State overall U.S. News & World Report — March 2021 Best-Performing Large Cities 2021 #1 = Provo-Orem #4 = Salt Lake City #9 = Ogden-Clearfield Milken Institute — Feb. 2021 Best-Performing Small Cities 2021 #2 = Logan #4 = St. George Milken Institute — Feb. 2021 GOVERNOR ’ S OFF I CE OF ECONOMI C OPPORTUNI TY • Corporate recruitment • Federal Opportunity Zones • International trade and diplomacy • Mixed martial arts event licensing and management • Outdoor recreation • Rural Utah communities • Tourism and film production • Utah entrepreneurs and businesses • Workforce pathway programs Utah ranks among the top states for business and careers, entrepreneurs, personal income growth, family prosperity, and quality of life. As for the reasons why, the Economic Opportunity office’s Executive Director, Dan Hemmert, shares,