Emery County Commissioner Kent Wison (left) and Castle Dale Mayor Danny Van Wagoner (right) sign the charter.
Wednesday morning brought community leaders, business owners, educators, residents and more to the USU Eastern Campus as the Silicon Slopes East Charter was signed. The charter encompasses Carbon and Emery counties through a collaboration with the Utah Coal Country Strike Team to create a local Silicon Slopes chapter. Founding businesses of the new chapter include Intermountain Electronics and Emery Telcom.
“Silicon Slopes and community leaders in Carbon and Emery counties seek to capitalize on and support Utah’s rapidly growing tech industry,” the charter states. “Together, we will invest in new opportunities for the people of Carbon and Emery counties and Utah tech companies. Inspired by the efforts of the Utah Coal Country Strike Team and driven by Silicon Slopes’ mission to empower Utah’s startup and tech community to learn, connect and serve, we create the Silicon Slopes East Chapter. The chapter will promote Utah’s tech industry in Coal Country.”
Seven goals of the chapter were outlined in the charter, including shared vision, regional economy, regional center, new opportunities and pathways, support for children, measures of success and engaged leaders.
“Join together in a shared vision to promote Utah as a vibrant, diverse and global innovation hub with some of the greatest entrepreneurs and companies in the world,” the charter reads. “Silicon Slopes enthusiastically supports bringing this statewide vision to Carbon and Emery counties.”
The charter continues to explain the regional economy, stating that the chapter will “recognize and support Carbon and Emery counties as a single regional economy that share common assets. These assets include, but are not limited to, Utah State University-Eastern, broadband infrastructure, a regional airport, abundant natural resources and a hardworking workforce.”
Price City serves as the epicenter for the Silicon Slopes East Chapter, the charter states. This regional center will help galvanize the region-wide benefits of a tech hub in Utah’s Coal Country.
In addition, Silicon Slopes aims to provide pathways and opportunities for residents in Utah’s Coal Country in order to contribute to and benefit from Utah’s growing tech center. “Silicon Slopes East enhances this vision by providing a solid foundation for success, including committed leaders, state and national funders, the support of Utah’s premier public policy institute and a critical mass of key players.”
The fifth goal listed in the charter is support for children. “The welfare of future generations is a vital component of our strategy to revitalize Utah’s Coal Country. A rapidly changing economy requires training and opportunities for our children and grandchildren to thrive in a more technical world, which the Silicon East Chapter will provide.”
Next is measures of success, which will hold the chapter accountable. The charter states the Silicon Slopes East benefits from well-trained experts with the ability to measure success. “We will use the American Dream Model, developed as part of the Utah Coal Country Strike Team Initiative, to measure the economic success of our endeavor. If we are not meeting our goals, we will make mid-course corrections.”
Finally, the charter calls for engaged leaders and a chapter that is locally led. “We recognize successful endeavors require buy-in and direction from engaged local leaders. Our leaders combine our spirit of enterprise with our spirit of community to create prosperity for the next generation.”
Speakers at the event, who also signed the charter of Silicon Slopes East, are as follows:
- Nick Thiriot – Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute
- Meredith King – Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute
- Kent Wilson – Emery County Commission
- Bobby Houston – Intermountain Electronics
- Jared Anderson – Emery Telcom
- Garrett Clark – Silicon Slopes
- Mike Kourianos – Price City Mayor
- Danny Van Wagoner – Castle Dale City Mayor
- Tony Martines – Carbon County Commission
- Stuart Clason – Utah Association of Counties
Upcoming, Silicon Slopes East will host monthly events on the second Tuesday beginning at 10 a.m. These events will be centered around promoting tech businesses in Coal Country, supporting remote working and bolstering the entrepreneurial spirit. The first event will be a showcase of Intermountain Electronics on April 14.
