Council interviews five candidates for Economic Development Advisory Board vacancies

Summit County Council spent the opening hour of its Oct. 30 meeting interviewing five applicants for vacancies on the Economic Development Advisory Board. Applicants highlighted priorities ranging from agritourism and rural grant opportunities to broadband, employee retention and small‑business support.

Jenny Dierson, reapplying from Eastern Summit County, said staff data on the county’s aging population and local entrepreneurship have shaped the board’s work and identified agritourism and fire‑related business resilience as ongoing priorities. "I've been on the board for maybe six months," Dierson said, adding she will continue to serve while commuting to a new job in Salt Lake City.

Melissa Band praised the data work provided to the board and flagged workforce turnover in service industries as a major concern tied to housing and wages. "Retaining employees is going to be a massive challenge in the next coming years," Band said, citing high turnover and the particular pressures East Village and other developments will create.

Pete Van Stee, a Delta airline pilot and Navy veteran, emphasized employment and job growth as his primary interest in serving; Matt McCormack, a first‑time applicant, said broadband access and grant administration for small businesses have been recurring items for the board.

Council members asked candidates about time availability, committee cadence and how applicants would help tackle recurrent issues such as housing and business retention. The council noted there are five vacancies and five applicants and said it would make a formal decision later in the day.

The interviews are part of the council’s regular advisory‑board appointment process; no votes on appointments were recorded during the interview segments.