UGS director highlights hiring, outreach and space upgrades as staff and projects expand

At the April 15 Utah Geological Survey Board meeting the director introduced new finance manager Lynn Seymour and outlined personnel, outreach and facilities priorities as the agency grows its outside-funded work.

Seymour, who joined UGS March 31, described her work on budgets and reporting and outlined plans to improve forecasting and grant billing. The director said UGS is actively recruiting three positions (project geologists and a wetlands ecologist) and noted current headcount at 87 (90 budgeted), adding the survey is being thoughtful about hiring to avoid repeating prior staffing volatility.

The director also highlighted improved bookstore performance (year-to-date sales up ~14% and web traffic up 39%), stronger public engagement through recorded staff talks and plans for a quarterly public lecture series, and encouraged board members to attend outreach events. "Were hoping to launch a quarterly series of public engagement talks," a staff member said.

On facilities, the director flagged the DNR campus and building lifespan as potential drivers of future moves. For near-term improvements she proposed a $15,000 break-room refresh, removing a noisy vending machine, creating a second conference room by converting the Pangaea space and consolidating surplus storage and archives to free workstations.

The board discussed timing and costs and asked staff to provide pricing estimates; the director said larger capital decisions will await clarity on campus redevelopment but that modest investments to support staff morale and productivity are appropriate.

The board also discussed awards and events planning, including the Crawford award nominations and an October field trip; nominees and award timing will be handled by staff in advance of the June picnic.