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GOED Management Team
Q. Val Hale, Executive Director, Governor’s Office of Economic Development
Val Hale is the executive director of the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), which promotes state growth in business, tourism and film. Hale was appointed to the position in 2014 by Gov . Gary R . Herbert .
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Before accepting the position as executive director, Hale served for two years as president and CEO of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce . Prior to the chamber, Hale was vice president for university relations (2010-2012), vice president for advancement (2006-2010) and assistant vice president for external affairs (2005-2006) all at UVU, and he played a key role in transitioning Utah Valley State College into Utah Valley University .
Before his career at UVU, Hale worked 22 years for the Brigham Young University (BYU) Athletic Department, ultimately serving as its director beginning in 1999 .
He received his bachelor’s degree in public relations in 1981 and a master’s degree in communications in 1987—both from BYU . A successful leader, Hale has made many cherished contributions to the Utah Valley area throughout his noteworthy career .
Most recently, Hale has drawn from his many years of service to author “Living a Life That Matters: 7 Keys for Purposeful Living .” The book was released last year . Hale and his wife have three children and 12 grandchildren .
Theresa A. Foxley, Deputy Director
As deputy director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), Ms . Foxley helps develop the strategic direction of the office. She also oversees corporate recruitment and incentives, Utah’s international trade and diplomacy, the State Trade and Export Promotions program, and various other programs designed to help expand Utah’s economy . Prior to her appointment at GOED, Ms. Foxley was a business and finance attorney with the Salt Lake office of Ballard Spahr, a law firm with 14 offices nationwide, where she represented a diverse set of clients on corporate and financial matters including mergers and acquisitions . Ms . Foxley received her undergraduate degree from Utah State University and Juris Doctorate from the S .J . Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah .
Jill Flygare is the managing director of internal operations at GOED. Before joining GOED, Flygare was the finance director at the Utah Department of Heritage and Arts, where she supervised the financial team for the agency. Previously, she was a policy and budget analyst at the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget, where she worked closely with many state agencies on budget issues. Ms. Flygare is also affiliated with numerous
national organizations such as the Association of Government Accountants, where she is the president . She holds multiple master’s degrees in accounting, public administration and education . Utilizing her education training, Flygare has held instructional posts at the University of Utah . She has been both an online instructor in distance education and a clinical instructor, supervising pre-service educators in the Salt Lake and Granite School Districts .
Benjamin Hart is the managing director of Urban and Rural Business Services for the Governor’s Office of Economic Development . His responsibilities include overseeing the GOED programs that help Utah businesses grow . Hart is directly involved in coordinating and convening partners to help support the many businesses across the state . He continues to play a critical roll in strategic education alignment related initiatives .
Prior to his position at GOED, Hart served as the director of employer initiatives for the Department of Workforce Services . During his tenure at DWS, Hart oversaw the department’s business services portfolio of programs . Hart has also worked for Zions Bank in business underwriting and Layton City, where he was the economic development and community development block grant administrator .
Hart completed both his undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Utah .
Vicki Varela, Managing Director of Tourism, Film and Global Branding, Utah Office of Tourism
Vicki Varela is managing director of the Utah Office of Tourism, Film and Global Branding for the state of Utah . She oversees the state’s national and international marketing strategy, including the Mighty Five® National Parks and The Greatest Snow on Earth® .
Vicki was named the U .S . Tourism Director of the Year in September 2016 by her peers at the National Council of State Tourism Directors . Vicki’s career has been in the persuasion business . She has held many public and private sector leadership roles, including vice president of Kennecott Land, deputy chief of staff and spokesperson for Gov . Mike Leavitt, assistant commissioner of higher education and key driver for Prosperity 2020 and Utah’s hosting of the 2002 Olympics . She has two adult sons and one beautiful granddaughter .
