March 6, 2024
Every year, Gov. Cox recognizes outstanding individuals and companies that make significant contributions to Utah’s economic opportunities.
Below are the 2024 Governor’s Awards honorees:
Utah Business Leader Community Impact Award
Keith B. McMullin, Retired President & CEO, Deseret Management Corporation
“I thank Gov. Cox, Lt. Gov. Henderson, and the One Utah Summit for this special award. Utah, the Crossroads of the West, is also an important crossroads for the nation and increasingly other parts of the world. Its governor, businesses, and citizens are extending the state’s influence in remarkable ways. In Utah’s finest traditions, may we continue to be united, respectful, and dedicated to promoting the well-being of others.”
—Keith B. McMullin
Utah Businessperson of the Year
Lavanya Mahate, Founder & CEO, Saffron Valley Restaurants, Bix Bakery & Café and RISE Culinary Institute
“I am deeply grateful and honored to have been selected by Gov. Cox as the Utah Businessperson of the Year. The fact that out of all the founders in Utah and all the companies on Silicon Slopes, Gov. Cox and the team selected me for this award is truly humbling and awe-inspiring. This recognition comes with a significant responsibility and duty that I am ready and eager to embrace. I have been fortunate to be guided and inspired by many mentors — both women and men — along my journey. Now it is my turn to pay it forward and inspire the next generation of young entrepreneurs.”
—Lavanya Mahate
Utah Business of the Year
bioMérieux
“In a state with so many amazing, successful companies, we are honored that Gov. Cox is recognizing bioMérieux as the 2024 Utah Business of the Year. We may not be a household name in Utah, but our work profoundly impacts human health globally. This award recognizes the innovative and pioneering spirit of our 3,500 Salt Lake City-based team members. This award is for them, from research and development to manufacturing and all the back-office support teams. We’ve known for a long time that bioMérieux is a really special company and a great place to work. And we are delighted that as a result of this recognition, the Salt Lake City community will now learn more about that, too.”
—Colin Hill, General Manager, bioMérieux North America
Utah International Person of the Year
Fraser Bullock, President & CEO, Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games
“We are blessed in Utah to have leaders like Gov. Cox who have the vision to see the value the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games bring to the people and communities of our state. I’m appreciative of this honor. But I want it to serve as a message to communities across Utah to further highlight the opportunities the Winter Games in 2034 can bring to all of us and to reflect the great pride we feel in our State of Sport.”
—Fraser Bullock, Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games.
Utah International Business of the Year
PMI Foods
“To be recognized by the governor for our work at PMI Foods is truly a humbling experience. Our mission is to feed people by sourcing and distributing protein products worldwide. We love doing business in Utah. We have a wonderful, highly skilled, talented pool of people in this state, allowing us to grow PMI Foods. We are excited, honored, and grateful to receive this award on behalf of our 30 global offices and over 650 employees worldwide. Thank you, Gov. Cox.”
— Darin L. Parker, President, PMI Foods
Cameron Russell Williams Rising Impact Award
Kimmy Paluch, Managing Partner, Beta Boom
“My deepest gratitude to Gov. Cox and the Cameron Russell Williams Impact Fund for this recognition. Through my work at Beta Boom Capital, I have the privilege of investing in incredibly inspiring founders who are building extraordinary startups that are solving our society’s greatest challenges. Through this work, I aspire to create a legacy of impact that hopefully honors the incredible legacy of the life and man for whom this award is named. I, like Cameron, believe in creating rising tides that can lift all boats, so I’m especially honored to accept this award. Here’s to always ‘think big, and then bigger than that.”
—Kimmy Paluch
Pete Suazo Business of the Year
Rancho Markets
“Dream big. Work hard. Do better. Stay humble.”
—Eli Madrigal, Founder & CEO, Rancho Markets
Governor’s Medals for Science and Technology
K-12 Education
Juliette Bautista Barahona, Founder and Director, Club Ability
“Receiving the Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology touches the very core of my heart, representing much more than personal recognition: it’s a celebration of our community at Club Ability, from the student ‘tech creators’ to every individual and organization that has believed in our vision. I firmly believe that together, we can position Utah as a leader in STEM education, using technology to unite everyone and bridge differences in race, language, and gender. This award is a victory for all of us, a testament to our collective spirit and shared commitment. My gratitude towards Utah is immense, not only for being the refuge where my family found health but also for providing me with a network of friends and mentors who helped me build Club Ability. I haven’t walked this path alone. Every step has been possible thanks to many others, especially my daughter Jimena.”
—Juliette Bautista Barahona, Founder and Director, Club Ability
Academia/Research
Cornelia Ulrich, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center, Huntsman Cancer Institute
“I am deeply honored to be recognized with the Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology. This award exemplifies an extraordinary environment for science and innovation that exists in Utah, and particularly at Huntsman Cancer Institute, where our teams are working side by side with patients and communities to deliver a cancer-free frontier across the Mountain West and beyond. Utah is world renowned for being at the forefront of lifesaving discoveries — from harnessing the power of cancer genetics to reduce risk to cancer care innovations for rural and underserved communities to innovative therapies that harness the immune system, data science, and so much more. It’s astounding to consider the progress made here in Utah in scientific discovery, with teams from diverse backgrounds and around the world working together. There is tremendous potential in what we can do with continued focus and prioritization of biomedical research as a driver of innovation and economic impact.”
—Cornelia Ulrich
Industry
Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S.
“I am very honored to receive the Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology for the industry category. Thank you, Gov. Cox. Utah provides an excellent environment to envision, create, and build. I’m so proud and thankful for all the people and organizations who should also be recognized for this award: my family — especially my wife, Wendy — for tireless support, friends, teachers, mentors, co-workers, companies, industry organizations, and institutions dedicated to creating better science and technology. I also recognize the many patients who have participated in studies to discover and deploy life-altering and life-saving technologies. Scientists dream of having their ideas find practical impact in the real world. It’s exciting to see that, in fact, today’s ideas can become tomorrow’s realities that enable all humans to live better, healthier, and more fulfilling lives. Thank you!”
—Gregory Critchfield
Utah Office of Energy Development Award
Energy Pioneer Award
OxEon Energy
“We are grateful for the leadership of Gov. Cox, his administration, and the Legislature for making Utah a great place to build our business. Our team has labored in near obscurity for decades with little thought of recognition. The drive to persevere through a phalanx of obstacles was sustained by the vision of creating processes for producing clean and sustainable fuels vital to society. The selection of OxEon for the Energy Pioneer Award is at once a great honor and yet humbling in the realization that it is not in actuality about what we have accomplished thus far but rather a recognition that the time for our vision of building a sustainable fuels industry has arrived, and that is recognition enough.”
—Joe Hartvigsen, CEO, OxEon Energy
Read more about the awards and their history here.