The Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce launched the Utah Valley Regional Alliance on Oct. 21 to coordinate long-range planning for infrastructure, housing, and transportation. The new coalition aims to address regional needs across a county that is expected to approach one million residents.
The alliance brings together leaders from the education, government, business, and healthcare sectors. A Board of Governors will guide the group's work over a planning horizon spanning 10 to 30 years. Harvey Scott, who is the chief development officer at Redmond Inc. and former chair of the Utah Valley Chamber, serves as the chair of the UVRA Board of Governors. The board includes 23 founding members from various sectors, including real estate, banking, healthcare, higher education, and government.
Key members of the board include Utah Valley University President Jon Anderson, Waystar CEO Matt Hawkins, Utah County Commissioner Skyler Beltran, former Utah Gov. Gary R. Herbert, and Brigham Young University Vice President Keith Vorkink.
The alliance will focus on regional strategy, workforce development, economic competitiveness, and public-private collaboration. The chamber noted that the UVRA's focus areas overlap with existing regional pressures. The announcement also cited decisions related to the 2034 Olympic legacy as a factor for the group, though specific projects were not detailed. The UVRA is intended to complement the chamber rather than replace it; while the chamber continues its advocacy, networking, and member services, the alliance will focus on long-range planning.
The need for regional coordination is highlighted by rapid growth in Lehi, which ranked third nationally for economic growth in an August SmartAsset study published by Quartz. That study evaluated cities based on combined metrics of GDP growth, labor force, and housing. In Lehi, housing units grew 39% between 2019 and 2024, while the labor force expanded by 67%, representing the largest labor force increase among the study's top five cities.
Lehi's population has nearly doubled since 2010 due to expansion along the Silicon Slopes tech corridor. According to the Quartz report, corridor salaries have caused local housing costs to rise faster than wages for workers in the hospital and teaching sectors. Lehi City acknowledged in a May 2024 transportation planning page that major roadways, such as Pioneer Crossing and 2100 North, quickly exceeded capacity after completion because of inadequate growth projections.
Curtis Blair, the president and CEO of the Utah Valley Chamber, stated that the alliance fills a gap that no single organization can address alone. Blair described the chamber as the voice of business and the alliance as the architect of the region. The alliance's first meeting schedule and public actions have not been announced, and the chamber's materials do not detail the group's funding or formal planning authority.
