Mayor Ralph Becker, the City Council and Community and Economic Development Director Eric Shaw announce the appointment of Stuart Clason as the City’s new Director of Economic Development.
Clason has a wide-ranging background having worked in both the public sector and for Fortune 500 companies. Most recently, he acted as a partner and government affairs and economic consultant on large-scale projects for IAB Consulting. He also served as the economic development administrator for the City of Ruston, La. Clason has an undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University as well as a Master of Science in Economic Development from the London School of Economics.
“Our economic development efforts require coordination between every impacted partner in the City,” said Mayor Ralph Becker. “This includes local businesses, residents and government working together to make Salt Lake City a better place to work and to live. Stuart brings a great body of experience and education to this position. We look forward to his impact in this important area of work.”
Clason and his staff will be crafting a strategic vision for economic development and working closely with partners to define goals and continue the work of maintaining and enhancing Salt Lake City’s vibrancy and prosperity.
“Salt Lake City has made huge strides in creating an environment for business success,” said Natalie Gochnour, chief economist for the Salt Lake Chamber and associate dean of the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah. “Stuart’s experience, training and people skills will continue this momentum, propelling Salt Lake City to even higher levels of economic achievement.”
“We are pleased with the announcement that Stuart Clason has come on board as the City’s director of economic development,” said John Dahlstrom, executive vice president of Wasatch Commercial Management, Inc. “He brings strong leadership, creativity and a solid working knowledge of successful programs at this pivotal time to significantly advance the progress we have enjoyed in Salt Lake City.”
