Contact Information
Physical Address:
254 South 600 East
Suite 201
Salt Lake City, UT 84102
Phone: (801) 303-1450
Fax: (801) 983-0040
President/Chief Executive Officer
Robert J. Grow
(801) 303-1452
robert at envisionutah.org
In August 2012, Robert J. Grow was chosen as Envision Utah’s new President and CEO. His appointment represents the culmination of a multi-month selection process to choose new leadership and to position the organization for its next chapter of quality growth leadership. Grow served as the founding Chair when Envision Utah started in 1997 and served a second stint as Chair of the Board of Trustees beginning in 2010.
With degrees in engineering and law from the University of Utah and Brigham Young University, Grow has enjoyed a successful law practice specializing in land use planning and zoning, real estate development, regional visioning and growth planning, and environmental law. He was legal counsel for Kennecott’s Daybreak development, which is widely cited as a demonstration project for quality growth. Daybreak was the National Association of Home Builders 2010 Community of the Year, with a Platinum Award for Suburban Smart Growth.
For the past decade, Grow has also been taking the Envision Utah collaborative, voluntary approach to other places throughout the country. He has helped initiate or strengthen regional efforts in more than 75 metropolitan regions, including Boston, Denver, Fort Collins, Austin, Houston, Washington, D.C., Sacramento, Portland, Tucson, Phoenix, Grand Rapids, Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, Traverse City, Florida’s Treasure Coast, Southwest Utah, Seattle, Las Vegas, and Calgary, Canada. He proposed and helped establish the “Louisiana Speaks” visioning process for Southern Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina and most recently, he has been leading the consultant team for the “Our Greater San Diego Vision” effort, which set a new national record by involving more than 30,000 participants in planning the future of the 3 million residents of the San Diego region.
Project Manager
Ryan Beck
(801) 303-1458
ryan at envisionutah.org
Ryan began working with Envision Utah in 2008 and is currently involved with the Wasatch Choice for 2040 process. Ryan brings experience in transportation planning and environmental policy to Envision Utah. While at Envision Utah Ryan has been involved with The Wasatch Canyons Tomorrow, The Blueprint Jordan River and Envision Cache Valley.
Before coming to Envision Utah, Ryan was employed with a local private transportation planning firm, where he prepared city transportation plans and operated travel demand models. Work there included: The Twin Falls Master Transportation Plan, The Draper City Master Transportation Plan and UTA/Brigham City Transit Feasibility Studies. Ryan's education includes a B.A. in History from the University of Utah and a Masters in Environmental Law and Policy from the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver. While not at Envision Utah Ryan enjoys spending time cycling, fly fishing and spending time with his family.
Chief Operating Officer
Ari Bruening
(801) 303-1459
ari at envisionutah.org
Ari Bruening’s legal and consulting practice includes land use entitlement, infrastructure, and large-scale visioning work. He has experience assisting in visioning and vision implementation efforts for multiple regions and large-scale projects. Bruening has managed visioning and entitlement projects for the San Diego region; Laie, Hawaii; the 175,000-acre Superstition Vistas Arizona state trust land parcel; and the 300,000-acre Deseret Ranches of Florida landholding near the Orlando International Airport. Bruening graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2005, where he was an editor for the Harvard Law Review.
Community Relations Manager
Kevin Fayles
(801) 303-1462
kevin at envisionutah.org
Kevin began working as Envision Utah’s Development Director in 2001 and has focused on community relations since 2004. In this capacity, he manages public awareness campaigns, press releases, educational forums, ad design, and placement, video production, and events management. He has over 20 years experience in the non-profit field, primarily in administration, human resources, development and public awareness. He was a member of the West Valley City Board of Adjustment. Kevin has a B.A. in Communication Studies from UCLA and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Utah.
Executive Assistant
Caitlin Jolley
(801) 303-1451
caitlin at envisionutah.org
Caitlin Jolley is the current administrative director for Envision Utah. Prior to joining Envision Utah in 2012, Caitlin Jolley worked for ten years in the legal field as a researcher, writer, paralegal and translator. She is in the final year of completing her MBA at Westminster College focusing on entrepreneurship. Caitlin has a passion for socially responsible entrepreneurship and received the Green Titan award in 2011. She was also the recipient of the Opportunity Quest Award at Westminster College in both the overall and socially responsible business categories in 2011. She obtained a Bachelors of Art in Classical Studies from Brigham Young University in 2009. Caitlin loves all the outdoor treasures Utah has to offer from rock climbing to snowboarding to kayaking.
Planning Director
Christie Oostema, MUP, AICP
(801) 303-1456
christie at envisionutah.org
Christie Oostema joined Envision Utah in 2008 and works across urban, suburban and rural areas of our state. Her passions include facilitating public conversations and exploring emerging solutions with community stakeholders in planning processes that encompass housing, economic development, mobility, agriculture, and the environment. Current work includes focus on the Wasatch Choice for 2040, the land use and transportation vision for Weber, Davis, Salt Lake and Utah Counties, and facilitation of several associated stakeholder processes working toward vibrant neighborhood development projects at key "centers."
Previous work includes management of a public visioning process for the Bear Lake area in Rich County, Utah, and Bear Lake County, Idaho, contributing to several education and outreach initiatives, and serving on a general plan steering committee for Salt Lake City. She also managed Envision Cache Valley and Envision Morgan and has been involved with Wasatch Canyons Tomorrow and Blueprint Jordan River.
Christie is an associate instructor in the College of Architecture + Planning at the University of Utah, serves on the board of the Utah Housing Coalition, and chairs local committees for the American Planning Association and Congress for the New Urbanism. Christie has a masters' degree in Urban Planning. Prior to Envision Utah, Christie was executive director for a nonprofit focusing on critical lands and community planning.
Planner
Amy Thompson
(801) 303-1457
amy at envisionutah.org
Amy began as an intern in January of 2012. She received her Bachelor of Science in Urban Planning from the University of Utah. She is currently involved in the Wasatch Choices for 2040 and HUD Sustainable Communities projects.
Planner
Tracy Tran, MUP
(801) 303-1460
tracy at envisionutah.org
Tracy began as an intern in the summer of 2011. She received her Bachelor’s in Political Science and International Studies from the University of Utah and her Master’s in Urban Planning from the University of Michigan with a concentration in Land Use and Environmental Planning. Her graduate work includes creating a communication plan for the Green and Healthy Housing Initiative in Flint, MI, and providing groundwork for cities across the nation to address climate change adaptation. She is currently involved in the Wasatch Choices for 2040. Prior to her graduate work in urban planning, she worked as a housing caseworker, providing assistance to low-income populations.
Director of Development
Kristine E. Widner
(801) 303-1454
kwidner at envisionutah.org
Kristine Widner has served as Development Director for Envision Utah nearly eight years. She is responsible for obtaining annual fund donations, sponsorships, event management, and cultivating new revenue resources. Widner was the former Senior Development Officer for Utah Symphony & Opera and served in fundraising capacities for Utah Symphony for nine years. Her career in fundraising began at the University of Utah with KUED-TV and Utah Museum of Fine Arts. In the community, she was editor and designer of the fund-raising cookbook A Pinch of Salt Lake for the Junior League of Salt Lake City and served on the boards of directors for the Sawtooth Writers Conference; Park City/Summit County Arts Council; Utah Cultural Alliance; Salt Lake Gallery Association; Salt Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Business Women's Forum; and the Junior League of Salt Lake City, Inc. Widner attended the University of Utah and Oregon State University.
