Mayor's Office

Welcome to South Salt Lake!

I am honored to serve you as your mayor and to be a part of this tremendous community. I have been at your service for over 13 years as mayor, and I worked for the city in various departments since I graduated high school. Did I ever think I would become mayor when I started out? Absolutely not! But when the door opened to step up into leadership in 2009, I felt this community needed me, so I took the leap! It has been an honor to fight for my people and shape the future of the city that I love. I have learned that one person can truly make a difference.

A lot has changed in our city in the last decade, but one thing remains the same - the amazing people who live here.

You, residents and businesses, are my inspiration and reason for being mayor. Every day, I am guided by the promise, "What I wish for myself and my family, I wish for everyone in my community." My focus is on helping every resident be healthy and prosperous while keeping our community safe, clean, and beautiful. I am fortunate to work locally, on the ground, where I can play a start-up role in bringing projects and programs to South Salt Lake that make a difference in everyday lives. Investing in people is investing in our city, and I hope you can see and feel the difference.

So while South Salt Lake is the 'City on the Move', we’re also becoming the best place in the Valley to Live, Work, Play… and Move.

Every year, I take stock of where we have been and what we have accomplished. 2023 was exceptional as we launched several new capital improvement infrastructure projects, planted more trees and pollinators in our parks than ever before, added a new dog park, and to enhance visibility and safety, made the switch to LED street lights. We made necessary renovations and accessibility to the Historic Scott School Redwood Building and lit up the sky during our first drone light show at Central Park. Throughout the year, I enjoyed meeting up with so many of you at our city functions. Most impressively, last April volunteers from all over came together to help fill more than 30K sandbags in support of our neighbors whose homes risked potential flooding. This year several neighbors came together at seven city-supported block parties. The list keeps going and I have many to thank for our collective successes. Above all, I want to thank you for making South Salt Lake truly the BEST.  

Please reach out to me and share your story and ideas - I am here to serve.

Invest in People

As many of you know, one of my three promises and highest hopes for South Salt Lake residents is for every child to have the opportunity to attend and graduate from college.  So, one of the goals that I’m most passionate about is achieving a 100% graduation rate for our high school students at Cottonwood High. To that end, along with Promise South Salt Lake, United Way, and the Granite School District, we are collaborating on a Long-term Educational Achievement program that will support our students in attaining their high school diplomas.

This Education Achievement program is just one example of how our Promise South Salt Lake program is evolving in new and meaningful ways. As you know, Promise offers after-school programming to our youth at 13 locations throughout the city.  We’ve created a system of support that is unmatched in the Salt Lake Valley or frankly, the U.S.  With those strong roots, Promise is now going deeper to better serve adults and families.  

The Promise Community Opportunity Center (Co-Op) located at the front of the South Salt Lake Community Center charged full steam ahead into its second year with amazing new programming for our residents.  Managed by Promise SSL, the Co-Op provides adults with a space to learn, gain new skills, identify resources and help them succeed.  On any given day, you’ll find our residents taking advantage of financial empowerment classes, the new community computer lab, adult art classes, or digital literacy classes.

Build Great Neighborhoods

The SSL Department of Neighborhoods was created in 2021 in response to many resident comments stating that safe, clean, and fun neighborhoods were their priority. South Salt Lake is dedicated to maintaining thousands of trees across various locations to nurture a safe and healthy urban forest. This commitment aims to ensure the long-term livability, viability, and resilience of the city. In a significant achievement, South Salt Lake secured a Community Forestry Partnership Grant (CFP) in 2023 from the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands and the US Forest Service. This grant spans three years to bolster the establishment of South Salt Lake's Urban Forestry program, culminating in the development of an Urban Forestry Plan in 2024.

Celebrate South Salt Lake

On Monday, March 18, 2024, I presented my annual State of the City address along with our community awards, the Best of South Salt Lake. I welcome you to get a glimpse of what our past and future hold. I also encourage you to learn more about the amazing people who make South Salt Lake great by viewing the 2024 Best of South Salt Lake awards booklet. Enjoy!

Dignity Pledge

It's not that we disagree; it's how we disagree.

I believe that we all have a responsibility to create the kind of community we want to live in. I invite you to join me and the South Salt Lake City Council in taking the Dignity Pledge—a commitment to treating each other with dignity and respect, even when we disagree.

Our words carry power. By taking this pledge, we can work together to ease the divisions in our country and create a more compassionate and united society.