Derek Miller, a New Managing Director at GOED, Works Hard for Utah

Eight months into his new position as managing director of corporate recruitment and incentives for the Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED), Derek Miller is a busy man. He'll be even busier this next legislative session when he goes to bat for Governor Jon Huntsman's wishes to make the motion picture incentive fund more robust.

Miller says Governor Jon Huntsman has made it a legislative priority to make the fund attractive to film productions in the $20 to $30 million range, as opposed to current $2 to $3 million productions that generally come into the state.

Aside from managing the motion picture and other state economic development incentive programs, Miller is also busy strategizing with GOED Executive Director Jason Perry and EDCUtah CEO and President Jeff Edwards about the Governor Huntsman's next recruitment trip, which will occur this fall. Earlier this year, Governor Huntsman traveled to New York City for a successful recruitment trip that focused on the financial services/industrial banks cluster. During the New York trip, he met with executives from Goldman Sachs and was on hand for Sach's announcement that it would expand its Utah operations. Miller says that trip was so successful Governor Huntsman wants to do another, but a final decision on the companies to be visited and specific dates is still to be determined.

On any given week Miller's office receives contacts by businesses wanting to know what makes Utah so great. The interest is largely due to GOED's advertising in Site Selection magazine and other publications. The ads focus on the many accolades Utah has received for being a great state in which to do business.

“The economy is causing businesses to take a fresh look at their cost models, operating models and other economic models,” Miller says. “The West is where the growth is, so any business wanting to stay in business must look at a realignment of its business model and that realignment is causing businesses to take a closer look at Utah. It's less expensive to operate here. Goldman Sachs is a good example. Utah offered a well educated, quality workforce at a reasonable cost. Sachs saw an opportunity to expand operations in Utah and pay a reasonable wage (200 percent of Salt Lake County's average wage), without having to pay Manhattan wages. Companies are recognizing that they can locate or expand here, save money and still boost Utah's economy. We want to treat the companies well that are coming to us, but we are also trying to be strategic in who we recruit,” he says.

Consequently, Miller is leading efforts to target specific companies for recruitment. Part of the strategy involves making a business case for what the target companies offer Utah and what the state has to offer the companies.

“That is the highlight of what I want to accomplish while I am here at GOED: proactive, responsive and strategic recruiting,” he says, adding that the strategy has been made easier by the support of so many companies that are willing to help.

“I've never heard an existing Utah business say to me, ‘We don't want you to recruit our competitors.' They realize that locating their competitors here will make them stronger from a competition standpoint, and strengthen the industry as well,” Miller says.

Among his other responsibilities, Miller works closely with EDCUtah and manages EDCUtah's contract with the state. “It's a great partnership,” he says. Miller joined EDCUtah for the Utah Pavilion at the BIO 2008 International Convention in San Diego this past June, where he discovered what hard work it is to stand in an exhibit booth all day long. “It was hard on the feet, but all of the leads we received paid off,” he adds.

EDCUtah President and CEO Jeff Edwards says Miller is a strategic planner, a visionary, and an important partner for EDCUtah. “We're glad to have him on our team,” Edwards adds.

Miller just wants people to know GOED is working hard for the state. “Utah is in a unique position right now, with positive job growth and positive population growth, compared to other economies around the nation. We have great things going and a lot more to do. There is no limit to the work that needs to be done and the number of jobs we can create,” he says.

Miller came to GOED in January 2008, replacing Michael Nelson, who returned to the private sector. Prior to joining GOED, Miller worked two and a half years as director for the Utah Department of Commerce Division of Real Estate and seven years on the East Coast, where he worked for the House of Representatives on Capitol Hill and also as management consultant for Arthur Anderson. He graduated from BYU in 1998 with a joint law degree and Masters of Public Administration.

As Utah natives, Miller and his wife are happy to live in Salt Lake City with their three young children. “We enjoy being back in Utah with so many family and friends,” he says. “Plus, I never get tired of the mountains.”