Natalie Gochnour

Natalie Gochnour serves as an associate dean in the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah and director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. Gochnour’s experience includes a diverse mix of public service and business expertise. For seven years she guided the public policy work of the Salt Lake Chamber, Utah’s largest business association. Gochnour created and led the Downtown Rising movement, helped pass a ballot initiative to secure funds for the expansion of Utah’s TRAX light rail and FrontRunner commuter rail service, and assisted with the drafting and promotion of the Utah Compact, a widely heralded document supporting immigration reform. During Gochnour’s state service she advised Utah governors Bangerter, Leavitt and Walker. She also served as a political appointee in the George W. Bush administration, serving as an associate administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a counselor to the secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Gochnour is a sought after public speaker with the unique ability to translate policy-speak into everyday language. A native Utahn, her professional focus and passion are public policies that promote balance, civility and prosperity. She shares her views in regular columns in both Utah Business magazine and the Deseret News.