Economic adviser to Utah Gov. Huntsman is all business – As Huntsman’s economic chief, Roybal ready to make tough changes

"We’re building a new strategy, eliminating a culture that did not get the job done."

Chris Roybal, freshly named Huntsman chief economic adviser, found his first official meeting with the Utah Board of Business and Economic Development going badly.

Roybal, sitting ramrod straight at the end of a conference table, told sometimes angry members of the powerful DBED for the third time, "We must agree to disagree on that."

It was not the most auspicious debut for a state executive.

Many of the business leaders who help set the state’s development policy were irritated, to say the least, that Roybal had not consulted them before launching a take-no-prisoners overhaul of the state Department of Community and Economic Department. Huntsman’s staff on Jan. 5 fired 33 economic development officials by e-mail.

By Glen Warchol
The Salt Lake Tribune

Full Story: http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_2556074