In 2004, Envision Utah was a groundbreaking and nationally respected public/private partnership working to productively explore the challenges posted by Utah's growth: land use, transportation, environmental impact.
It had also just lost almost 70 percent of its funding.
Enter Alan Matheson Jr. A natural bridge-builder, he recognized the need in one of the nation's fastest-growing states for an organization like Envision Utah.
So he set about making sure the organization would survive, cutting costs and introducing a revenue-sharing model that requires beneficiaries of Envision Utah's services to help pay for the cost of its projects.
He also implemented consulting services for local governments; employed creative, low-cost public feedback forums like keypad polling, social media and online surveys; built partnerships with private companies to fund public work; and above all, emphasized achieving practical outcomes in public projects.
Now, though Envision Utah's mission has not changed, its stability is vastly improved. The organization has strong operating reserves, and revenues have exceeded expenses for the past four years.
This has allowed Matheson and Envision Utah to concentrate on achieving practical, sustainable growth strategies that reach across jurisdictions and boundaries to help people find the common good.
Civic leaders have said that Envision Utah's work helped create the cooperative climate among public entities that led to the successful launch of the TRAX light-rail system. The president of Kennecott Land called his company's work in developing sustainable communities on Salt Lake County's west bench "an enduring legacy to Envision Utah principles."