Road Trip
On March 17, members of the Multicultural Commission traveled
to St. George, Utah and met with local community members and
leaders. The meeting was held in part, to reach out to communities
outside of the Wasatch Front.
“This is something we’ve been talking about for a while—to actually get out of Salt Lake,” said Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, co-chair of the
commission. Shirley Owen, from the Division of Child and Family
Services, first approached the commission and noted that it was
the first time that she had ever heard of the MCC.
“I am not sure that when we first started we were ready for primetime,” said Byron Russell, who co-chairs the commission alongside
the Lieutenant Governor. As the commission further develops it’s
strategic plans, Russell said “We hope to expand into other parts
of the state”
.
Keli Langi, a representative from the Polynesian community, addressed the commission with concerns over a lack of cultural organizations in St. George that work with state offices.
“We just want to reach out to you and your offices to see what it is
that you can do for us,” he said.
In response, the commission shared the possibility of creating a
regional subcommittee with representatives from outside the Salt
Lake area in hopes of addressing issues on a more state-wide basis.
The commission expects to meet again in St. George in March 2015.
07 | VOICES | MCA.UTAH.GOV