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This is Chris Redgrave for Zions Bank Speaking on Business.
The city of Ogden is heating up. For the third year in a row, Forbes magazine rated Ogden as one of the 20 fastest-growing cities in the country. It's also been rated as No. 3 on the list of best places to raise a family and 11th best overall for doing business. Part of the reason for the growth is Ogden Mayor Mike Caldwell. Two and a half years into his term, Mike feels good about where things are, and he's pumped about where Ogden is heading.
He's proud to continue building on several projects previous mayor Matt Godfrey started. One of those is the Olympic Legacy project. As a former member of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, Mayor Caldwell has both an appreciation for what the Olympics meant and the ability to mobilize volunteers. During his time on the committee, Mike managed up to 600 volunteers, so his leadership style now is to engage people and get them as involved as possible.
Another important initiative for Mayor Caldwell is building Ogden pride for those living in the city. The mayor feels much of the city's progress comes from the fact that Ogden offers affordable living with a great natural environment and plenty of outdoor recreation. For example, the Ogden River Trail project has been under remarkable renewal since it was proposed in 1976, and it's become one of the city's best assets. Not many cities can boast 250 miles of trails and two rivers that converge in the heart of downtown.
Mayor Caldwell says they've worked hard to keep Ogden unique with shops and restaurants. You'll find 97 independently-operated restaurants in their downtown area alone. Historic 25th Street is one of the city's gems and attracts many tourists and visitors, who come to ski and end up spending the day in Ogden's collection of antique shops.
So, although Mayor Caldwell never saw himself as the mayor, he loves being part of the Ogden Renaissance and gains great pleasure from seeing how engaged and dedicated the citizens are.
For Zions Bank, I'm Chris Redgrave, speaking on business.
Ogden city 2549 Washington Blvd., Ste. 910 Ogden, UT 84401 801-629-8111 www.ogdencity.com
