Utah is not short on talent or ideas in our people. Matter of fact, we have what the rest of the nation is lacking, a young, growing and diverse work force that has a good work ethic and is multilingual.

In addition, we have the components and resources needed to become a major regional hub that can provide the concentration of talent, ideas and capital for innovation that can attract industry.

I happen to believe we are victims of our own success in that we have benefited from our values of hard work, frugality and a sense of independence, but this has kept us modest in our expectations. While those values served us well in the past, our challenge is to maintain them while renewing government, so Utah can be in the forefront of change.

And therein lies the difficult task our new governor must take on. It's not simply about new ideas or resources; rather, the ability to think new, letting go of old habits and ideas and creating an environment where we call upon the talent of all our people. And yes, the most important thing: the willingness to risk, learn from our mistakes and then move on.

Huntsman brings new vitality to our government based on principles, rather than quick fixes. The greatest gift he can give to our state is the ability to create a culture where the talents of all people are valued, and create a vision for our state, which all people can believe in and work to make a reality. Great leaders are those who inspire, raise the hopes and call upon the goodness of people to work for a better tomorrow.

As citizens, let us open our hearts and minds and embrace the governor's optimism to capture this new day.

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Utah native John Florez has founded several Hispanic civil rights organizations, served on the staff of Sen. Orrin Hatch and on more than 45 state, local and volunteer boards. He also has been deputy assistant secretary of labor. E-mail: jdflorez@comcast.net