Business conference April 19, 20 in Vernal

The fifth annual Rural Business Conference will take place April 19, 20 at Western Park in Vernal.

It is presented by U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, in conjunction with the Utah Rural Development Council.

Kathleen Clarke, director of the Bureau of Land Management, will keynote the conference's breakfast session April 19 with a discussion on energy development on federal lands in Utah. Clarke is a native of Bountiful and is the first woman to be appointed director of the BLM.

The luncheon keynote address will be presented by JoAnn Wagner, chairman, chief executive officer and president of Salt Lake-based SOS Staffing. She will offer advice on attracting talented workers and matching their skills with available employment opportunities.

Bennett will discuss small-business growth during one session and will host discussions on government economic development efforts during other sessions.

Melissa Blake, mayor of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, will be a featured presenter at the conference. She will discuss oil sands development in Alberta and the impact the energy boom has had on her community.

Other breakout sessions will focus on specific areas of interest to rural entrepreneurs, including access to business capital, new trends in online marketing, advertising on a limited budget and more.

Attendance costs $20. Details are available online at www.ruralutah.com or by calling 801-524-5933.