Utahns will be able to question the head of the Republican National Committee about the future of the GOP at a town hall meeting Friday.

Michael Steele will be in the state for several hours, first appearing at a private fundraising lunch for the state party and then at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center in West Valley City.

"He's out this way, and we have the opportunity of having him come to Utah," said Dave Hansen, state GOP chairman. "We have a chance for our folks to meet with their national chairman and ask questions."

Kirsten Kukowski, a national GOP spokeswoman, said the meeting "will focus on building the Republican Party and the issues facing the people of Utah like the need for common sense health care reform."

The town hall meeting will also feature Gov. Gary Herbert, a Republican. Herbert, who took over as governor in early August, must run next year for the remainder of former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s term.

Herbert will offer "an update on issues of the state, including his economic development efforts and the state budget" before taking questions from the audience, said his spokeswoman Angie Welling. At this point, she said, Steele will not do any fundraising specifically for Herbert's campaign.

While the national GOP has been criticized for losing its way after the party's 2008 losses to the Democrats, Hansen said Utah Republicans feel good about the future.

"I think we are finding our voice," Hansen said. "I think they feel good about our prospects going into 2010. They're seeing what hope and change meant to (President Barack) Obama, and they're not excited about it."

The fundraising lunch at the downtown Marriott costs $200 a person, although Hansen said donors and some local GOP organizers have been invited to attend without charge.

"We're probably not going to make a lot of money on it," he said.

The 2 p.m. event at the cultural center, 1355 W. 3100 South, is free and should attract several hundred participants, Hansen said.

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