Meet The Team
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The Rural Utah Chamber Coalition represents rural communities throughout Utah and addresses any challenges or concerns they may have. Each month this organization meets to learn about needs and hear from various presenters. We invite people from rural communities throughout the state to share opportunities or challenges.
Rural Utah Chamber Coalition Board
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RUCC Chair
Tricia Harris
Tricia Harris is the Owner of Your Story Utah, a printing, photography & adventure shop and host of beautiful art from local artists on Parowan's quaint Main Street.
Raised in Murray, Utah, one of her first jobs was driving through the urban and rural counties of northern Utah; stopping at every city hall on a weekly basis where she fell in love with rural Utah. In 2000, she convinced her husband to pack up and move their family from the urban Salt Lake area to the little town of Parowan; population 2,500. It wasn't a hard sell as it was 15 minutes from Brian Head Ski Resort and in the backyard of 5 national parks.
Tricia has a passion for people and business, most importantly helping Chambers of Commerce and businesses in rural Utah grow and thrive. She can't wait to get to know the amazing leaders and communities of rural Utah better.
She currently serves on the Parowan Chamber Board, Vice Chair of Iron County Public Art Committee and Secretary for Vision Iron County.
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RUCC Vice-Chair
Colette Cox
Colette Cox is the Outreach Manager with the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity for southern Utah. She has served rural communities for the past 18 years in economic strategy, innovative startup development, small business advising, and workforce expansion.
“I have a true love for rural Utah and the people that make up the heart of our small communities. It’s where I’m from and where I’m most at home,” Colette Cox said. “I strive to understand the uniqueness of each community and listen to the needs and desires of the residents, business community, and elected officials.”
Colette Cox earned a bachelor’s degree in business marketing from Utah State University and an MBA from the University of North Alabama.
RUCC Secretary
Abby Ivory
Abby is the Owner and Broker of Town and Country Home Mortgage in Nephi for the past 18 years. She is the Past President and currently serves as the Executive Director for the Greater Nephi Chamber of Commerce. Abby serves on the North Sanpete School District Foundation as Treasurer, Director for the Miss Sanpete County Scholarship Competition, and Secretary/Treasurer of the Fountain Green Lamb Day Celebration Committee.
Abby is originally from the Charleston, South Carolina area but has lived in California, Florida, North Carolina, Germany, and Okinawa, Japan. She moved to Central Utah in 2000 and has made the rural, farming community of Fountain Green her home since 2002.
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RUCC Conference Chair
Nate Zilles
Nate Zilles has served as the Executive Director of the Vernal Area Chamber of Commerce since July 2022. He has over 20 years of experience in the areas of business management, leadership, sales, marketing, HR, and other business-related fields. Nate has two bachelor’s degrees from Utah State University: Human Resource Management and Entrepreneurship. He also has a master’s degree in Business (MBA) from Southern Utah University.
Committees that Nate is involved in include Uintah County Economic Grant Committee; Vernal City Façade Grant Committee; UBAOG Committee; Holly Days, Hotel Vernal Haunt, Freedom Fest, Paddle Fest, River Fest Committees; and now, the Conference Chair for the Rural Utah Chamber Coalition Committee.
Nate is a strong advocate for Rural Utah, having been raised on a ranch in Cache Valley. His grandparents owned and operated the 1st Artic Cat Snowmobile Dealership in Cache Valley. With roots in small business, Nate enjoys visiting with and helping to develop small businesses. Nate has lived in College Ward, UT; Price, UT; Cedar City, UT; and has now lived in Naples City, UT since 2012. He loves his family and community and look forward to many more years as a champion for Rural Utah.
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Advocacy Chair
Monica Holdaway
Monica has served as the Box Elder Chamber of Commerce’s CEO since 2003. She graduated from the US Chamber’s Institute of Organization Management in 2007. Monica is very involved in the community she is a member of Brigham City’s Women in Business Organization, Brigham’s Rotary Club, Tremonton’s Kiwanis Club, Bridgerland Technical College’s Board, serves as Chair of the Box Elder County Tourism Council, and serves on the State of Utah’s Rural Opportunity Advisory Committee. Monica is married and has four children.
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RUCC Former Chair
Chris McCormick
With over 20 years of management, sales, and business ownership experience, Chris is a proven leader. Known for his ability to craft the strategic vision required to achieve business goals, he offers a unique blend of executive acumen supported with strong leadership and team building skills. Chris believes in surrounding himself with high caliber individuals dedicated to meeting business goals, improving standards, and delivering exceptional performance.
Chris has a great love for this community and a strong passion for the Chamber organization. His organizational proficiency and reputation for prudent use of resources has been instrumental in helping the Cedar City Area Chamber of Commerce progress throughout the years. Chris served on the Chamber board for over six years managing and working events, participated as an ambassador, and put together the Chamber's public policy guide.
Helping businesses grow is important to Chris as he has been involved on all aspects of the business world. Chris has owned and operated a number of small businesses throughout the years and knows the challenges businesses face first hand. Providing relevant resources and value for Chamber members is a primary focus for Chris.
RUCC Founder
Joel Brown
Joel is the Eastern Utah Director for US Senator Mike Lee. His main role is working with Elected Officials, Businesses and Constituents on issues that they are facing on a Federal level. He loves to help the good people of Utah with challenges that they are facing. Joel has the ability to make people around him better and loves to work with Chambers of Commerce and other Business leaders in creating lasting relationships. Prior to his position with Senator Lee, Joel was the Executive Director of the Vernal Area Chamber of Commerce. He is passionate about Chambers of Commerce in Rural Utah and their ability to assist the Business community in networking and developing a strong business eco system. Joel has been married to Melissa Brown for 27 years and they have 3 boys. They are very excited for their first grandson to arrive in 2023. When he is not working you will find him with his family, in the great outdoors of Utah hiking, camping, snowshoeing or ice fishing on one of Utahs many amazing Lakes. Sent from my iPad
History of the
Rural Utah Chamber Coalition
During the 2021 Legislative Session, Joel Brown and Steve Evans, of the Vernal Chamber of Commerce, were making several trips out to the capitol to meet with Legislators in fighting for bills that were going to impact most communities in Rural Utah. During these trips they had many discussions on how they could make a bigger impact on our state, but specifically in
rural Utah. They were one voice coming from the Uintah Basin, so what if they could get other Chambers to join a 'Coalition' to assist with important causes that affect rural Utah businesses?
They immediately came up with the name "Rural Utah Chamber Coalition", reached out to their good friend and colleague, Chris McCormick, and ran the idea by him. He thought the idea was a good one, and he recommended that they start holding monthly Zoom calls with other Rural Chambers so that they could meet and have people from the Governors Office and other stakeholders attend and discuss best practices while learning from other Rural Utah Chambers.
Two years later, RUCC has continued to grow and foster important relationships across the state.