Meet the Local First Board
Betsy Burton, Board Chair
Betsy Burton is co-owner of The King’s English Bookstore, founded in 1977 in Salt Lake City. Burton co-founded Local First Utah, and has served as its Board Chair since its inception. She was a co-founder of Vest Pocket Business Alliance of Salt Lake City and has worked on behalf of local business and community in Utah for decades. She serves on several boards and foundations, including the American Independent Booksellers Association (ABA), and the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA). The King's English
David Nimkin, Board Vice Chair
David Nimkin is the Southwest Regional Director of the National Parks Conservation Association, an organization dedicated to the protection of national parks, monuments and heritage sites. He is a co-founder of Local First Utah, as well as the founder of the Utah Microenterprise Loan Fund. Nimkin is the former State Director of the Utah Small Business Development Centers, and also served as the first Executive Director for Salt Lake Neighborhood Housing Services. Naitonal Parks Conservation Association
Jorge Fierro, Treasurer
Jorge Fierro came to the US from Mexico over 20 years ago, and in 1997 started Rico Mexican Market by selling pinto beans at the Downtown Farmer’s Market. Rico Foods now produces more than 125 different food products and distributes products across the state. Fierro was named Minority Business Man of the Year by the Small Business Administration and the Salt Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. Fierro has served on the boards of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Salt Lake Business Advisory Council, among others.Rico Foods, Inc.
Suzy Dailey
Suzy Dailey joined the Local First Board of Directors in 2007 because of a commitment to bolster community through empowering small, locally owned, business. She and her husband opened their first Grounds for Coffee establishment in 1991 and now operate 3 locations. The Daileys later established Grounds for Coffee Franchising Corporation, a small cooperative of coffee shop owners. Dailey also donates her time to The Ogden Arts Festival at Union Station and the Friends of the Salt Lake City Library organization. Grounds For Coffee
Leigh von der Esch
Leigh von der Esch currently serves as Director of the Utah Office of Tourism. She has worked as State Film Commissioner, Chief Administrative Officer for the Utah Department of Community and Economic Development, and was Chairman of the Sundance Film Festival Committee for 9 years. She was named one of Utah’s 100 Most Influential People in Business by Utah Business Magazine. She is currently a member of the College of Social and Behavioral Science Board for the University of Utah, and serves on the Advisory Board for the Utah Arts Festival. Utah Office of Tourism
Jim Rizzi
Jim Rizzi has nearly 30 years experience in the alternative newsweekly publishing business. The first two decades of his career were spent with New Times Inc (now Village Voice Media) the largest publisher of alternative papers in the country. He began in advertising sales, then sales management, and spent his last 10 years as publisher of their Denver, San Francisco and Los Angeles publications. Jim moved to Salt Lake City in August 2002 to become associate publisher/part owner of City Weekly and was named publisher in January 2004. City Weekly
Jocelyn Kearl
Jocelyn Kearl is co-owner of Third Sun Productions, a two-person company that has been serving nonprofits and small businesses in Utah since 2005. Previous work experience includes being Development Director for KRCL and grantwriter for a Jewish-Arab peace project called American Friends of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam. She holds a master's degree in English from BYU. Although mostly raised in Utah, she spent several years after college in Los Angeles, Austin, and Boston prior to moving back to take advantage of the outdoors, better cost of living, and less traffic. She has been happy to find out that Salt Lake City increasingly offers great music, great local restaurants, and a progressive community. Third Sun
