1. This morning we held a Public Policy Meeting on Clean Air at the Provo Rec Center. We were
delighted to welcome the following individuals to our panel: Senator Curt Bramble of Utah’s 16th
District; Andrew Jackson, Executive Director of Mountainland Association of Governments; Bryce
Bird, Director of the Utah Division of Air Quality; Hanko Kiessner, Founder of Leaders for Clean Air;
Ty Lagerberg, Site Security Manager at Adobe in Lehi; and Tony Dittmer, Technical Account
Manager at Adobe in Lehi.
The members of the panel created a positive and
thorough discussion of clean air initiatives in Utah.
Senator Curt Bramble opened by stating,
“Utah’s air is cleaner than ever before. That doesn’t
mean nothing should be done. It means we are
making progress.” Members of the panel each
identified how they see clean air moving forward in
Utah.
Hanko Kiessner assured guests that moving
toward cleaner air can be both simple and cost-
effective. Leaders for Clean Air rallies companies
to focus on eliminating tailpipe pollution. Kiessner
commented, “When company leaders decide to become zero-emission commuters, the employees
will follow.” Leaders for Clean Air encourages companies to install electric vehicle charging stations
for their employee. Kiessner left guests with a question to ponder: “Is it maybe cheaper to fix the
problem than to bear the cost of pollution?”
Representatives from Adobe were present on the panel to discuss their company-wide initiatives
for clean air in Utah. They are proving that going “green” is possible and beneficial to everyone
involved. Adobe provides free UTA passes to all
employees and encourages their employees to
work from home on “red air” days. They also
supply free charging stations for employee cars
and use the heat conducted from their server
room to heat their main atrium area.
After speaking about specific initiatives taking
place across the Utah Valley, the panel turned to
the issue of clean air on a broader, more general
scope. Senator Bramble stated, “We’ve got to be
able to change the culture surrounding clean air-
and that comes through education.” The panel
encouraged chamber members to create more
educated companies, in which employees are aware of air quality issues and simple lifestyle
changes to combat pollution.

2. Overall, the meeting was a success and we are grateful to our panel members for their contributions
to the great discussion. It will certainly help to form the chamber’s policy position and help to educate
the Utah Valley on how to get involved. Thank you to Provo Rec Center for hosting this great event.
Learn more about what you can do to promote clean air in Utah by checking out these great online
resources:
Leadersforcleanair.org
Ucair.org
Written by Kali Brown
Photography courtesy of Coralee Zabriskie