Powers Gardner appointed to state Blockchain and Digital Innovation Task Force | News, Sports, Jobs

This week, Utah County Commissioner Amelia Powers Gardner turned one of many first appointees to Utah’s Blockchain and Digital Innovation Activity Power by Gov. Spencer Cox.

Powers Gardner acquired a textual content message from the governor’s workplace Monday informing her she had been appointed to the duty power. She additionally acquired an emailed letter of her appointment signed by Cox on June 2.

“The objective was to have all of the members chosen within the month of June, so since my letter was dated on the second. I used to be one of many first, if not the primary,” she mentioned.

As much as 15 members shall be chosen, having a mixture of authorities and business representatives.

“They wish to lean closely in the direction of business specialists, and its objective is to finish up serving to authorities and perceive and consider various things as expertise will get launched,” Powers Gardner mentioned. “The duty power remains to be forming. We don’t even have all of the members but. I’m one of many first members. I referred to as the governor’s workplace, and I did ask who the opposite members have been, and so they mentioned we don’t know everybody but.”

Home Invoice 335, approving the duty power, was signed by Cox in March.

An instance of what the duty power is supposed to do is contemplating laws coping with innovation and giving evaluations or suggestions on it.

One of many causes Powers Gardner mentioned she was positioned on the duty power was as a result of she has expertise implementing blockchains into Utah County.

In early 2020, whereas serving because the Utah County clerk/auditor, she helped the county launch a blockchain marriage license resolution.

By doing so, every day operations remained unchanged in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of lots of the techniques have been automated.

“I’ve a real-life utility, and I perceive how that may be carried out in authorities. If different authorities companies have an concept and are saying, ‘Hey, we want to use this digital innovation or use blockchain for this objective,’ the duty power may help consider if that could be a viable use of expertise or presumably see if there’s any points with it that must be thought of.

“The rationale why the state wished to have this job power is as a result of so many individuals typically, additionally in authorities, don’t I perceive new expertise that’s rising. This actually offers a gaggle of specialists from business and authorities the flexibility to flush concepts by way of.”

So far as Powers Gardner is aware of, she would be the solely native authorities consultant on the duty power and presumably the one feminine member. She mentioned she was conscious of the checklist of people the governor’s workplace was contemplating to be on the duty power.

“After they have been floating round names of potential individuals on the duty power, there have been solely two names that have been feminine,” she mentioned. “So, there’s an opportunity that I often is the solely lady or certainly one of two girls on the 15-person job power.”

Powers Gardner was additionally the primary lady to be elected as a Utah County commissioner, so being the one lady within the room isn’t an uncommon feeling for her.

“Ladies’s voices are so essential to have on the desk,” she added. “Ladies have a tendency to judge issues a bit of bit in a different way and that’s an excellent factor, particularly when coping with a big group. Having variety of thought offers everybody a greater end result on the finish. So, if I’ve the chance to make sure that girls’s voices are being heard and we now have a seat on the desk, I’m more than pleased to fill that function.”

The commissioner believes her new function can be utilized to raised serve the county by being one of many first to study new, progressive concepts.

“As new concepts come ahead, most individuals gained’t hear about an concept until it will get carried out,” she mentioned. “There are going to be instances perhaps one thing doesn’t get carried out for no matter it was speculated to, however I’ll have the flexibility to have a look at all the brand new concepts and see if the residents of Utah County will have the ability to profit from such expertise.”

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