The Rural Towns Project Podcast

I’m currently learning more about Moab, Utah. In this episode, I chat with August Granath, Technical Outreach Manager for the Center for Rural Development in the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development. August shares his story, a story that starts with the goal to do good and have a positive impact and leads from Salt Lake City to international climate policy work to Moab, Utah. We talk abo...

I’m currently learning more about San Juan County, Utah and I’m focusing on the town of Blanding. In this episode I chat with the delightful Dr. Robert McPherson, emeritus Professor of History at Utah State University - Blanding and a Utah State Historical Society Fellow. Bob spent 45 years in Blanding and he talks about how his mother reading stories to him as a child in Massachusetts led to a li...

I’m currently learning more about San Juan County, Utah and I’m focusing on the town of Blanding. In this episode I chat with Sara Weissman to learn more about her recent story on rural apprenticeships for Inside Higher Ed ( https://www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-innovation/alternative-credentials/2026/05/26/rural-opportunity-through-apprenticeship ). Sara shares a bit about her background and w...

I’m currently learning more about San Juan County, Utah and I’m focusing on the town of Blanding. In this episode I chat with Tyler Bailey - nurse, entrepreneur, and one of the “glue” guys and girls found in any successful rural community. Tyler seems to be everywhere and does a little bit of everything (including giving my car a jump!) in Blanding. We talk about Tyler’s role as case manager and n...

I’m currently learning more about San Juan County, Utah and I’m focusing on the town of Blanding. In this episode I chat with Logan Monson. I wanted to chat with Logan to learn more about balancing work, family, and being a rural elected official in a district covering 29,000 square miles as a State Representative. Logan’s roots run deep in Blanding and he shares how how his son’s heart problems i...

I’m currently learning more about San Juan County, Utah and I’m focusing on the town of Blanding. In this episode I chat with Josh Nielson, owner of Sunrise Outfitting - Scenic Adventures, a family-owned business in Blanding that has been passed down from generation to generation. I wanted to chat with Josh to learn more about running a family business in a rural community and about balancing busi...

I’m currently learning more about San Juan County, Utah and I’m focusing on the town of Blanding. In this episode I chat with Bayley Hedglin (Associate Director of Development for Utah State University). I wanted to chat with Bayley to learn more about her background in rural economic development and her unique role as a university development director living in a rural community doing development...

I continue to be captivated by San Juan County, Utah and I’m currently focusing on the town of Blanding. In this episode I chat with Debra McKee, Rural Economic Development Manager for four Utah counties, including San Juan County, for the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED). I wanted to chat with Debra to learn more about how she came to her role and to learn more about how GOED...

In this episode, I talk to Maria Sykes, Co-Founder & Executive Director of Epicenter ( https://ruralandproud.org/ ) in Green River, UT. Maria shares with me how and why she came to Green River from the Deep South 16 years ago and why she stays. We talk about the nonprofit Maria co-founded and leads, Epicenter, and its focus on art, affordable housing, and rural investment in Green River. Maria...

In this episode, I talk to Markie Vetere, teacher, barrel racer, and entrepreneur in Green River (UT). Markie talks about how she balances those three passions and how they influence and reinforce each other. Markie talks about the importance of loving the kids she teaches, giving them experiences, and showing them what is possible. She talks about how and why she started her business - Rare Reneg...

In this episode, I talk to Edward Castro Bennett, Green River (UT) City Manager. Edward explains how he came to be city manager (it includes having Green River roots, his economic development background, and LinkedIn actually working). We talk about Green River’s history and future as part of the Wild West (connections to Butch Cassidy, John Wesley Powell, and of course, melons and Ray’s Tavern)....

In this episode, I talk to Louis Williams, river and backcountry guide and owner of Ancient Wayves (the only indigenous owned and operated outfit commercially permitted to provide guided tours within the Bears Ears National Monument). Louis shares how he caught the river guiding bug (through a Navajo friend in Bluff, UT), branching out on his own, and how it’s community that sustains him and his g...

In this episode, I talk to Sarah Burak (Education Director for the Bears Ears Partnership) about what brought her to the Bluff (UT) area from Alabama and why she never left. We talk about her journey to the Bears Ears Partnership and what she does in her current role as Education Director. We talk about what a Dark Sky designation means and requires (a commitment to dark skies, education, and moni...

In this episode, I talk to Erin Nelson, owner of Canyon Smokehouse in Bluff (UT) and Bluff Town Manager. Erin shares how she came to live in Bluff and own Canyon Smokehouse (it involves dark skies, small town life, marrying a chef and chasing their joint dreams). We talk about how hard it is to get financing in a rural, remote, small town, and how creative you have to be. Erin talks about how ofte...

In this episode, I talk to Talia Hansen, Economic Development Manager for San Juan County. Talia shares a little of her traumatic childhood story of escape and survival and how she learned from it to take risks, “jump on the truck”, and to be curious and put people first. Talia also talks about how her work with nonprofits, with design thinking, and with running her own business prepared her for h...

In this episode, I talk to Michael Powell, currently a staff writer for The Atlantic and author of Canyon Dreams: A Basketball Season on the Navajo Nation (which was the inspiration for the Netflix movie Rez Ball ). Michael and I talk about our brief experiences playing rez ball (he calls it a “fast flowing stream”) and Michael talks about the inspiration for the book, the reservation basketball g...

In this episode, I talk to Allison Yamamoto-Sparks, Visitor Services Manager for San Juan County, UT. Allison gives an overview of the geography of San Juan County/Utah’s Canyon Country and describes her role (a little bit of everything related to marketing and tourism for San Juan County). We talk about the county’s new “Head South to Go West” campaign and the evolution from casting a wide net to...

In this episode, I talk to Marci Goodwin, rural entrepreneur, rural microbusiness advocate, and co-founder of SmartStart Business Development. Marci talks about her entrepreneurial background (including starting an online home school science curriculum) and how she came to co-found SmartStart Business Development. SmartStart is focused on helping rural main street and microbusinesses (less than 5...

In this episode, I talk to Teresa McKnight, CEO of REDI (Regional Economic Development for Eastern Idaho). Teresa shares her interesting background - from accountant at Pepperidge Farm in Cache Valley, Utah to technology transfer positions to leading Research Parks in Utah, South Dakota, and Montana. We talk about the work REDI is doing in 16 SE/E Idaho counties related to economic development and...

Sticking with the theme of back where this all started, for the second episode of the return of the Rural Towns Project Podcast, I talk to my favorite historian, HannaLore Hein, State Historian for the State of Idaho and friend of the podcast. HannaLore and I spend most of the episode talking about America 250 - the 250th birthday of the United States of America on July 2026. HannaLore explains wh...

And I’m back! I apologize. It’s been too long. Life got busy but my passion for the rural American West has only increased and I’ve got a number of other projects related to rural towns, rural entrepreneurship, and rural economic development going on (if you really want to follow along with the other things I’m working on, the best option is probably to follow me on LinkedIn ). I’ll be publishing...

As promised, this is Part 2 of my conversation with HannaLore Hein (Idaho State Historian) on the history of Bear Lake. As usual, HannaLore takes us on a well-researched ride on the history of place as this time we talk about the actual Bear Lake and the Bear River - the largest river in the US that doesn’t empty into an ocean. It empties into the Great Salt Lake and we talk about how the Bear Riv...

In this episode, I chat with Natalie Randall, Executive Director of the Utah Tourism Industry Association (UTIA). Natalie and I talk about her interesting background in tourism and economic development and what brought her to her current position. We talk about life in Monticello and the thousands of miles she drives across Utah focusing on the the work of tourism advocacy and education for UTIA....

In this episode, I chat with Mark Smoot (Owner of Epic Recreation, Bear Lake Lodge, Sunrise Resort & Event Center and more!). Mark and I talk about what brought him to Bear Lake as a second career and what keeps him there (he’s become a serial entrepreneur). Mark highlights the importance of community, collaboration, and relationships with employees, customers, business owners, and elected off...

I’m taking a slightly different approach to podcast episodes as I work to align some of my professional and academic interests with my personal interest in the rural American West. Rather than focus on one particular town, I will be focusing on the entrepreneurial and small business ecosystems that exist in and around rural small towns. I’ll still be talking to historians, small business owners, e...