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Nominees announced for 3rd District Court vacancy

SALT LAKE CITY – The 3rd District Judicial Nominating Commission has selected nominees for a position on the 3rd District Court.  This position was created by the Legislature during the 2018 Legislative Session. The 3rd Judicial District includes Salt Lake, Summit, and Tooele counties.  

The nominees for the vacancy are: Jared Bennett, first assistant attorney, United States Attorney’s Office; Dianna Gibson, vice president and deputy general counsel, Vista Outdoor, Inc.; Margaret Plane, city attorney, Salt Lake City Corporation; Charles Stormont, director of right-of-way and property management, Utah Department of Transportation; Teresa Welch, attorney, Salt Lake Legal Defender Association.

Written comments can be submitted to the 3rd District Judicial Nominating Commission at judicialvacancies@utah.gov or Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, P.O. Box 142330, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-2330.  The deadline for written comments is noon Sept. 24, 2018. The Nominating Commission may request further information or conduct an investigation of the nominees after reviewing public comments.  After the public comment period, the names will be sent to Gov. Gary R. Herbert, who will have 30 days to make an appointment. Gov. Herbert’s appointee is subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate.

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Are You Financially Ready to Purchase a Home?

National credit, housing counseling agency Take Charge America shares important stepping stones

PHOENIX – (Sept. 13, 2018) – A home is typically an individual’s greatest investment. While house hunting can be exciting, it’s critical that buyers consider hidden costs that aren’t included in the home’s sale price.  

“Jumping into home ownership unprepared can be the start of a financial downfall,” said Mike Sullivan, a personal finance consultant with Take Charge America, a national non-profit credit counseling and housing counseling agency. “Owning a home goes far beyond paying the mortgage and utilities each month. New homeowners should conduct research to ensure they are financially prepared.”

Sullivan offers five financial considerations for potential homeowners:

1. Calculate real cost of home ownership – A home comes with additional costs on top of the mortgage, including maintenance, utilities, property taxes, insurance, homeowners’ association fees, landscaping, moving and more. Before you begin house hunting, calculate the estimated costs of these items to get a realistic picture of monthly expenses.
2. Consider your financial health – Many people drain their savings to cover a down payment, leaving minimal funds for emergencies, which can result in increased debt once they move in. If you have excessive debt, a low credit score, no emergency fund or struggle with budgeting, work on improving those areas first.
3. Tally what you can realistically afford – Many people end up “house poor,” pinching pennies in other areas of their life because they purchased a larger house than they could afford. It’s generally advised that the sum of your monthly mortgage and related housing costs shouldn’t exceed a third of your income. When coupled with other debts, such as a car or student loan payment, total costs shouldn’t exceed 40 percent. Determine the amount of space you need and utilize online financial calculators to create your budget.
4. Get pre-approved for a mortgage – Lenders offer pre-approval for mortgages based on your income, debt and credit history. When you’re pre-approved, you’re in a better position to make a serious offer on a house, and you can focus your search effectively. However, don’t assume you’re guaranteed a mortgage if you’re pre-approved. This isn’t the time to get a new job, open new credit cards or buy a car – all of which set off red flags for lenders.
5. Assess your future living arrangements – Do you plan to move in the next few years, or do you want to settle down? If you don’t see yourself staying in one place for more than three years, consider renting. You’ll avoid the extra work and costs associated with selling your home, and you can save for whenever wanderlust strikes.

Many local and state programs are available for down-payment assistance. To qualify, prospective homebuyers must meet certain criteria and complete a HUD-approved Homebuyer Education Workshop, such as the online course offered by Take Charge America. The course is ideal for anyone new to the home-buying process, covering need-to-know terminology, getting the best deal, loan documentation, avoiding predatory lenders and more. Prospective homebuyers should research available programs in their state before starting the home buying process.

About Take Charge America, Inc.

Founded in 1987, Take Charge America, Inc. is a nonprofit agency offering financial education and

counseling services including credit counseling, debt management, student loan counseling, housing

counseling and bankruptcy counseling. It has helped more than 1.6 million consumers nationwide

manage their personal finances and debts. To learn more, visit www.takechargeamerica.org or call (888)

822-9193.

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3 Strategies for Millennials

Battling ‘Boardroom Sexism’

Over the last several decades, women have made strides in the corporate world, in many cases launching their own enterprises and some taking the helm at Fortune 500 companies.

Despite such progress, sexism remains a significant hurdle in business, says Phuong Uyen Tran, a Vietnamese business executive and author of Competing with Giants: How One Family-Owned Company Took on the Multinationals and Won (www.competingwithgiants.net).

“Sexist attitudes are certainly well entrenched in Asia,” says Tran, who is deputy CEO of THP Beverage Group, the leading Vietnamese beverage company founded by her father.

Having her own experiences with sexual harassment and gender inequality, Tran says she identifies with the #MeToo movement that swept the United States. Not only has she had to deal with inappropriate behavior by business men during meetings, she is constantly asked when she will marry. She has even started her own #StandTaller campaign to combat gender bias and promote better dialogue between the sexes.

“It’s a real battle to strive to eliminate the structural sexism that exists in society,” Tran says. “One of the challenges we face is that gender stereotypes start very early.”

Tran, a millennial herself, has advice for women rising up the corporate ladder.

• Don’t Behave Like a Man. To compete with men, some women might believe they should act like men, which can translate into being abrasive and domineering in conversations. Tran says that’s not how women highlight their natural leadership qualities. “I think there is great strength in a woman’s negotiating skills and ability to listen,” Tran says. “There is plenty of research that demonstrates how a company’s operational abilities improve when there are more women on the board.”
• Stand Up and Be Counted. Tran cautions that even a woman who holds a significant position in a company sometimes can be expected to perform menial duties, such as taking notes or making coffee, especially if she’s the only woman in a meeting. Avoid that trap, she says, and certainly don’t volunteer. “It’s best not to offer to make everyone else a cup of coffee until you reach a senior enough position where this is viewed as a positive gesture, rather than a given,” Tran says. Speaking of note taking, a supervisor once asked a friend of Tran’s to do just that. She declined, telling the supervisor it’s always women who are asked to take notes and until they refuse it will stay that way. This is one example of ways women can stand taller in the boardroom.
• Seek Male Allies. In order to dismantle sexism, we need men to help. “Women cannot eliminate sexism on their own.” Says Tran. The good news is that more and more men are eager to do this. Tran offers five words she calls “boardroom bridge builders” – Do I have your support? “Those five words – do I have your support – are critical because the create unity not separation. They encourage support,” Tran says. “For me, in the boardroom, I have found these five words to help push forward in the most challenging times.”

When it comes to gender equality, Tran does her part by ensuring that THP Beverage Group offers women the same opportunities as men.

“We have 10 senior directors and four are women,” she says. “My sister is also a deputy CEO, and she and I try to set a very strong example for women leaders in our company. We work to boost the number of female employees overall, as well.

“It helps that our father has never discriminated between men and women. It did not matter to him if we were sons or daughters. He just wants the right person for the job.”

About Phuong Uyen Tran

Phuong Uyen Tran, author of Competing with Giants: How One Family-Owned Company Took on the Multinationals and Won (www.competingwithgiants.net) is deputy CEO of the THP Beverage Group, a leading beverage company in Vietnam that was founded by her father. She is responsible for the company’s marketing, public relations, and CSR programs nationally and across Vietnam’s 63 provinces. She also leads THP’s international marketing programs across 16 countries where THP’s products are distributed including Canada and China.