Prepared remarks given by Lane Beattie at the Giant In Our City awards May 20, 2010

Since 1970, when Eric C. Aaberg was named the first Giant In Our City, we’ve honored many remarkable business leaders.

In recent years, we’ve honored President Gordon B. Hinckley, Jon Huntsman, James Sorenson, Larry H. Miller and Bill Nelson. Just last year, we honored both Ellis Ivory and Roger Boyer.

Each of these names represents more than just a person; it represents a contribution that will outlive the individual.

Since we last met to honor A Giant In Our City, our community lost one of its Giants. B.Z. ”Bud” Kastler, passed away in November. He was 89 years old. Bud was director and former chairman, president and CEO of Questar Corp., Mountain Fuels Supply Co. and its subsidiaries. Bud was a great businessman and a stellar individual and he is greatly missed. Born in Billings, Montana, Kastler came to Utah to pursue his education and became a pillar of the community.

Another of our Giants, Fred Ball, recalls that “Bud was very knowledgeable, very capable and a champion of the free enterprise system.”

Bud served as Chamber president in 1977, a position now equal to chair of the Board of Governors. A decade later, in 1987, he was awarded the Chamber’s highest honor, being named a Giant In Our City.  He was a giant in our community and a major force for good and growth for our state.

We are also honored to have several “Giants” here tonight.

Would you please stand and be recognized as I read your name?

G. Frank Joklik
Verl Topham
Roger Boyer
Spence Eccles
and Fred Ball

It is wonderful to have all our Giants with us this evening— but if I may, I want to say it is particularly nice to have former Chamber President Fred Ball with us.

Fred was the president of the Salt Lake Chamber from 1971 until 1995 when he was named a Giant In Our City.

You may have noticed something about the honorees we just recognized… they all have something in common.

Tonight we add to our esteemed group of Giants, the first female honoree.

The Giant In Our City award was created in 1969 to honor lives of exceptional and distinguished public service and extraordinary professional achievement.

It is the Chamber’s most prestigious award and is given periodically by the Chamber’s Board of Governors.

To say the Right Reverend Carolyn Tanner Irish is a deserving recipient of this award would be an understatement.

She is the epitome of all that the Giant In Our City Award was created to honor.

Civic engagement, service to the community and a love for our great state are all qualities that distinguish a successful individual from a one worthy to be counted as A Giant In Our City.