July 7, 2016 

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Josh Loftin, Communications Director

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Governor Gary R. Herbert Appoints New Multicultural Affairs Director

The Utah Department of Heritage & Arts proudly announces that Hong Vu of Salt Lake City has been appointed by Governor Gary R. Herbert as Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

Hong has 15 years of experience in academia and healthcare, where she has demonstrated leadership in developing diversity and inclusion training and cultural competence programs. Since 2009, she has worked in the leadership and team development department for Intermountain Healthcare. As part of her work with Intermountain, she created an educational guide for working with patients from diverse backgrounds and gave targeted presentations on diversity.

“Hong brings a wealth of experience to our Office of Multicultural Affairs, and I am confident that she will be a great asset in building bridges between Utah’s diverse communities,” Gov. Herbert said. “Her previous work with Intermountain Healthcare has been exceptional and will no doubt provide value as we work to strengthen Utah’s multicultural community.”

As a child, Hong came as a refugee with her family from Saigon, Vietnam, to Salt Lake City. Hong has a Masters in Linguistics and a Bachelors of Arts in Arts History, both from the University of Utah.

“As the chair of the Utah Multicultural Commission, I look forward to working closely with Hong Vu as she implements her vision within the Office of Multicultural Affairs,” Utah Lt. Governor Spencer Cox said. “Her background and leadership skills will help strengthen our connections with Utah’s multicultural community.”

Hong said her life experiences and extensive travel, including two years as an English teacher in Taiwan, has given her a deep appreciation for diverse cultures.

“I’m thankful to Governor Herbert for the opportunity to serve as the director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs,” Hong said. “I’m thrilled to strengthen the partnerships between ethnic communities, state agencies, and community leaders.”

The Office of Multicultural Affairs, a division within the Department of Heritage and Arts, aims to develop a culturally-diverse outreach program for all ethnic communities. The Office recognizes the importance of developing relationships with the many different communities throughout Utah in order to achieve its important mission.