Betsy Wallace declares candidacy for Summit County Council

Betsy Wallace filing her candidacy for Summit County Council elections. Photo: Betsy Wallace

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah – Yesterday, Betsy Wallace formally declared her candidacy for Summit County Council. Wallace will challenge Tonja Hanson for seat B.

Wallace previously ran for Park City Council last year but suspended her campaign before the election to “regain some semblance of normalcy.”

Wallace has amassed four decades of senior leadership experience in prominent global companies like PetSmart, as well as in Park City-based organizations such as American Ski Company, Sundance Institute and Park City Institute.

During her eight-year tenure with Sundance, she initially served as CFO and later took on the role of Managing Director. Following the transition of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival back to an in-person format, which contrasted with the online-only approach adopted in 2021-2022 due to COVID, Wallace decided to step back from Sundance.

Her intention was to explore how her expertise in finance, business development, and operations could be directly applied to benefit her local community.

“I wanted to have the time to try different things in my life,” Wallace says about retiring from Sundance Institute. “This included spending more time with the non-profit boards I was on, moving into the role of Executive Director of Park City Institute, and launching a campaign for Park City Council.”

Wallace said she decided to withdraw from the Park City Council elections and declare candidacy for the Summit County Council due in part to a conversation she had with County Councilor Roger Armstrong.

“I was excited about the idea of being involved at the broader county level,” Wallace said. “To accomplish this with the respect and commitment it deserves, I dropped out of the Park City Council race immediately, shifted my support to the other strong candidates, and reconsidered my professional and service roles to reduce conflicts and free up the time a Summit County-wide campaign and service on County Council demand.”

If elected, Wallace hopes to bridge the gap between the east and west sides of Summit County in an attempt to balance the economic, social, and environmental needs of each.

Wallace also intends to refine procedures and accountability within the county government to better support the needs of residents.

“My desire to serve this community runs deep. Summit County’s issues grow more complex by the day, including the pressures of significant growth throughout the Wasatch Back and a likely Olympics in 2034,” Wallace said.

The sole challenger to Tonja Hanson for County Council Seat B, Wallace, did this intentionally so no candidate would run unopposed.

With all the filings for seat C, that race will see primaries on both sides regardless. Candidates have stepped up to challenge Roger Armstrong in his bid for a fourth term in seat A. “I don’t believe anyone should run opposed, and so my decision is to be the sole challenger to Tonja Hanson for seat B,” Wallace explained.