Jay Francis

Jay was appointed as President & CEO of the South Valley Chamber of Commerce in September 2020. Jay had served on the board for 12 years and served as the Chair for 5 years when the chamber was the Sandy Chamber of Commerce.

Prior to this appointment Jay had been with the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies for 35 years and retired on May 1, 2020. Jay started his career with the Larry H. Miller Group when Larry Miller bought the Utah Jazz in April of 1985. Jay was the Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations at that time.

Jay began his career with the Utah Jazz in 1983 as their director of marketing, was named vice president of marketing and public relations for the franchise the following year. In 2003, he was named Sr. Vice President of Sales & Marketing for all entities of the Larry H. Miller Sports and Entertainment division. During his 22 years with the Utah Jazz and the sports and entertainment group, Francis oversaw all aspects of advertising and marketing, event and game operations, ticket and suite sales, public and community relations, event creation, and sponsorships. Francis also had oversight of the Utah Jazz customer service center. He played a key role in organizing the National Basketball Association’s first marketing advisory board and served a two-year term as one of its charter board members. In 1995 Francis also created Larry H. Miller Advertising, now known as Saxton Horne Communications, to handle all the advertising and marketing needs for the Larry H. Miller Group.

In 2008 Francis was made the executive vice president of operations for Larry H. Miller Management Corporation, and oversaw the operation of Miller Family Real Estate, Jordan Commons, and also chaired a joint committee of Larry H. Miller marketing directors. His last appointment and assignment with the Larry H. Miller Group was Executive Vice President for Corporate Affairs & Miller Family Philanthropy for the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, Executive Director of The Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation and President of Larry H. Miller Charities.

Francis serves on various boards which include past chair for The Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors, chair for United Way of Salt Lake and as past chairman of the board for EDCUtah, chair The Anti Bullying Coalition and serves on the Promised Partnership Regional Council. He and his wife LeeAnn both serve on the National Advisory Council for the business college at UVU and The Ethics Council for the Wheatly Institute at BYU. Francis attended the University of Utah prior to spending the first five years of his career at Baker/Francis and Associates, a family-owned advertising company.

In 2005 Francis and his wife LeeAnn were called to preside over the Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Mission for the LDS church. Larry Miller asked Jay to continue as a personal consultant so his tenure with the Larry H. Miller Companies would not be broke upon his return.

Francis and his wife LeeAnn have four children and eleven grandchildren, and make their home in South Jordan, Utah.