At a meeting of the Senate Health and Human Services Confirmation Committee, senators unanimously advanced the nomination of Jess Dalton to the Board of Aging and Adult Services and referred his name to the full Senate for confirmation.

Jess Dalton, a senior health executive and nominee, described a career in hospital leadership and senior health and said he recently relocated to Utah to take a leadership role with the Larry H. Miller senior‑health platform. He told senators he holds three graduate degrees from the University of Utah and said his purpose is to “serve individuals, communities, and people who are at risk, who are vulnerable, or who may be marginalized.”

Dalton said aging does not mean decline and highlighted the demographic pressure of older adults entering care: “Some call it the silver tsunami. 11,000 Medicare eligibles enter the system every day,” he said. He told the committee roughly 30% of Utah’s residents age 65 and older live in rural areas and said rural aging presents different strategic and resourcing needs than metropolitan settings. “There's approximately 30% of Utah's 65 and older population that do reside in rural areas,” he said.

Senators asked Dalton for specific priorities. He emphasized workforce shortages across clinical and social‑service roles, the importance of ombudsmen and case managers, and the need to develop care models that include social‑service supports and coordination across settings.

Senator Stevenson moved to forward Dalton’s nomination to the full Senate; the motion carried unanimously. Committee members present who identified themselves at the start of the meeting were the chair, Senator Stevenson and Senators Plum, Thatcher and Stratton; all voted in favor.

Dalton told the committee his background in strategy and long‑term care positions him to address workforce and rural access challenges, and he expressed a continued interest in community and contemplative practices he said inform his leadership. The committee’s favorable recommendation moves his nomination to the full Senate for a final confirmation vote.