The Senate Revenue and Taxation Confirmation Committee voted unanimously to favorably recommend Deanna Herring as executive director of the Utah State Tax Commission, sending her nomination to the full Senate for final confirmation.

Herring, who has served six years as the commission’s deputy executive director and previously worked nearly 19 years in the state auditor’s office after earning a law degree, told the committee she intends to oversee day-to-day operations of the agency and prioritize customer service and technology while protecting sensitive data. "We welcome feedback, and we strive to provide respectful, timely, and accurate delivery of service to our customers," she said.

The committee hearing combined a brief public-comment period, remarks from Tax Commission officials and questions from senators. John Valentine, chair of the Utah State Tax Commission, formally presented the commission’s nomination and said the commission had consulted with the governor "as required by our statute." He told the committee the commission acted in a public meeting to submit the nomination.

In her opening statement, Deanna Herring summarized her agency responsibilities and experience. She said the executive director role maintains separation between the commission’s administrative functions and the commissioners’ appeals duties and described responsibilities that include oversight of the agency budget and accounting, tax and motor vehicle computer systems, security and records management, legislative implementation, forms and web development, and media relations. She said the commission employs "just over 700" people.

Committee members asked about customer experience and technology. Senator Luz Escamilla asked how the tax commission plans to improve customer interactions as new technologies, including artificial intelligence, are introduced. Herring said the agency is running "a couple different AI pilot projects" and emphasized that the commission is "uber protective about our information and our data and keeping it secure," testing both functionality and security before broader use.

Herring described a recent technology deployment aimed at collecting customer feedback. She said the commission added Qualtrics and an additional product called XM Discover in September 2023 to analyze calls and sentiment. That feedback prompted the agency to build a fee estimator for vehicle purchases, which Herring said quickly became the top request and reduced related calls after it was posted on the commission’s website.

Senator Dan Wilson, who identified a background in the motor vehicle industry, said he appreciated the work of the outgoing executive director and raised concerns about motor vehicle enforcement and rising fraud risks tied to new technologies. Herring responded that open communication with constituents is important and said the agency needs customers to report problems so it can identify and fix process gaps.

After discussion, Senator Dan McKay, the committee chair, called for a motion. Senator Dan Wilson moved to favorably recommend Herring’s nomination to the full Senate; the motion passed by voice vote. The committee recorded the recommendation as passing unanimously (initially announced as 5–0), and the chair subsequently counted Senator Jani Iwamoto Plumb’s online "aye," updating the committee tally to 6–0.

The committee also approved minutes from its April 15, 2024 meeting earlier in the session and adjourned after the confirmation vote. McKay said he hoped the full Senate would reach final confirmation soon. "Hopefully, we can get final confirmation tomorrow," he said.