DCIO events roundup: Efforts focus on small acts of kindness, well-being
DCIO employees walk the trails overlooking Salt Lake City at Red Butte Garden on October 6, 2025.
Despite a smaller employee morale budget, the Smells Like Team Spirit Committee (TSC) is finding ways — old and new — to bring together Deputy Chief Information Officer (DCIO) organization staff, including events with food and entertainment and challenges to inspire action.
The Random MAX of Kindness board.
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Visit the Max Rogers memorial page.
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In June, the committee introduced the Random MAX of Kindness Board, in memory of Web Support & Usability student employee Max Rodgers. Rodgers died on November 16, 2024, after being shot by a neighbor.
“Max Rodgers had a remarkable way of showing up for people — with kindness, generosity, and heart. To honor his spirit, we’ve created a space where small acts of goodness can live on and grow,” the committee wrote.
The committee encourages DCIO employees to write down and pin to the board any kindhearted act they witness or experience.
“The goal is simple: to keep kindness moving,” they wrote.
For the second year, the committee sponsored a six-week walking challenge “in an effort to create teambuilding, support healthy lifestyles, and receive a WellU participation checkmark.” To complete the challenge, which began on September 15 and ends on October 31, employees walk at least a half mile three days a week. Many participants meet in the 102 Tower lobby on Mondays and Wednesdays, when most DCIO employees work in the office, for a walk around the block.
Employees also received credit if they walked a half mile at Employee Appreciation Day on September 25 or the DCIO outing to Red Butte Garden on October 6.
The trip to Red Butte included a picnic lunch and stroll among the garden’s more than 3,000 species of plants and trees. Though somewhat cool and cloudy, employees enjoyed viewing late bloomers like the cockspur hawthorn, rubber rabbitbrush, and autumn joy sedum in the gardens, as well as red, brown, yellow, and orange foliage along nature trails.
Other recent efforts included an ice cream and trivia social on July 9, lunch for the first day of school on August 18, and bagels and doughnuts on September 24.
The committee and DCIO employees wish a fond farewell to Deputy CIO Ken Pink, who strongly supported employee morale efforts and helped build a close-knit, collaborative culture in his organization. Pink retires on October 31.
Flowers at Red Butte Garden (Photo by Tammy Mabey).
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A waterfall (left) and pink rose at Red Butte Garden (Photos by Tammy Mabey).
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Flowers hang from an arch (left) and a squirrel peeks over a rock at Red Butte Garden (Photos by Tammy Mabey and Patrick Harris).
Val Olds views a Halloween display featuring mushrooms, a mouse with candy corn, and potions on a table at Red Butte Garden.
The pond at Red Butte Garden.
Tree branches form a tunnel over a trail at Red Butte Garden.
A patch of stinking gourd at Red Butte Garden.
From left, Dan Gillen, Shellie Eide, Josh Leigh, Larrisa Turner, Abbey Allen, and Emily Jacoby (Photo courtesy of Emily Jacoby).
A hillside looms over Red Butte Garden (Photo by Patrick Harris).
A note on the board reads:
"In Loving Memory of Maxwell Rodgers
2003-2024
Maxwell (Max) Rodgers passed away unexpectedly at the age of 21 on November 16, 2024. Max was a kind, creative, and compassionate soul whose warmth and joy touched everyone who knew him.
He had a deep love for music, skateboarding, and animals — and even raised technicolor shrimp, a perfect example of his wonderfully unique and curious spirit. Whether helping a friend, volunteering at an animal shelter, or simply sharing a laugh, max consistently led with kindness.
Max's generous heart and vibrant presence left a lasting mark on those around him. In his memory, we invite you to carry his spirit forward by recognizing and celebrating acts of kindness in everyday life.
This board is here to do just that.
If you witness a kind act, big or small, take a moment to write it down and pin it here.
You can name the person or keep it anonymous.
Your note might brighten someone's day or inspire another act of kindness.
Let's keep Max's lighting shining by spreading the kindness he lived every day."
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