MEET THE PANELISTS

Hill was one of three guests invited to a Thursday night rehearsal with THE Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The thrill of a lifetime!

Gene Hill

A volunteer in the Miss America system since 1985, Reverend Gene Hill is the former Executive Director of the Miss Idaho Scholarship Pageant, where he directed and produced four live television pageants, co-hosting with former Miss Americas Kellye Cash and Debra Sue Maffett. Gene began attending the Miss America Pageant in 1989 and has judged over 30 state competitions across the country. He is thrilled to be back in Salt Lake City for the 2023 Miss Utah Competition.

Gene is a life member and fellow of Lions International, an ordained minister in the Disciples of Christ Christian Church, pianist, choral director, and accompanist. He is an alumnus of the University of Oregon’s School of Music, and he has a broad background in all facets of music and the arts. He graduated from Bushnell University, and the Pasadena Fuller Theological Seminary, and is now based in Boise, Idaho, where he is currently the interim minister of First Christian Church in Salem, Oregon. Reverend Hill is also a former Executive Director of three California Community College Foundations.

In 2013, Gene received special recognition from the Miss Idaho Organization for his 30+ years of service to Miss Idaho and as benefactor of the annual “Bert Parks Award.” In 2020 he began a second term on the Board of Trustees for his Alma Mater, Bushnell University, in Eugene, Oregon, where he is an avid Oregon Ducks fan.

On January 15, 2015, Reverend Gene

Danielle Wineman

Danielle Wineman was Miss Montana 2015 and dedicated that year to promoting her self-developed program, “Acting on Compassion,” to more than 200 schools and 40,000 students across the Big Sky State. However, students seemed even more taken with her when she would sit at the piano and perform fun, familiar songs like “Pirates of the Caribbean”or “Great Balls of Fire.”

Danielle has been playing piano for more than 25 years, performing on stages across the country. She has worked with several teachers ranging from classically trained celebrities, to jazz professionals and Grammy Nominees. Now a piano teacher herself for students around the country, she hopes to provide the same inspiration for finding joy in a variety of styles and genres.

With a B.F.A. in theatre from Stephens College and M.F.A. in acting from the University of California, Danielle is no stranger to combining solid technique with dynamic performance in all aspects of the arts. She has performed at the La Jolla Playhouse, Guthrie Theatre, and other renowned regional theaters on everything from Shakespeare to unique World Premiere productions. As a teaching artist herself, Danielle worked and developed performance and education-based curriculums and programs for students from Pre-K through college undergrads. Her favorite courses to teach are Acting and Public Speaking.

Danielle is now based in New York City, where she continues to perform, teach, play piano, and build her business. In 2021, she launched Wineman Creative, a social media and brand strategy company that contracts with artists and small businesses develop their image and voice across the wide-ranging and ever-changing social media platforms. In her spare moments, she can usually be found on a plane traveling, outside hiking, spending time with friends, or gardening.

Nick Latham

Mr. Nick Latham of Palm Springs, California has served as a Miss America state and local preliminary judge for nearly 40 years and has judged more than 70 competitions in the Miss America and Miss America’s Teen systems. His career path has taken him from education to broadcasting to public relations and most recently to the legal marketing field where he spent 25 years with law firms in Seattle, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

Nick is now retired and living in Palm Springs, where he volunteers with the Palm Springs Film Festival, the Desert AIDS Project, and the Stanford University admissions office, where he has the pleasure of interviewing candidates for the incoming freshman class. Nick says that attending Stanford changed his life, so he wants to be involved in giving that same opportunity to another generation.

An Emmy Award-winner, Nick produced public affairs programs and editorials for and they currently reside just east of the Dallas area. They are easily distracted by their four amazing children, but have loads of fun raising this bunch. In addition to being a proud mom and nurse, Jill continues to inspire thousands of people across America each year as a professional speaker and author. a Healthcare Administrator for the United States Coast Guard. Mr. Hicks has earned a plethora of degrees and accolades throughout his career, including bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Arizona State University, a Juris Doctorate degree from Cleveland Marshall College of Law, and a Master of Law degree from the University of Oklahoma.

KIRO Television (CBS) in Seattle for 16 years. A former educator, Nick taught high school English and journalism in Sequim, Washington and served as media spokesperson for the Highline School District in Burien, Washington.

Nick is a proud communications graduate of Stanford University, and also holds an MBA in Marketing from the prestigious University of Washington’s Foster School of Business.

DOAJO D. HICKS

Jill Stevens Shepherd

For 8 years, Jill Shepherd served in the US Military as a Combat Medic for the Army National Guard. She was deployed to Afghanistan where she earned five medals for outstanding service, and was the first female finisher of the inaugural Afghanistan Marathon. Jill loves to stay fit, and she has completed a total of 18 marathons. She also earned the highest Fitness Award during her Army Basic Training.

In addition to her US Military Service, Jill was chosen as one of four women to be featured as a “Woman of Strength” in Muscle and Fitness Hers Magazine. However, perhaps the most unusual and shocking adventure for Jill was her unexpected experience in becoming Miss Utah. This year of service took her to the national competition in the Miss America Pageant, where she was a finalist and was selected as “America’s Choice” for Miss America by the television audience.

Jill received a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Southern Utah University. She has since specialized in Pediatric Critical Care, and has 14 years of experience as an Emergency Department Nurse. Currently, she is the Nurse Team Lead for Children’s Health in Dallas, Texas.

Jill is happily married to Kerry Shepherd,

Doajo D. Hicks, Esq. is a distinguished legal professional with a vast and impressive portfolio of experience in various legal roles. As Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Strongmind and Verano, he provides oversight and management of daily administrative operations and legal matters for both organizations.

Mr. Hicks previously held the position of General Counsel & Chief Human Resource Officer at the University of LaVerne (ULV), where he directed the operations of the university’s Legal Affairs, Human Resources, Office of Civil Rights/EEOC, Title IX, and Risk and Compliance departments. Prior to ULV, he served as General Counsel & Chief Diversity Officer, and VP of Legal Affairs at Utah Tech University, leading the Legal Affairs division and Public Safety department while contributing significantly to the university’s diversity initiatives.

In addition to his distinguished work in higher education, Mr. Hicks has also worked as the Assistant Attorney General of Ohio, Deputy General Counsel and Executive Director of Legal Services at Cuyahoga Community College, and Associate General Counsel and Compliance Officer for the Sisters of Charity Health System, Cleveland Metro area’s third-largest health system.

Prior to Mr. Hicks’ legal career, he was a federal/state certified Police Officer in the State of Arizona until he was shot in the line of duty. Mr. Hicks also served as

Jeanette Bennett

Jeanette founded the magazine publishing company, Bennett Communications, in 2000 and continues to lead the business as founder and publisher. Bennett Communications creates Utah Valley Magazine, BusinessQ Magazine, Utah Valley Bride Magazine, Prosper Magazine, Custom Publishing, and UtahValley360.com. She has worked for a variety of organizations including BYU Idaho and Deseret News and is currently the Chief Visionary Officer and a Trustee for Thanksgiving Point.

Jeanette’s community involvement spans two decades and includes serving on the Board of Trustees for Utah Valley University, as the chair-elect of United Way of Utah County, and as a board member for multiple organizations. In 2018, she was named the Top Woman Entrepreneur in Media alongside Martha Stewart. In 2022, Jeanette was also inducted into the Silicon Slopes Hall of Fame.

Jeanette holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from Brigham Young University and an honorary doctorate degree from Utah Valley University. She is a cancer survivor, a former state senate candidate, a mother, and a perpetual cheerleader for the state of Utah. She and her husband, Matt, live in Pleasant Grove and have five wonderful children. Jeanette considers herself a storyteller at heart, and she is thrilled to continue celebrating and promoting families, education, and technology throughout our great state.