Holladay Journal | August 2023

Getting engaged in the political process can feel daunting. The idea of fundraising, staging a political campaign, marketing, canvassing and doing all the steps it takes to run for office often stops people from running before they even start. But Utah Women Run is a powerful advocate.

Hosted by the Hinckley Institute of Politics, Utah Women Run is a nonpartisan initiative designed to encourage, empower and train women so they can bring their voices to the political issues of the day. Whether that’s running for city council or serving on a board or commission, UWR offers programs to get women involved.

“One of the things that holds women back, and this is not anecdotal, this is research, is that women feel like they have to be overqualified before they run for office,” said Morgan Lyon Cotti, associate director at the Hinckley Institute and UWR board member. “We connect them through our alumni, we connect them with those women who have run for office so they can see what it looks like. They can see what other people have done and hopefully gain that confidence to run themselves.”

Founded in 2011 as Real Women Run, the organizers committed to help women engage in political and public life. More than 1,000 women have gone through

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

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COREY J. MILLER, MD

For Dr. Miller, joining Mountain States Eye Center is highly personal. Serving the patients that his father, Dr. Corey A. Miller has cared for and and treated is as an honor and privilege. Dr. Corey J. Miller brings his own set of exceptional skills, experience, and dedication to continuing the legacy of outstanding medical care.

Dr. Miller specializes in cornea, cataract, refractive, and external disease. He is board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology.

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Granite Technical Institute’s student wins national pitch competition; new CEO program ‘lifechanging’

Skyline High student Harleen Saini already knew she wanted a career in business when she applied for the inaugural year of the Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities, or CEO, program at Granite Technical Institute.

“In a lot of the business classes I’ve taken and the Academy of Finance I’ve been a part of, I learned foundational information; the CEO program really brought that all together,” she said.

It also taught Saini the practical applications to become an entrepreneur, starting with her business pitch.

The Taylorsville senior is the national champion in the pitch contest of the CEO program, which has provided more than 4,700 high school graduates nationwide with opportunities to become entrepreneurs through partnerships with businesses and mentors.

This is GTI’s first year of participating; it is one of 70 programs nationwide.

At 6:30 a.m. shortly before the end of the school year, GTI hosted a CEO pitch watch party, where the 17-member class also had a national third-place finish with Nadia Ferguson, a Skyline High classmate of Saini’s with Nadia’s Necessities’ body-wrap towel, and honorable mention with Austin Beverley, a Cottonwood High senior who pitched BlackTine taxidermy cleaning services.

“It was a video submission from all these students across the nation. There were 398 competitors, including me,” said Saini, who also is a Skyline High service scholar. “I was so surprised because I wasn’t expecting it at all. I was just super thankful to my CEO class, my mentor and my teacher, Ms. (Erin) Paulsen, because they believed in me.”

Before the pitch competition, students watched a video from the Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship, who created the CEO pro-

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

gram, instructing them how to structure their business pitches.

“They reminded us to state the problem, that our solution needed a hook and other tips,” she said. “We were given free rein of how we wanted to present our products what we wanted in the video. It just had to be under 30 seconds in one take and there could be no edits.

Saini was able to share her business, STEM for Seedlings, a kit that combines garden seeds with STEM experiments for children, with the kick line, “Stop worrying about your child’s screen time and watch them get hooked on green time,” in 29 seconds.

“One of the main reasons I’ve wanted to make my product a business is so I can give back to the community that has supported me and donate a bunch of kids in Title I schools. Volunteering has taught me so much and I’ve learned the importance of doing that,” she said.

The submitted videos were reviewed by three business owners from across the country.

“Through my leadership experiences throughout high school and the competitions I’ve done, I learned how to speak publicly so I don’t have that fear anymore,” she said, referring to her positions she has held with DECA and FBLA business chapters at her school.

“From the pitch competition, I received $1,000 for winning that I can put toward my business, which was amazing. All three of us also were given options to take leadership workshops. I’m planning to take mine in August.”

Saini, who plans to continue her business while studying finance at the University of Utah, said that during the CEO program, she and her classmates met weekly with business owners and representatives, toured local companies, and were paired with business leaders as mentors to learn entrepreneurial skills.

“Andrew Thomas, who was my mentor,

works as a chief risk officer for Foursight Capital. He was super helpful helping me start my company and gave me a bunch of financial advice on what I should be doing,” she said. “Having all these opportunities by networking with so many business leaders, I was blown away. I gained much more than I was ever expecting.”

By the end of the program, six students had registered their businesses and all students participated in GTI’s first trade show, where they got to showcase their businesses and sell items to the public, said Paulsen, GTI’s CEO

media Jou r nals

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program facilitator.

“The students took what they learned from professionals to elevate their business concepts and turn them into realities,” she said. “It was cool to see them navigate the process. At first, many of them were scared and nervous. They’re engaged and got involved in their own learning. Through this, they learned how to fail and how to turn it around and succeed.”

Senior Austin Beverley created his business to fill a need in the industry.

“As time goes by, people’s taxidermy collects dust, oil and even bugs that potentially destroy their mounts, so there’s a need for a professional cleaning service,” he said. “I made a business plan, a marketing plan and figured out what my profit margins would be when I set up the business.”

Already, Beverley has been offered a partnership with an existing company, which he turned down, so he could continue to run his business while attending Utah State University where he will major in outdoor product and design.

“I’d love to expand the service from not just serving Utah, but also southern Idaho and into Wyoming,” he said, adding that he’d like to have a booth at an upcoming hunting expo. Beverley said he took about one month to prepare his pitch, which included one of his family member’s trophy — a mounted deer — on the wall, for the national competition.

“I included the problem, the solution, and what I had to offer them,” he said about his services that also include bear and cougar rug cleaning. “I was shocked to see all three of us be recognized nationally.”

Beverley applied to be in the program at the urging of a friend.

“Once I got in, I was all in,” he said, add-

Granite Technical Institute and Skyline High senior Harleen Saini won the national CEO pitch contest. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Kindness, gratitude central to Bonnie Cordon’s leadership in church’s young women’s organization

By Collette Hayes | c.hayes@mycityjournals.com

TheChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Young Women General President Bonnie Cordon and her counselors have served in leading one of the world’s largest young women’s organizations since 2018. Their goal as a general presidency has been to empower the youth to have eyes to see others as Christ sees them and to be a force for good in the world essential to the health and social development of families, communities and countries.

Cordon grew up in Idaho Falls and graduated from BYU with a bachelor of science in elementary education. Cordon worked in management in the software industry and eventually owned her own business. As a young adult, Cordon served as a missionary in Lisbon, Portugal. From 2010 to 2013, she served as a mission leader with her husband Derek in the Brazil Curitiba Mission. In March 2018, Cordon was called to serve as General Young Women’s President and, for the last five years, Cordon has served as a member of the Missionary Executive Council, the Church Education System Board of Education and BYU Broadcasting Board.

Young women are vital and valued leaders in the Church according to Cordon. They lead out in their classes as they are called to serve in their class presidencies. Their influence is vast and their perspective is needed, she says.

“You will never find youth more capable and willing to make a difference than the youth of today,” Cordon said. “We need them. We need to hear their insights and their voices. When we allow them to be part of the process to solve problems, our lives and our work will move forward with fresh ideas and energetic support. They seek this Jesus that is mighty to save. We have so much to learn from them.”

As youth are given opportunities to lead, their confidence and capabilities increase as they serve in the many programs the Church has for youth. Leadership and personal development opportunities prepare a young person to meet life’s challenges.

“As the Young Women General Presidency, our hearts, prayers and focus are centered on youth,” Cordon said. “The days are always

“You will never find youth more capable and willing to make a difference than the youth of today,” said The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Young Women General President Bonnie Cordon. (Photo credit Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

full and joyful. As you would probably guess, that includes a lot of meetings about all the wonderful parts and pieces of the programs the Church has for youth: For the Strength of Youth conferences, annual Young Women camps, the Children and Youth program, the annual youth theme and seminary. It has been really exciting to work on the new For the Strength of Youth, a guide for making choices. Recently released content titled ‘Taking Charge of Technology’ includes video resources and a quick guide to help youth and parents to manage these incredible and inspired devices. Everything we do as a presidency is in an effort to help all come unto Christ.”

Having opportunities and assignments to travel the world has been a highlight of Cordon’s calling to serve youth globally. According to Cordon, she has traveled to six of the seven continents often meeting with government officials and other faith leaders to share common hopes of strengthening youth and building better communities.

In a world filled with violence and contention, empowering youth to value kindness

promotes empathy which can help guide how youth approach the rest of the world. Cordon emphasizes the importance of being aware and grateful when kindness is shown and how kindness can make a difference in a person’s life.

“There is not just one moment but thousands of moments where one person after another has noticed, stepped in with kindness, and made a difference in my life,” Cordon said. “Each day there is someone doing something to lift me. My blessing and responsibility are to be aware and to be grateful. Just today, someone offered me water. It made a difference. Someone smiled as I was struggling with all my stuff—it warmed my heart. I hope I don’t miss the kindness of others. Challenges and struggles are part of this mortal life. Navigating them is always better when we link arms and cheer each other on.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints new resource “Taking Charge of Technology” helps youth to develop responsible technology use.

“The advent of technology has been a huge blessing in our lives,” Cordon said “We can connect in ways that blurs borders, crosses seas, and skips lengthy travel. Language is becoming less of a stumbling block in communication with technology and all its wonders. We need to take charge of our technology and not have technology imprison us in the hours of mindless and sometimes destructive use. We have a new resource that helps youth and all of us with principles of taking charge of our technology use. You can find it on the Gospel Library app under the youth title. It is called ‘Taking Charge of Technology.’ You will love it; it is simple and powerful.”

Cordon and her counselors Michelle D. Craig and Becky Craven were released from their calling as general young women’s presidency during the 193rd annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 1. Effective Aug. 1, the new general young women’s presidency will take the helm to lead the young women in the Church. l

ing that he gave up golfing on the school team to devote more time to the program. “I used to be such an introvert, but through talking to my classmates and needing to talk to my mentor (Downeast CEO Rich Israelsen) and business leaders, I’m anything but that now. My mentor is someone I trust, and he believes in what I’ m doing. Whenever I need assistance, he’s there 24-7 and said he would continue to be so when I’m in college.”

Beverley also credits the support of his classmates in the program and Paulsen, who allowed us “to see what we can do on our own

in the real world.”

“The CEO program has made the biggest impact on my life; it has changed my perspective on business as well. I learned every business leader has a story and there is meaning to it. It inspires people like us to start our businesses and excel. This program has been the biggest lifechanging course I’ve ever taken. I’m so engaged in it, and in my business. Before I didn’t have the knowledge, the mindset nor the discipline I do today. I don’t know what I’d be doing if it wasn’t for the CEO program,” he said.

Paulsen, who introduced the program to the school district, also is grateful to the community’s businesses to be part of the partnership between businesses and education.

“It’s been awesome to work together. The business leaders are so willing to support the kids and give them feedback,” she said. “It’s been a benefit to see these kids apply what they learn in the real world. They have enthusiasm for what they’re doing. It’s been lifechanging for them.” l

100 Companies Championing Women recognizes equitable policies and practices

In April, the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity announced it had reached its goal of designating 100 Companies Championing Women, recognizing businesses in Utah with women-specific policies and practices that allow women to advance as leaders in their fields.

“These individuals and businesses represent the very best Utah has to offer,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, in a media release announcing the 100 companies. “They work tirelessly and continually step up to meet new challenges, and the results make our state a thriving place for women to do business.”

Whether it’s providing flexible schedules, part-time benefits, pay equity, leadership programs, child care support or family leave, these companies have forged a new direction in how women are hired, trained and supported in the workplace.

Salsa Queen in West Valley City (2550 Decker Lake Blvd.) was one business selected in the 100 Companies Championing Women. Maharba Zapata, who has legally changed her name to SalsaQueen, was a single mother, a talented chef and the mother of

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

seven children when she decided to turn her hobby into a career.

Her boyfriend, and now husband, Jim Birch, encouraged her to sell her delicious salsa as a way to bring in some extra income. It turned into a career Zapata never expected and her salsa can be found in grocery stores across the country. Now, she’s made it her mission to help women step into their roles as leaders.

“In our company, we want to promote the same way that Jim did for me. He believed in me, he gave me some wings to fly,” Zapata said. “Unfortunately, we don’t all have the same opportunity to have somebody that believes in us and because somebody believed in me, I want to give back to everybody else. They have that power within themselves, they just don’t know.”

Salsa Queen’s female employees are encouraged to take leadership positions, even when it’s uncomfortable. Zapata hopes to change the mindset that women are less important or less valuable than men in the workplace, and she has that discussion with the women themselves.

“I don’t know what it has to do with

being a woman but it’s almost in our genes to be doubtful and self conscious and put ourselves down and think we’re not good enough,” Zapata said. “I didn’t have a career, I didn’t have job experience, I didn’t even finish high school and I was able to become successful. I want to empower a woman to feel that same way and to be able to shine.”

Clearfield City was one of only two municipalities listed in the 100 Companies Championing Women. Along with St. George City, Clearfield was recognized for its flexible leave benefits, family-friendly schedules and women’s pay equality.

More than 170 women are employed at the city with two dozen in supervisory or management positions. Several women in the city have been invited by their supervisors to attend Clearfield’s leadership academy and tuition reimbursement is available to help women cover education costs.

After the city conducted a compensation study to ensure equitable pay based on position, not gender, city leaders implemented policies that were more family-friendly and flexible.

“We wanted to make sure women in the

workplace were taken care of and earning what they should,” said Clearfield Mayor Mark Shepherd. “Our council’s goal is to have a highly trained and motivated workforce, and that means all of them. It means doing what we can do to ensure that happens.”

Other businesses recognized as one of the 100 Companies Championing Women include Instructure (Cottonwood Heights), Booksmarts (Kaysville), CHG Healthcare (Midvale) and AVIVA (Millcreek).

With on-site child care, female representation in leadership positions, flexible schedules and generous family leave, the 100 Companies Championing Women set the stage for growth and equity. For a complete list of businesses, visit inutah.org/100-companies.

“Times are changing where women are becoming more powerful and more independent,” Zapata said. “For me, it’s about giving women a voice to create their own happiness, their own ending story, their own success.”l

The Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity recognized 100 Utah businesses that provide flexible schedules, pay equity and leadership opportunities to help advance women. A list of the 100 Companies Championing Women can be found at inutah.org/100-companies. (Stock photo)

Inspire in Utah 2023

NAME

NAME WEBSITE

Agent West Insurance www.facebook.com/AgentWestInsurance

Alternative Healing Utah ahuwellness.com

ARUP Laboratories www.aruplab.com

Aviva Wo/man avivawoman.com

Ballet West Academy www.academy.balletwest.org

Better Business Bureau www.bbb.org/us/ut/salt-lake-city

Beehive Meals beehivemeals.com

Big Leap www.bigleap.com

Booksmarts www.booksmartspro.com

Brandless brandless.com

Canopy www.getcanopy.com

CashMan cmatm.com

Caspa www.capsa.org

Catalyst Campus catalystcampus.org

Chatbooks chatbooks.com

CHG Healthcare chghealthcare.com

Cicero cicerogroup.com

Clearfield City clearfield.city

Clozd www.clozd.com

Clyde Companies www.clydeinc.com

Comma www.teamcomma.com

Cotopaxi www.cotopaxi.com

Digicert www.digicert.com

Digital Respons-ability respons-ability.net

Dogtown Pet Spa dogtownpetspa.com

Dominion Energy www.dominionenergy.com/utah

doTerra www.doterra.com/US/en

Dyno Nobel www.dynonobel.com

EDCUtah www.edcutah.org

El's Pampered Paws www.elspamperedpaws.com

Entrata www.entrata.com

ETHIK ethik.com

Extra Space Storage www.extraspace.com

GMRE gmre-inc.com

go1 www.go1.com

Goldman Sachs www.goldmansachs.com

GPS www.gpsfx.com

HealthCatalyst www.healthcatalyst.com

Hickman Land Title Co. hickmantitle.com

iHeart Media www.iheartmedia.com

Instructure www.instructure.com

Intermountain Health intermountainhealthcare.org

IsoTruss isotruss.com

Kinect Capital kinectcapital.org

Known Medicine www.knownmed.com

LedgerGurus ledgergurus.com

Lending Club www.lendingclub.com

Lendio www.lendio.com

Mahk mahkadvertising.com

Maven mavendistrict.com

MegaStar HR megastarhr.com

Merit Medical www.merit.com

Morgan Stanley www.morganstanley.com

Motherly www.mother.ly

Moxielaw moxielawgroup.com

MYTECHHIGH www.mytechhigh.com

97th Floor www.97thfloor.com

Northroup Gruman www.northropgrumman.com

NuSkin www.nuskin.com/us/en

Okland www.okland.com

Overstock www.overstock.com

Park City lodging www.parkcitylodging.com

Pinners www.pinnersconference.com

Pura pura.com

Recursion www.recursion.com

Regence www.regence.com/home

Reset your Nest www.resetyournest.com

RevRoad www.revroad.com

Rocky Mountain Power www.rockymountainpower.net

RUMOR www.rumoradvertising.com/#brand-strategy

SALSA QUEEN www.salsaqueen.com

SAN Fransisco House www.ebay.com/str/sanfranciscohouse

Sew Sweet MINKY sewsweetminkydesigns.com

Shipley Associates www.shipleywins.com

Silverster & Company silvesco.com

Sixfifty www.sixfifty.com

Spectrum Recruting Solutions spectrumrecruitingsolutions.com

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Tech-moms www.tech-moms.org

The Larry H. Miller Company www.lhm.com

The Peoples Health Clinic peopleshealthclinic.org

Thread www.threadwallets.com

Uammi www.uammi.org

USANA /www.usana.com/ux/dotcom/enu-US/home

Utah Association of Realators utahrealtors.com

UVU www.uvu.edu

W Collective wcollectiveco.com

Wander wandermaps.com

Wasatch Regional Council wfrc.org

Weave www.getweave.com

West Tenth www.westtenth.com

Wilson Electronics www.wilsonelectronics.com

Womens Leadership Institute wliut.com

Women Tech Council www.womentechcouncil.com

World Trade Center Utah www.wtcutah.com

Zions Bank www.zionsbank.com

Spa Trouvé provides services and opportunities for women

Walk into any of the six Spa Trouvé locations in Utah and you’ll know you’re not in a traditional salon. With glow signs, fuchsia chairs, leopard rugs and recessed neon lighting, the brand is loud, proud and founded on the owner’s passion for beauty and science.

Courtney Anderson opened her first Spa Trouvé in Orem in 2011, and 12 years later she’s built an award-winning medical services spa empire with additional locations in Draper, Bountiful, St. George, Saratoga Springs and Highland.

The BYU graduate, podcast host and business mentor is a motivated and driven leader with an infectious personality who kind of fell into the medical spa business.

“I had always loved the beauty industry, but I'd also gone to BYU and I had a science degree,” Anderson said. “I liked that [a med spa] combined both worlds. We have the science behind the treatments along with the beauty aspect. So it wasn't just hair and nails and pampering but it was progressive.”

One of her biggest challenges is the constant transition of employees. Her spa technicians are usually women between the ages of 18 and 25 and often leave when they get married or have children. She encourages her employees to retain their skills and certifications, and even work part time in order to stay connected to the industry.

She also encourages her employees to have the conversation with their partners about working out of the home. Anderson offers flexible schedules to allow women the opportunity to use their skills, make some money, and have time out of the home after they become mothers.

“My true belief is that all women should have a part-time job, even if it's very part-time, just so they have an outlet and a

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

safe place. Being at home…can be very daunting and mentally challenging,” Anderson said. “I think a lot more women could have a dream…if they had more of that support from their husbands. I do believe women are really, really great at supporting their husbands in general…but I think it can be a little bit more challenging to have men flip their mindset.”

As an elite provider of medical spa services, Spa Trouvé offers skincare treatments, including Botox, microneedling and chemical peels. The spa also does CoolSculpting, laser hair removal and other high-end services.

Anderson is grateful to Comcast Business for supporting her entrepreneurial journey. She said Comcast representative Derek Birch has been a responsive and excellent partner as she created an effective communication system that helped unify her six locations, which includes a 500mbps Comcast Business Internet connection, Comcast Business VoiceEdge and Select solutions. The technology from Comcast Business helps her manage operations at her training facility, as well as her office and front desk areas.

"We are incredibly proud to have played a significant role in Courtney’s inspiring entrepreneurial journey,” Birch said. “Her unwavering dedication to excellence has culminated in the successful establishment of Spa Trouvé across six locations in Utah.

“As a company that values innovation and customer satisfaction, we were honored to provide the necessary communications equipment and services that fueled her business growth.”

Described as the “Nordstrom of medical spas” by Anderson and her clients, Spa Trouvé is a woman-owned business success story in Utah and a leading example for medical spas

around the country. Trouvé means “to find” and the spa’s tagline “Find your glow” reminds women they deserve to be pampered, beautiful and radiant.

“I think something that really helps us stand out is we just aren't that waterfall, muted, typical spa,” Anderson said. “We are a prominent med spa in the state. We employ over 100 women and three LGBTQ men…You will remember Spa Trouvé when you walk in. It’s just very vibrant.”

To find out more about Spa Trouvé, visit spatrouve.com. For information about Comcast Business visit business.comcast.com. l

Courtney Anderson opened her first Spa Trouvé in Orem in 2011, and 12 years later she’s built an award-winning medical services spa empire. (Photo courtesy of Courtney Anderson)

UTWNG is about building relationships and collaboration

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

Palle can name each of the 10 women who got together in 2011 for their first networking meeting. Most of the women worked from home and were starting businesses in fields like real estate, consulting and photography. Their goal was to encourage each other and provide insight into building a successful company.

Now, the Utah Women’s Networking Group, founded by Donna Rudzik, has more than 750 members across the state. It has grown to become one of the most successful networking groups for entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals in Utah. With a focus on collaboration instead of competition, group members are mentors, cheerleaders, counselors and friends to help build women in business.

Palle took over UTWNG after Rudzik stepped away from the group. The mission of building relationships has stayed the top priority over the last 12 years.

“We want to connect people to build valuable relationships that will last beyond business,” she said. “We’ve helped people through deaths, we’ve helped people through births, we've helped people through businesses falling apart or starting businesses. A lot of these women have fought depression and anxiety and all types of mental health issues because they needed to belong somewhere. They know they belong with us.”

The organization’s Facebook page is run by UTWNG ambassadors who engage members on a daily basis, encouraging them to share lessons learned, best practices, hard-won advice and their sense of humor. That daily connection is valuable, especially for women (and men) who run small businesses out of their home.

Facebook page administrators are quick to enforce the no bullying, no politics, no selling and no religion rules to keep the social media platform a safe place for everyone.

“You can go on other groups and everybody's selling, selling, selling and trying to be better,” Palle said. “I don't see our people like that. They’re not trying to be better than someone else, they're just trying to be the best they can be. And there's a huge difference in that.”

Besides building relationships, UTWNG’s second goal is to educate. Whether it’s online training seminars or the annual women’s conference where the organization has awarded more than $125,000 in grant money to female entrepre-

neurs, members can be involved at any level.

UTWNG members can learn business skills like creating a resume, marketing or understanding best hiring practices. By partnering with other groups like the Women’s Business Center of Utah, the Utah Microloan Fund and local chambers, there is access to a wealth of knowledge.

The popular Coffee Connections that went away during COVID is getting restarted. People gather at a local coffee shop to have a relaxed conversation in an informal setting. It’s a chance for people to connect and share their wisdom.

Angie Gallegos is a UTWNG member and ambassador. She and her husband, Pete, own Utah Scale Center, an independent dealer of industrial weighing equipment. Gallegos joined the group five years ago as a way to create friendships.

“I think at my age, and just kind of being isolated at this small business, my world has gotten small, as far as friendships go,” Gallegos said. “So really, for me, the biggest benefit has been meeting other women that I’ve been able to connect with, on a personal level.”

Although many members are entrepreneurs and owners of cottage industries, there are also members who are part of larger companies looking for support and networking opportunities. And while it’s called a women’s networking group, membership is open to any gender.

For more information, visit utwng.com.

“[UTWNG] brings a level of support and camaraderie,” Gallegos said. “We gain things from one another like our ability to succeed, especially if it’s in a male-dominated field or company. That is a real benefit to networking with other women.” l

The Utah Women’s Networking Group provides opportunities for women in business to support each other, learn about entrepreneurship and create long-lasting relationships. (Photo courtesy of Rick Hepner)

One smart cookie—founder of RubySnap Cookies, Tami Steggell, is committed to her customers and to her community

She may cook sweet, but the gal’s got grit. Tami Steggell is the founder of RubySnap Bakery where daily she bakes and serves up cookies. It is her dream job and may sound like the sweetest gig in the world, but Steggell worked hard, and continues to work hard, to make it so.

Necessary ingredients

Steggell’s father was a Marine, and as such, she grew up all over the world. She calculated that she’d moved 21 times by the time she was 18 years old. At about age 15, her family was living in Saudi Arabia, and she decided to move back to the States for educational opportunities.

She finished high school and went on to get her degree in Architectural Design from BYU. After that, she spent 15 years in the industry. At that time she was an avid cyclist, training all week, and on her one day off she wanted nothing more than something wonderful to eat. She’d think about it all week, because “every edible moment meant something to me,” but invariably the sweets she found would taste like nothing but sugar.

That’s when she started baking for herself, experimenting with seasonal ingredients like beets, rhubarb, cherries, mint and vanilla beans sourced directly from Bali. Her own cookies were “worth her time and calories,” sweettalking her architectural clients with a batch of fresh-baked was a success, and she thought maybe she had created something special.

In 2008, she quit her job, cashed out her IRA and opened the flagship store at 770 S. 300 West, in an area that is becoming the redeveloped and cool Granary District, but back then it was surrounded by industry and empty store fronts. Still, she liked the vibe of the place and it was rent she could afford. With sweat equity, she gutted the building and opened the doors. And the customers came.

Thankfully, the cookie didn’t crumble

That’s not where the story ends, and things haven’t always been sweet.

At conception, the company was named Dough Girl, a name Steggell had copyrighted, but Pillsbury sued anyway, as the name was a little too close to Dough Boy for their liking. Steggell decided she could be stuck in the courtroom proving she was right, or she could continue her dream journey, baking great cookies. She opted out of a lengthy legal battle and it took her $50,000 to rebrand to RubySnap, but her customers and the community responded and rallied behind her.

By 2018, RubySnap had expanded to five stores, a couple out of state, but Steggell realized with all the expansion, she and her crew had been working harder, not smarter. Her life was unbalanced. It was a hard decision, but RubySnap closed all but their flagship store and pulled out of 165 retail outlets, getting back to their core priorities.

By Ella Joy Olsen | e.olsen@mycityjournals.com

And now we have the Salt Lake “Cookie Wars.” There is fresh cookie competition and it’s getting heated, as Crumbl, Dirty Dough and Crave battle it out in the bakery and in court. RubySnap is out of the legal fray, but when asked about the pop-up cookie shop competition on the South Valley Chamber Podcast, Steggell wasn’t worried, “Competition forces ingenuity, an evaluation of your product and priorities, and the people who win are the consumers.”

Change and innovation keep it fresh for this smart cookie

Steggell has a passion for fresh produce in season. She builds the flavor of her cookies through real ingredients and no preservatives: strawberries in the spring, peaches during harvest, citrus in the winter. She is always experimenting with new flavor palates and wants the seasonal options to taste “pulled from the garden.”

Each day visitors to the store are able to choose from 22 different types of cookie, and the choice isn’t easy. Eighteen are menu/customer staples, two are seasonal specialties, and two are show-off cookies, made with a variety of unusual ingredient combinations. Each cookie is named after one of the “We Can Do It” women of World War II, who Steggell so admires and who are a part of the RubySnap brand.

There’s the Ellie, a gluten-free (you’d never know it) topped with seasonal peaches, created in honor of a former employee with significant dietary restrictions. There’s the Sophia made with passion fruit and hibiscus, the Margo with chocolate cinnamon dough and a

milk chocolate mint center, and the Trudy, an old-fashioned chocolate chip girl. All in all, Steggell says they have developed and baked over 90 different recipes.

For those who don’t live close to the flagship store, frozen dough can be found at Harmons, Lee’s Marketplace and Whole Foods across the state. And for this next holiday season, RubySnap is creating a dry cookie mix for baking and gifting with flavors like eggnog and chocolate peppermint.

Something else to chew on

Steggell is the mom of seven and a new empty-nester. This left her with a tiny crumb of extra time, and because one cannot live on cookies alone, Steggell started Bite Me Industries @bitemeindustries, an Instagram account where she creates one-minute tutorials of what she is cooking in her own kitchen. She films an actual dinner-in-the-making, edits the footage to a bite-sized portion and posts the segment with an ingredient list and instructions.

Her goal is to demystify a meal. Recipes include favorite salad dressings, mains, greens and grains salads, desserts (of course), and other recipes using all things seasonal.

Bite Me Industries started as a hobby and morphed quickly into a monthly cooking segment on KSL Studio 5, and a teaching gig at Orson Gygi.

A cookie to share with the community

Since RubySnap cookies are made fresh with no preservatives, at the end of each day unpurchased product is boxed and frozen for donation. Anyone can request cookies, but the company rule is that a donation must go toward a good cause. Recipients are places like the Ronald McDonald House, Primary Children’s

Hospital, unhoused family shelters, nonprofit preschools and various adult rehab sites. Steggell was told that attendance at several of the rehab sites is higher on the days they deliver, as the cookies provide a sweet reason to show up.

And new this year at Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum, kids can try their hand at working at a pretend RubySnap Bakery in a play kitchen complete with ovens, cookie sheets, and plastic cookies and frosting. RubySnap provided ideas and branding for the kitchen, and dollars toward the project. Annually, Steggell and RubySnap donate more than $165,000 to the community, a big bite for a small company. l

All sorts of deliciousness in one box. (Ella Joy Olsen/City Journals)

Tami Steggell founder of RubySnap Cookies stands in front of the flagship location in the Granary District on Third West. (Ella Joy Olsen/City Journals)

The flagship RubySnap location in the historic Granary District on Third West. (Ella Joy Olsen/ City Journals)

Mind the Gap Festival celebrates women’s voices

What better way to celebrate the power of women’s voices than a music festival featuring female musicians? Salt Lake’s inaugural Mind the Gap Fest will be held at The Gateway (18 Rio Grande St.) on Saturday, Aug. 26, with gates open at 11 a.m.

Presented by Salt Lake Community College, Women’s Leadership Institute, Utah Women & Leadership Project, Girls on the Run and more, the festival celebrates women who are pursuing careers in music and entertainment.

The festival features headliners like Beach Bunny, Yaeji, Sales, Orion Sun, Destroy Boys and Jadu Heart in a celebration of Women’s Equality Day. Mind the Gap will help attendees understand gender gaps in equality including income, executive positions, education and political representation.

“We have a really educated workforce of women [in Utah] but they choose to stay home. They get their degree and then don’t do anything with it,” said WLI Director of Communication and Community Patti Cook. “They don't have the opportunity to have remote work. In Utah, 95% of the CEOs in Utah companies are male and so there’s a lot of bias around women and where their place is.”

However, once women step outside the traditional corporate structure, they demonstrate robust entrepreneurial success. With the corporate structure built to support male leadership, women find running their own companies gives them the freedom, opportunity and flexibility to grow as a leader and business owner.

Although this is the first time Mind the Gap has been

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

held in Utah, it’s a national franchise that’s been proven successful for many years. A portion of each ticket sold will benefit a scholarship fund for individuals interested in pursuing a degree in an entertainment related industry.

Tickets can be purchased at MindTheGapFest.com. Use the code WOMENLEAD20 for 20% off.

In conjunction with Mind the Gap Fest, WLI will host an event Wednesday, Aug. 23 from 4-6 p.m. at Kiln (26 S. Rio Grande St. #2072). The event will be an open discussion, moderated by WLI CEO Pat Jones, to identify cultural norms and how they impact women in Utah.

“When we talk to women, they think that they’re the only one having this problem and we want them to know that they’re seen and heard,” Cook said. “It’s not them who needs to be fixed. They’re in spaces that could be more friendly.”

Cook said enhancing women’s voices and giving them a place at the table lifts all aspects of society. Having a diverse selection of voices on boards, commissions, corporate and political leadership and education leads to more inclusive social and economic outcomes.

“We have to prepare women to be able to stand up and negotiate that salary that is on par with their male counterparts, and to not be afraid to do that, and to have the confidence to speak up in meetings,” Cook said. “Confidence is huge. Because so many women have worked in toxic environments, they think if they put their head down and work hard enough, they’ll be promoted, but that is not statistically true.” l

Do You Have a Chronic Wound?

If you have a wound that has been open for more than 4 weeks, then something in your body is not allowing that wound to heal properly. Chronic wounds are defined as wounds that fail to proceed through the normal phases of wound healing in an orderly and timely manner. Often, chronic wounds stall in the inflammatory phase of healing.

How do you heal a wound that will not heal? Debridement (removal of dead tissue) is the most common treatment for stubborn wounds, and involves the removal of unhealthy tissue within a chronic wound to promote the growth of healthy tissue, reduce complications of infection, and speed up the healing process.

Your care team may also suggest the following treatments:

• Antibiotics

• Skin substitute grafts

• Laser Treatments

• X-rays to assess for bone infection

• Scans to ensure proper blood flow is getting to the wound to promote healing

Visit Innovation Medical Group today to get a wound care specialist to help guide your care plan and to get your life back without a chronic wound present. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 801-758-2091. We are located at 4624 Holladay Blvd on the second floor in Suite 201 right above Olympus Family Medicine. We accept all major insurances and look forward to being able to enhance your quality of life.

Female musicians headline Salt Lake’s inaugural Mind the Gap fest on Saturday, Aug. 26, a music festival that addresses gender gaps in equality. (Image courtesy of the Women’s Leadership Institute)

Nourishing her community, one lasagna at a time

Every week for the past two years, Deea Hobbs has taken hours to shop and cook lasagna from scratch.

She has perfected her original recipe and often, generously bakes homemade bread and chocolate chip cookies to the meal.

Then, she drops off the dinner to a stranger.

It’s called Lasagna Love.

While Hobbs didn’t come up with the concept to provide this meal service to people, she may have mastered it.

The founder is Rhiannon Menn, who, concerned about food insecurity in her Hawaiian community in 2020, started cooking and delivering homemade dishes to those in need. To her surprise, that snowballed; when others heard of her generosity, they asked if they could cook and deliver hot meals.

Those acts of kindness became a nonprofit, which has turned into a global phenomenon of people reaching out, serving each other. Now, more than 350,000 lasagnas have been served to more than 1.5 million people by more than 45,000 volunteers worldwide, according to the Lasagna Love website.

Hobbs, a Sandy realtor, learned about Lasagna Love from one of her clients, who also provides lasagna on a regular basis.

“It was COVID, and we stopped going to church, so I really missed connecting with people through service,” she said. “When one of my clients posted about it on Instagram, I thought that’s exactly what I need. It’s perfect for me. So, I signed up and started volunteering.”

And recruiting. Hobbs’ sister, in Jacksonville, Florida, and her niece, who lives in Oklahoma, also are part of the Lasagna Love team.

“I’m kind of obsessed with it. I’m always recruiting more people, finding new volunteers, and more people who need the lasagna. I’m now the local leader or the Lasagna Love boss for 10 counties in Utah,” she said.

Hobbs has encouraged people to pledge to spread the word. As a grassroots effort, “Lasagna Love weaves kindness into communities by simple acts of love and from one human to another,” Hobbs said.

On a regular basis, she will drive around to community refrigerators — those that sit in someone’s driveway as a spot to donate or for those who are in need, to get food — and put fliers up about how to sign up for Lasagna Love.

“Even though the pandemic is over, people still need food. The need is just not pandemic-related. I’ve delivered lasagna to people in tents, and I’ve delivered lasagna to mansions. There are no questions asked, no judgment. Sometimes you don’t know what their needs are. Sometimes their needs are lasagna — and they have food in their fridge,

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

but they just needed lasagna and that’s OK. Sometimes, people are desperate for food and lasagna is that needed meal and we’re happy to give them that. We don’t ask their situation or need. We’re just here to provide a meal and to serve. All they have to do is sign up and we’ll deliver them a lasagna,” Hobbs said.

Her fliers have a QR code so people can scan it or they can go to the website, www. lasagnalove.org/request/ and sign up or sign up someone else. By filling out a simple online form, available in English and Spanish, with name, address, phone number, number of adults and children, allergies, an option to share about themselves and agree to consent, it starts the process of pairing the requestee with a volunteer chef.

Hobbs has posted about Lasagna Love on Facebook groups and provided food pantries and service organizations cards about the meals. She’s reached out to families who have babies in the neonatal intensive care units or long-term facilities and to those who provide foster care. She has included cards when dropping off Toys for Tots donations during the holidays.

She has given the opportunity to help serve the community to others, including teaming up with a local Girl Scout troop to make lasagna this month.

“I love offering this as a source, one people can use, but also one for others to use as they serve. I love connecting with other nonprofits,” Hobbs said.

Her 30 volunteers — some working professionals, some retired — set their own schedules. Some may provide lasagna a couple times per week, others, monthly. They may only be able to drive within a 5-mile radius or they may be willing to drive 50 miles. If she doesn’t have someone in a remote area who requested it, she will reach out to churches, social and service organizations to ask for someone to volunteer. Some volunteers may be willing to bake a vegetarian or special order lasagna while others stick to traditional recipes.

“I’ve had people who sign up for lasagna and they live in the middle of nowhere, but they’re thinking it’s not going to happen. But it does; we really try,” she said. “It helps them, and I love how this has changed our volunteers. It has impacted me. It’s inspiring to help people. It’s a ‘pay it forward’ thing. It’s uplifting.”

Knowing her volunteers’ perimeters, Hobbs helps create weekly assignments to fill about 100 requests monthly in her region.

“It isn’t a big deal because it’s what I love. It’s the easiest volunteer gig if you like to cook and you can adjust your budget because it is all self-run. Nobody is giving me money to buy groceries for lasagna; it’s just something I do. It fills the need for people who need lasagna and fills my need to serve

people,” Hobbs said.

Volunteers generally reach out to those who request the lasagna within 24 hours to arrange a day and time for the delivery.

“We’ll ask, ‘Will somebody be available at that time to collect the lasagna?’ It’s contactless for the most part. But sometimes, people will come out when I arrive and they may be crying, hugging me, giving me cards. Or they’ll respond saying, ‘It’s the best lasagna I’ve ever had,’ or ‘I haven’t had a hot meal in a week.’ That is very sweet, but it’s not expected,” she said. “Sometimes, there will be people who I don’t meet, and I never hear from them again and that’s totally fine too. I’m not doing this for someone to show me gratitude. I’m just doing this because I want people to know that they’re not alone. That is a message that I want to give them. I want people to know the world doesn’t suck.

Maybe it will ease the burden for just one night and let them know somebody cares.”

Hobbs feels most at home in a kitchen.

“My kitchen has always been a safe place for me. It’s my favorite place. As a kid, I would get my mom’s cookbooks out and pour over them to find a recipe with ingredients we already had, and I would cook,” she said.

Hobbs said it stemmed from her upbringing.

“I was raised in Indiana by a single mom who worked multiple jobs to make ends meet, but she always made sure that we were fed with good, homemade food. She inspired me to cook, but I also come from a long line of people who shared food and cooked. My mom would have every flat surface covered in trays of cookies to give to everyone. Every Valentine’s Day, she’d make the whole

A Sandy woman, Deea Hobbs, has perfected her lasagna recipe while making dinner for people who sign up for the meal. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

town heart-shaped cookies. We were at my grandma’s house for Sunday dinner with all my aunts, uncles, cousins — 30 of us, every single Sunday, and if somebody was new at church or was in need, they were invited to come over too. My mom, even though she didn’t have a lot of resources, she fed people. She credits God for everything, but that was her mission. She still does it and she’s 78. It’s a powerful lesson,” she said.

Now, Hobbs is sharing that same gift.

“Food is comfort and people need comfort and connection. I always felt safe when I had a warm, homemade meal that my mother prepared, and I want people to have that same feeling. I like to help people, and this is a great way to do it,” she said. “It helps me as I have a need to help people. It gets me outside of myself and helps me see different perspectives. It helps me be grateful for what I have.”

Some of Hobbs’ volunteers incorporate making lasagna into their work, such as an occupational therapist who prepares a lasagna each week with a patient so that it helps with their motor skills, she said.

Sandy resident Alex Mettler has made 27 deliveries since he joined during the pandemic. He often has his two children help him make the lasagna and they include a note, that lists the ingredients and is signed by each chef.

“Before this, I felt there were other things I could do to help the community

besides being a teacher,” he said. “When a friend told me about this, I knew it was something I could easily do since I like to cook and it’s on my own time so I can make it work with my teaching schedule. I’ve made lasagna now so many times that I don’t look at a recipe and I’ve tweaked it to make it a little better each time.”

Mettler said many of his deliveries are in Midvale by Hillcrest High, where he teaches.

“It makes me feel good that I can help somebody. When they text me or if I see them, they’re just appreciative; it feels good to help. I’ve dropped lasagnas off at motel rooms; when they open the door and I see there’s a family there, I know it must be tough,” he said. “For me, it’s worth it to help. I buy items in bulk from the big bags of cheese from Costco to the 30-pack of foil lasagna pans from Amazon, so it becomes more economical. I tell my students about it at the beginning of the year; cooking is one of my ways to handle stress, so it’s a bit selfish, but I enjoy doing it. “

Hobbs will often deliver lasagnas with her husband.

“He knows the kitchen is my sacred place, but together, we can deliver,” she said.

Often those deliveries result in connections with people.

“I’ve delivered to hotels downtown that serve as overflow for the shelters and I’ve delivered to a lady who was a double ampu-

tee and couldn’t get to work. A lot of people are just not able to prepare food at all and live on TV dinners and frozen meals. The people who don’t get hot food are excited and tell me, ‘I haven’t had lasagna for 20 years,’” Hobbs said. “I like connecting with people, but when I hear some of the sad stories, I’m heartbroken for them.”

She takes a day off work each week for Lasagna Love, to make and delivery the lasagnas.

“I have a garden with tomatoes, zucchini and basil plants so I can make fresh homemade sauce for the lasagna,” she said. “I love creating and sharing food.”

To top off the gift of lasagna, Hobbs will create a heart out of pepperoni slices or red peppers on the top of the meal.

“It is Lasagna Love, after all.” l

A Bolder Way Forward is the start of a revolution

While traveling to and from Costa Rica, Professor Susan Madsen, founding director of the Utah Women and Leadership Project, read “How Change Happens: Why Some Social Movements Succeed While Others Don’t.” The book by Leslie Crutchfield inspired Madsen to create an innovative system to help women and girls in Utah.

In June, UWLP launched A Bolder Way Forward, not just a new initiative, but a movement that Madsen hopes will implement positive change, create opportunities and offer support for women and girls in a revolutionary way.

“National and statewide studies continue to show that women and girls in Utah are not thriving in critical areas,” Madsen said. “Year after year, Utah continues to have high levels of domestic violence, sexual assault, child sexual abuse and gender based discrimination, while also ranking us the worst state for women’s equality and having low levels of women’s leadership representation in nearly all domains including in business and politics.”

BWF is designed to be a vehicle of change for Utah women and is represented by a wheel with 18 spokes, a rim and a hub. The center of the wheel is the goal to help more women and girls thrive. The rim includes five impact teams to address sexism, identity (such as gender, race and neurodiversity), culture (including art, music and women’s history) and male allyship.

The 18 spokes correspond to five key focal points that highlight where change needs to occur. The five key points are education, community engagement, safety and security, health and well-being and the workplace. Spokes

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

include higher education, political representation, sexual abuse and domestic violence, lifelong health, childcare, the gender pay gap and leadership development.

“The UWLP will work with all spoke leaders to craft 2026 and 2030 goals for each of their areas, with all being linked to measurable outcomes,” Madsen said. “To do this, my team will upscale our work in locating and tracking national and state data that can be regularly updated and visual dashboards and various reports to show progress toward the goal categories.”

Madsen said the BWF movement isn’t intended to succeed at the expense of men and boys. Instead, she believes through collaboration and cooperation there is room for everyone to be strengthened by the program.

After studying change for several decades, Madsen hopes people understand that lifting women brings about positive societal change. BWF utilizes systems-thinking where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

She challenges leaders, employers, business owners and community partners to wake up to new ideas, remain vigilant and embrace change, even if it’s uncomfortable.

“There are so many ways to be engaged and it’s going to take public policy, it’s going to take on-the-ground training and development and it’s going to take shifts in messaging,” she said. “I welcome you to do the work that needs to be done in terms of strengthening your top girls and women and helping to make sure everyone thrives.”

Madsen knows it will be an uphill road as leaders build programs and initiatives but said past efforts have not worked. It will take a concerted focus to make the

road smoother and to fill in the societal potholes so the wheel of change can move forward.

“Although the needle has moved slightly, ever so slightly…with its current trajectory, it will take us two, three to four decades to make notable progress” Madsen said. “I say that’s just too long. It’s time for Utah to embrace A Bolder Way Forward because when we lift Utah girls and women we do lift all Utahns, including families.”

For more information, visit ABolderWayForward. org. l

Lasagna, with love, from Deea Hobbs may just be the nourishment several community members need. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

The framework for A Bolder Way Forward is represented by a wheel with 18 spokes, a rim and a hub. Each spoke corresponds to five key focal points that highlight where change needs to occur to create better opportunities for women and girls. (Image courtesy of UWLP)

construction cones that are sprouting on streets near you. As you navigate around them, try to remember that the cones signal improvement in your neighborhood and in our city.

If you’re thinking that there seems to be more of them lately, you’re absolutely right. The City Council approved a bond in March 2022 to finance road and other infrastructure repair. That means that more streets have been resurfaced during the past two summers than in prior years.

Why the rush? We borrowed money in order to save money. Once asphalt deteriorates to a certain point, it becomes more expensive to fix. In other words, a street can become so damaged that all asphalt must be removed down to the road base and completely replaced. According to the Citizen Advisory Group Holladay@20, the per square foot cost of a thin overlay is $17.71, while the per square foot cost of a thick overlay or reconstruction is up to $71.75. Some Holladay streets were approaching the point where instead of inexpensive preservation treatment, they would require much more expensive reconstruction. It was estimated that by 2028, 15% of the roads would fail completely. Funding the overlay projects now was fiscally prudent. *

There are also related projects that are completed when a street is repaved. Manhole covers are reconstructed by excavating around the manhole and pouring a concrete collar to line it up with the adjacent grade. In addition, many of the concrete gutters that cross intersections are also being replaced when adjoining streets are resurfaced.

However, we can’t take all the credit for the current road construction. Right now in Holladay, other projects are also underway, including the replacement of water mains by both Salt Lake Public Utilities and Holiday Water. And of course, we are all looking forward to the completion of the freeways close to us.**

So, if you become frustrated while driving, walking, or cycling through work zones, please try to look forward to having smooth new roads when the projects are finished. The City, the workers, and those who are also waiting for the flaggers to let you pass appreciate your patience!

—Council Member Drew Quinn -District 4

*Holladay@20 Preparing for Tomorrow Citizen Advisory Group, Recommendation Report, page 22. **For information about freeway construction, go to udot.utah.gov/saltlakeeast.

A Goal for Us All: School Traf c Safety

By Chief Justin Hoyal, UPD Holladay Precinct

It is that time of year when our children are heading back to school and it is extremely important that we pay special attention to our speeds and driving habits. As the Precinct Chief for the City of Holladay with the Unified Police Department, and as a father of four children, I am always concerned about the safety of our children, especially when they are going to and from school.

Most of our schools have designated school zones, marked by flashing lights and signs, that require drivers to slow to 20 miles per hour (MPH) while in the designated area. Our officers will be strictly enforcing the speed limits in our school zones. Motorists, whether it be parents taking kids to school, people going to work or just traveling through the community, need to be aware of the school zones and adhere to the 20 MPH speed limit.

The speed limit in a residential neighborhood is 25 MPH, unless otherwise posted. There are several streets in our community that do not have sidewalks. In these neighborhoods we have members of the community walking, running, and riding bikes. It is not just the school zones that we need to be aware of our speeds. Please help us by adhering to those speed limits as well.

There are a couple of other reminders to keep in mind as you travel near our schools. Please watch for crossing guards and adhere to their directions. Do not drive around crossing guards who are holding their stop signs or are in the crosswalk. This is the same for school buses. Do not pass school buses with their lights flashing. In both these situations, always assume children are present. Lastly, put away your cell phone and other distractions in the car. Pay attention to your surroundings and be prepared to stop in the event a child is in the roadway or crosswalk.

In the end, our goal is to keep everyone safe. We do not want to have any preventable tragedies due to unsafe driving. Working together we will keep Holladay the great and safe community it is.

Discover Holladay’s Map Applications

Justice Tuffour, Permit/GIS Technician

Jonathan Teerlink, CED Director

Holladay has provided a convenient site to view maps and spatial data - the City’s Geographic Information System (GIS) Hub. You can find most of the data on the main GIS map located at the top of the Hub. The data layers on this map are maintained and supported by the City’s Community & Economic Development and Engineering Departments except for parcel data provided by the County Assessor’s Office.

GIS Hub serves as a one-stop destination for accessing a wide range of interactive maps, including land use, transportation networks, zoning, parks and recreation, utilities, and much more. Navigating through our user-friendly interface, you’ll discover an array of map tools and functionalities that allow you to zoom, pan, and query specific areas of interest. Start exploring Holladay’s interactive and downloadable GIS maps today at www.cityofholladay.com and click the maps/GIS button.

Registration Open for Fall Youth Sports

Check out your local Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation locations for upcoming fall sports programs. Kids of all ages can learn a new sport and build their athletic skills by enrolling in crosscountry running, Junior Jazz basketball, NFL FLAG Football, or outdoor soccer. Principles of respect, leadership, kindness, and positivity are part of all fall programs. Register online at slco.to/ rec-your-fall or in person at your local recreation center. For questions email recreation@slco.org.

CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS:

Rob Dahle, Mayor rdahle@cityofholladay.com

801-580-3056

Ty Brewer, District 1 tbrewer@cityofholladay.com

801-550-8747

Matt Durham, District 2 mdurham@cityofholladay.com

801-999-0781

Paul Fotheringham, District 3 pfotheringham@cityofholladay.com

801-424-3058

Drew Quinn, District 4 dquinn@cityofholladay.com

801-272-6526

Dan Gibbons, District 5 dgibbons@cityofholladay.com

385-215-0622

Gina Chamness, City Manager gchamness@cityofholladay.com

PUBLIC MEETINGS:

City Council

– rst and third Thursday of the month at 6 p.m.

Planning Commission – rst and third Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m.

CITY OFFICES: Mon-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. • 801-272-9450 4580 South 2300 East • Holladay, UT 84117

Community Development 801-527-3890

Finance 801-527-2455

Justice Court 801-273-9731

Code Enforcement 801-527-3890

NUMBERS TO KNOW:

Emergency 911

UPD Dispatch (Police) 801-840-4000

UFA Dispatch (Fire) 801-840-4000

Animal Control 385-468-7387

Garbage/Sanitation 385-468-6325

Holladay Library 801-944-7627

Holladay Lions Club 385-468-1700

Mt. Olympus Sr. Center 385-468-3130

Holladay Post O ce 801-278-9942

Cottonwood Post O ce 801-453-1991

Holliday Water 801-277-2893

Budget Message

Where the Money Comes From

On June 15, the Holladay City Council adopted the City’s General Fund budget for the fiscal year that began July 1. During May and June each year, the City Manager and the City Council spend time discussing projections of revenue that the City expects to receive as well as anticipated needs of the City for the upcoming year. While the City has a number of funds, including a stormwater enterprise fund with revenue generated exclusively from fees, the General Fund is the primary fund that pays for City operations.

WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM

This year, Holladay expects to receive about $21 million in revenue into the General Fund from a variety of sources. Property tax is the largest single source of revenue, funding approximately 35% of the City’s functions. While property taxes for individual property owners may change from year to year depending on a variety of factors, state law is designed to keep the funding that Holladay receives at roughly the same level over time. Any increase in the property tax rate requires a Truth in Taxation notice and public hearing. The City has only raised that property tax rate once, in June of 2021, in order to fund much a much-needed investment in neighborhood streets. With the exception of a small increase associated with new growth in the City, the overall property tax received by the City remains the same for FY 2023-24, although the amount paid by individual property owners may vary.

The City’s share of sales generated by brick and mortar businesses, as well as merchandise delivered within the City funds another 35% of City operations. Sales tax funding, as well as revenue from licenses and permits varies as overall economic conditions in the area and in the state change.

WHERE THE MONEY GOES

By Gina Chamness, City Manager

Close to half of the City’s General Fund is spent on critical public safety services. Holladay currently contracts with the Unified Police District (UPD) and United Fire Authority (UFA) to provide these services for Holladay residents. Holladay is a very lean organization, with only 7.5% of our overall budget committed to administrative functions.

In June of last year, the City issued a bond for both road and stormwater improvements. These improvements will be made over the next 3 years. Already, the City has made about $6 million of improvements in local neighborhood streets as well as important connectors like Holladay Boulevard. Stay tuned for more projects coming soon.

In late July, property owners in Holladay begin receiving Notices of Property Tax Valuation and Tax Changes from Salt Lake County. Those notices usually generate some questions we’ll try to address. The notice highlights two potential types of changes that can affect the property tax residents pay – how your individual property is valued, and the tax rate that you pay to various entities, including the Granite School District, Salt Lake County, and the City of Holladay.

PROPERTY TAX CHANGES

State law prohibits local governments from receiving a windfall from an increase in the property value, so as property values increase, the “certified rate” or the rate that a tax entity can impose without a hearing, decreases, guaranteeing each entity only the same amount of revenue from property tax received the previous year, plus an allowance for any new growth that may have occurred in the community. State law also guarantees that the amount local taxing entities receive remains the same when property values are falling by increasing the rate to generate the same revenue as the year before. In total, property valuations in Holladay increased by 0.3% this year, but that doesn’t mean your taxes will increase. Our community is one of two places in the county where property values held steady.

Whether your property tax increases or decreases depends on a number of factors, including the valuation of your individual property as compared to that overall percentage for our area, and whether any other taxing entities that receive property tax are increasing their tax rates this year. Generally, any change in the tax rate beyond the certified rate requires a Truth in Taxation hearing. The dates of these hearings are shown on Notice received from the County, and are staggered so that a property owner can attend each hearing that affects their property. This year, up to four entities that are increasing their tax rates. This includes the Salt Lake County library, which held their Truth in Taxation hearing last December as part of the County’s budget process, the Granite School District, Central Utah Water Conservancy District, and depending on your water provider, the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District. This year, Holladay’s share of your overall property tax bill is about 12%.

If you have questions about the City of Holladay’s budget, please contact Gina Chamness, City Manager at (801) 272-9450.

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Dr. Angela Dunn still serves the public, just not so publically

Her job is still to protect the public, but her role these days is a little more Clark Kent than Superman, and that’s just how she likes it.

She’s Dr. Angela Dunn, former Utah State Epidemiologist, and the face many still associate with the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Even now when I meet new people they’ll say something like, ‘I feel like I should get your autograph,’ and that’s always a little unsettling to me,” Dunn says, indicating that public servants don’t serve for celebrity status, either positive or negative. “Heck, I dyed my hair blonde so I wouldn’t be as recognizable, but the hair thing is too much work, so I’m going back to brunette.”

Still, she feels a little bad about being associated with a public health crisis, with the years that were quite possibly some of the hardest ever encountered by our country, our state and the community-at-large.

The role of State Epidemiologist is, by nature, an outwardly focused one. Dunn’s duty was to share directly with the public emerging and science-based suggestions for containing any public health crisis. She just happened to get a global pandemic. She, and other health officials countrywide, worked against a political movement that belittled scientific expertise. This drew controversy from local detractors who circulated her address on social media and gathered in front of her home to protest.

“It was scary and wrong that someone would feel comfortable sharing my personal information,” Dunn told the Salt Lake Tribune in late 2020. “That people would think it is OK to harass civil servants.”

About that time she realized the controversy had diminished her ability to be perceived as a neutral figure, so in 2021 when the county’s executive health director, Gary Edwards, announced his retirement, and Dunn had the opportunity to move into a less visible role, she took off the cape, so to speak.

Still a superhero

She’s now two years into her position as the Executive and Medical Director of the Salt Lake County Health Department, one of the largest local health departments in the nation, serving nearly 1.3 million residents. This new role is significantly different in that she is more behind- the-scenes, ensuring that the “best 500 public health practitioners,” those involved on the frontlines, have the resources to protect and improve the well-being of all county residents. She problem-solves in a team environment, doing big picture planning for the future of public health.

Services provided under the umbrella of the County Health Department are vast and seemingly jack-of-all-trades, ranging from expected things like screenings and immunizations, to more obscure services like: noise pollution, noxious weed control, tobacco prevention, bee inspection and water quality.

By Ella Joy Olsen | e.olsen@mycityjournals.com

Or according to the department website, “Every day we immunize children, inspect restaurants, keep tobacco out of the hands of minors, encourage physical activity, teach proper nutrition, protect our water and air, and provide culturally appropriate services to a multitude of disparate populations.”

Dunn believes that, “these different divisions fit well together because, when combined, they touch the health, lives and livelihoods of every single person.”

Casting a community-focused web

Dunn’s first year in her new role was focused on adjusting to the aftermath of the pandemic, on helping staff to process the complex emotions after the adrenaline rush and heartbreak.

She now hopes to apply the lessons learned from those tumultuous years. She is working toward a change in perspective. Rather than applying top-down health objectives to all communities, health workers are now being strategically placed to reflect the unique communities they serve. They will be in a position to communicate with local trusted leaders, with the intent of proceeding from people toward policy (rather than the other way around). The goal is to ask about specific community-focused priorities and needs, then address those needs, then focus on health literacy so the information and services provided will be easily understood and used.

The hope is to build back trust lost during the pandemic, to be engaged with communities over the long term, to be in a positon to let people know why and how recommendations come about and may change, and to innovate and move faster when confronted with another health crisis.

Hero’s journey

Dunn was born in Texas. Her father was in the oil business and his job moved the family from state to state, so by the time she was 7, Dunn had lived in nine different houses. She learned to adapt to change, a trait she still uses in her profession.

Dunn received her medical degree from the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, and completed her residency training in general preventive medicine and public health at the University of California San Diego. She also holds a Master of Public Health from San Diego State University and a B.A. in international relations from Brown University.

After her education she served as an epidemic intelligence service officer for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where she responded to the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone. In 2014, she accepted an epidemiologist assignment with the Utah Department of Health and she became the state epidemiologist just four years later.

Along with her executive director position at the county, she’s currently the president of the Council of State and Territorial

Epidemiologists, or CSTE, which held their annual conference in SLC in June. Unmasking the superhero Dunn’s perfect day would start with an unhurried, unstructured morning of breakfast, reading and cuddling with her sons, ages 11 and 6. She loves trail running, so she might get a little exercise someplace like City Creek, on a trial with a bit of elevation and a perfect combination of shade, sun and views. She loves that she can access mountain trails from her back door, something she realizes is not found in many cities.

If she had a bit of extra free time during the day, she might listen to an audio book to allow for multitasking. Her favorites are not medical thrillers (because she sometimes feels like she’s lived it) but spy or crime novels. Or she wouldn’t mind watching a show. Dunn’s Covid-19 binge series was “Homeland,” which she enjoyed because the main

character’s job woes felt even more daunting than her own.

For dinner she’d go to HSL, where she loves the food and the décor. She’d choose one of the groovy high-backed booths for an easy, private conversation with friends and/or family.

These days Dunn no longer wears a mask at the farmer’s market, on a plane, or while attending the theater. She’s a hugger and is happy to get back to that norm. What she loves is that at this stage we have a better understanding of Covid-19 and tools to fight it. Individuals, knowing their prior conditions, risk factors and vaccination status, can take the proper precautions. We can mask or unmask, and she says, “Isn’t it refreshing that masks can now occupy a more politically neutral space?” l

Dr. Angela Dunn and her son represent the Salt Lake County Health Department at Pride. (Photo Angela Dunn)

Young women learn what it takes to be a firefighter

By Mimi Darley Dutton | m.dutton@mycityjournals.com

What’s it like to carry a 24-foot extension ladder on your shoulder and stand it straight up against a building, cut into cars, handle a fire hose heavy with water, or drag a 180-pound person to safety? Twenty-five young women found out during Draper’s All Future Female Firefighters (AFFF) camp in April.

The camp is the creation of Erin Lytle, one of only four female firefighters working for Draper City. “I was the first and only woman here for a year. When I started my career, I didn’t have any female mentors. Draper allowed me to create a mentorship program to help young women know it’s absolutely something they can do if they’re interested,” she said.

Lytle chose the 18-21 age range, largely focused on recent high school graduates. “I wanted to capture that audience because that’s a time in their life when they’re trying to figure out what they want to do with it. Women empowering women is the intent. Especially with high school girls lacking confidence, I wanted to change their outlook and show them they could be part a ‘family’ that’s going to build you up and support you 100%.”

Day one of camp had female speakers from other fire departments talk to the participants about the emotional, mental and physical parts of the job. Day two was designed for hands-on experiences with skill stations for handling a fire hose filled with water, carrying and climbing large ladders, dragging a 180-pound dummy, learning forceable entry, and using tools to cut cars to extract people.

AFFF is designed as a potential recruitment tool for Draper, but primarily a chance to build confidence. “Whether or not they decide to do fire, they learn that they can do

hard stuff in life, and challenges aren’t something to back down from but something that helps you grow,” Lytle said.

Each participant had to have her EMT certification prior to the free camp. Those who complete the program and enroll in Utah Valley’s Fire Academy can apply for a scholarship that is gifted upon fire academy graduation. Last year’s winner received more than $4,000. “This year I had seven scholarship applications. That’s seven girls interested in joining the fire service,” Lytle said.

Drawn to firefighting because it was her dad’s career, Lytle started as a volunteer in southern Utah then worked part time for Hurricane and Washington County before being hired by Draper in 2017. Wildland firefighting interested her the most. “Then I got into the medical side of things, so I joined the two as a wildland medic. It’s a challenging career and I felt like I was up for the challenge. The whole idea of fire and EMS is community service which is why I first volunteered,” she said. Now, Lytle is a Firefighter Paramedic (Fire Medic), the highest level of pre-hospital provider.

Lytle likes to push herself beyond her regular job duties. In addition to the various certifications and continuing education all firefighters must continually keep up on, she has added to her workload by taking on extra projects such as grant writing, re-doing Draper’s Emergency Operations Center, getting the city’s CERT trailers ready in case of disaster, and teaching emergency classes. She traveled to Texas with a colleague to talk with other departments from across the nation about wildland fire mitigation, and she was recently chosen as Utah Plans Section Chief for hazard management.

Lytle is a fan of giving back to the community, so she

created a chili cook-off among fire departments in the valley that serves as a fundraiser for the University of Utah’s burn camp for kids. “It’s always a good time for a good cause,” she said.

Funding for AFFF isn’t guaranteed, but Lytle hopes the city will continue to make space in the budget for her confidence-building, recruitment creation, and she has worked on a grant to that end. “I’m hoping it becomes an annual thing with how successful it’s been,” she said. l

Fire medic Erin Lytle, pictured with Deputy Chief Bart Vawdrey, created a firefighting camp for young women as a potential recruitment tool and a chance to offer mentorship to young women at a pivotal time in their lives. (Courtesy Draper City)

SLCC exercise science student Erin Jackson aiming to repeat speedskating gold medal at 2026 Olympics

Erin Jackson is the first Black American woman to win a winter Olympic gold medal in an individual sport. She claimed the 500-meter speed skating gold at Beijing in 2022.

“It was a lot of shock, disbelief,” she remembered one year later. “It was surreal. I felt a lot of pride; I saw my dad’s face, then my coach, my teammates, those who supported me along the way. This was a group win, for sure.”

Jackson hopes to add another medal at the 2026 Olympics in Italy. Recently, she took one month off to recover from surgery.

“I get that itch to get out and do something. I’m being active by going for long walks and spending time on the bike. I’m taking it step by step,” she said. “I always tell people to take that first step right because if you think about your goals as these big long-term things like wanting to go to the Olympics that seems like an insurmountable goal. But when you just take that first step to what you’re trying to accomplish, then the next step comes a little easier. Then the next thing you’re snowballing into your goals.”

Jackson is an exercise science student at Salt Lake Community College.

At 30, she already has graduated with honors from the University of Florida’s materials science and engineering program and earned an associate degree from SLCC in computer science.

“I’m a naturally very lazy person. If I don’t have enough things to fill my day, I’ll just sit down and watch TV. I feel like keeping a few things on my plate helps me with time management,” she said. “My career goal is biomechanics; I want to work with prosthetics. I know a lot of Paralympians and I’m always asking questions, trying to figure out the ins and outs of their prosthetics and devices.”

Jackson, who was named United States Olympic Committee Female Athlete of the Year for Roller Sports in 2012 and 2013, followed a lot of skaters who transition to ice to pursue the Olympics. However, she needed some persuasion.

“I didn’t see that in my future. I always thought I’m happy on my skates, my inlines. I hate being cold. Why would I switch over to the ice? I was focused on getting my degree,” she said, remembering she shifted to ice when she was convinced she “could possibly go to the Olympics.”

With four months of speedskating experience on ice, Jackson qualified for the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang. In 2021, she became the first Black American woman to win the World Cup in the 500 meters. Her Olympic speed skating gold medal is

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

the first since Chris Witty in 1000 meters in 2002 and the first American woman to win the women’s 500 meters since Bonnie Blair in 1994.

The student-athlete was part of a keynote panel for the post-COVID-19 return of SLCC’s exercise science conference, sharing her insights with fitness instructors, personal trainers, students and other exercise enthusiasts.

“I don’t really like to eat my vegetables, but if I do, I just douse them in ranch,” Jackson told them. “Dr. Jen told me it doesn’t hurt to do that, just because you’re dousing them doesn’t negate the fact that you’re still getting your nutrients.”

Her diet and exercise are monitored by the U.S. speedskating team. Two members SLCC Assistant Professor “Dr. Jen” Day, a certified specialist in sports dietetics, and SLCC Associate Professor Carrie Needham, a doctorate who has worked in exercise science for more than 25 years — joined Jackson, describing how they support Olympic excellence.

Day traveled with the speedskating team and watched Jackson win her gold medal.

“It was a really cool moment,” she said. “I was crying and screaming. It felt Erin just brought the whole world together, and everyone celebrated with her. I’m very grateful to be a part of it. It’s probably one of the top 10 experiences of my whole life.”

Day said her role is to pair sports nutrition with the science of exercise physi-

ology and science of nutrition for the 20to 30-member speed skating team, ages 15 to 36, who not only practice on the ice, but often cross train, biking up Big Cottonwood Canyon in the summer.

“It’s a big difference in fueling needs if they’re out on the bike on a hot day in July compared to doing intervals in a cold, dry environment on ice. There’s a lot of education that goes into teaching them depending on their environment, what kind of training they’re doing, what phase of training there and what their nutrition needs are going to be,” she said.

Day provides healthy diet counseling individually as well as team talks.

“I’m teaching these athletes how to eat a baseline healthy diet,” she said, adding that the team also undergoes regular body composition testing, including girth measurements.

Jackson supports a healthy diet and proper training.

“I wasn’t the best athlete before I joined the skating team,” she said. “I relied mostly on talent so when I came out to Salt Lake City, the coach had all these different ideas about training such as warming up and cooling down. I said that I never warmed up and cooled down. My thoughts around exercise and training changed completely. Now, I’m one of those athletes who always asks a lot of questions. I learn why we’re doing certain things. That’s also why I’m pursuing this degree in exercise science; I feel as a top-level athlete,

it’s important to know the science behind what I’m doing every day. I’ve learned fueling can be one thing that people kind of overlook. When it comes to training and being a top-level athlete, people think that you win in the gym, but refueling is one of the most important things. Your muscles are still working and breaking down after training until you refuel them to repair the muscle fibers.”

Day shops and packs food for the athletes and monitors their supplements.

“It is important for them to have access to food that’s going to support their training and I don’t just willy-nilly get everyone on supplements. We supplement based on need,” she said. “I focus on food first. I’d rather them get their vitamin C from a whole orange because it contains carbohydrates, healthy fiber, phytochemicals and antioxidants, right? All of these are perfectly packaged in a little health snack. Where if they take a vitamin C supplement, they’re only getting vitamin C. So, I have a food first approach always.”

By monitoring athletes, she has a better understanding of what is needed.

During the Olympic year, Day noticed Jackson was “getting tired all the time. She needed multiple naps a day. We did some blood work, and it wasn’t surprising to see that her iron levels had tanked.”

With a change of diet and supplements, she was able to increase her level and along with it, Jackson had improved energy.

Salt Lake Community College student and 2022 Olympic 500-meter speed skating gold medalist Erin Jackson shared her story with attendees at the school’s annual exercise science program conference. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Salt Lake Community College student Erin Jackson earned her Olympic gold medal following the nutrition and care of the school’s exercise science program. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

“We have comprehensive labs so we can see all angles of what’s going on and we have a doctor that provides guidance for us,” Day said. “We work a lot with the physiology of exercise, so we understand what the body is going through when it’s stressed with exercise.”

Needham said that exercise science can support Olympians as well as any population since the concepts are the same.

“I look at how can we take that research and apply it in a real-world setting,” she said, saying it is the same whether it’s for somebody who has a chronic disease and needs to improve their lifestyle through an exercise program or if it’s “training for athletes so that they can improve their time by 1% to make it onto the podium. The job of the exercise or sports scientist is to answer questions from the coach or from the athlete. We can look at research and find answers. We can do testing and find those answers. But when we can answer the questions for the coach and the athletes, then we are giving them valuable information that they can use in their performance.”

Her programs are individualized, matching the physiological profile to the athlete.

“We have to know what that physiological profile looks like and the type of athlete they are. Do they have more fast twitch muscle fiber or slow twitch muscle

fiber? What are the demands of the sport? Is it more of an aerobic sport and they need to be able to do that for long periods of time? Or is it a more explosive sport and they need to have that quick, powerful movement,” she said, adding they run tests, including oxidavitve systems, lactate threshold and aerobic capacity. “That’s valuable information for coaches, for athletes, for a personal trainer, for an exercise therapist, to know what we’re doing is making a difference in that training.”

Jackson said she gives “a solid effort” when it comes to testing.

“Testing is really important because our sports scientists, they use this data to help me achieve my goals,” she said, adding that she also makes sure she gets plenty of rest, stretches and massages her muscles for the next training session. “I used to sleep five to six hours a night because of being a student and staying up late doing homework. I had to work on getting eight hours of sleep a night.”

As Jackson looks ahead to her skating career and the possibility of the Olympics returning to Utah, she’s pumped.

“I’m currently 30 years old and I want to skate forever, but that’s not feasible. I would love to have the Salt Lake Olympics in 2030 and be able to compete on home ice,” she said. “If it’s 2034, I’ll likely be on the sidelines, but I’ll be supporting Salt Lake’s Olympics 100%.” l

Continued from front page the program, getting elected to school boards or government roles and creating a stronger voice for women at the political table.

One of those women is Sophia DiCaro, who now serves as executive director of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget and works as a senior advisor to Gov. Spencer Cox. In 2014, DiCaro ran a successful campaign that earned her a seat in the Utah House of Representatives, serving West Valley City. She said going through the UWR training was beneficial to her, not just as a representative, but in her future roles, as well.

“Groups like Utah Women Run… are a great way to learn more about what a campaign entails or learn more about what the commitment might be. [A way] to get over that intimidation of the unknown would be to attend some of these trainings,” DiCaro said.

UWR amplifies women’s voices and helps them build platforms that allow those voices to be heard. Cotti has seen an increase in women running for local office, whether that’s a mayoral position or on the city council, and she sees them winning.

Many women start their political

careers at the hyperlocal level before moving onto state or even national leadership positions. She said it’s gratifying to have a woman attend a UWR training, win an election and come back to teach other women how to do it.

“The research is absolutely solid that when we have more than one woman in a room, we have more thoughtful conversations which leads to better policy outcomes,” Cotti said. “It is in the benefit of everyone in our state to have more parity and more equity when it comes to women in political office.”

DiCaro emphasized that women can attend UWR training and never run for office. Using the skills taught in the program can help women serve in many capacities and roles that help bring enlightened conversations and policy decisions. For more information, visit Utahwomenrun.org.

“It is such a rewarding opportunity to serve whether it be an elected office or an interest group or whatever that might be. It is so important to participate in the process,” she said. “It’s so easy to get involved to whatever degree people are willing and able. There are opportunities out there and groups out there that would love to help.” l

Pearls With Purpose breaks generational poverty in developing countries

WhenWendy Bird’s husband suggested she make jewelry to sell at farmers markets, she had no idea it would turn into a global foundation that provides training, mentorship and income for hundreds of women.

Back in 2001, Bird was a stay-at-home mom with five children, looking for a project that would help rediscover her identity which had gotten lost in all the laundry and daily chores. Jewelry making seemed the perfect fit. As a certified gemologist, Bird loves pearls for the way they mimic humanity.

“I love that they’re formed because of an irritant within the lining tissue of the oyster,” she said. “The oyster can’t spew it out, it can’t do anything but secrete a soothing nacre. It can only hug the irritant and that transforms it into this lustrous gemstone. To me, that’s a perfect example of what humanity needs.”

The Riverton resident sent out a request looking to import quality pearls for jewelry making and got a response from a woman in the Philippines. The woman said if Bird imported jewelry pieces, instead of loose pearls, she would change lives.

Bird jumped on the idea and created information to make necklaces, earrings and bracelets. She emailed the docs to the Philippines and a group of women began making jewelry. Bird would import it back to the States and sell it, giving the women 64% of the profits.

Pearls With Purpose had begun. The social impact organization provides microenterprise training for women in poverty, or women rescued from sex trafficking or abuse, in the Philippines, Kenya, Peru, Dominican Republic, India and Cambodia.

For four years, everything was done through long-distance correspondence; she had never traveled internationally. But then a representative from another nonprofit invited Bird overseas to meet the women working with her.

“I landed and saw for the first time ever, these humble circumstances that the individuals live in and the struggle it was to get to the internet cafe and the cost associated with being able to print out the documents,” she said. “Everything was 10 times worse than what they’d conveyed because I put this American spin on it.”

The obstacles her jewelry makers faced hadn’t registered, even though she had trained more than 70 women at that point. Invited to stay in the home of one of the women, she was shocked at the level of poverty.

“In my head I thought I’m going to stay in a bedroom with my own toilet. No. They showed me this piece of plywood they put on the dirt floor they’d covered with a sheet that had been shipped over in a shipment that I had sent, and it happened to be one of my kid’s sheets,” Bird said. “There was no electricity. I was told to shower under this tree, and it’s mostly private. I realized these people needed more from me than I had been giving.”

That trip changed her mindset. She applied for 501(c) (3) status and started doing in-person trainings to adapt her program to their needs. She trained women in an abandoned school, she helped women living in the jungle and in villages ruled by a king. She adapted to cultural differences and language barriers and learned each woman dealt with their own difficulties.

In a leper colony in India, Bird trained 183 women on a dirt floor in a community center. As untouchables, the women couldn’t sit on chairs because their low caste status meant they couldn't sit higher than anyone else in the village. After months, Bird got permission for the women to sit on mats.

“We’re dealing with individuals who for their entire life had been told you will never go to school, you will never be

By Peri Kinder | peri.k@thecityjournals.com

counted as human, you will never have a job. You will just sit on the sidelines of life and watch it unfold,” she said. “If you’re a woman and you’ve been told a very specific stigma your entire life and all of a sudden you hear that it could be different from what you’ve always known, wouldn’t you show up?”

An orphanage in Cambodia reached out to Bird, asking her to bring Pearls With Purpose to their location, training teens from 15-17 in jewelry making so they would have a skill when they left the orphanage at age 18. Often, those 18-yearolds turned to sex work or drugs, but with a skill to fall back on, they could create a different life.

“A year after that training, we got the first email that [a young man] was going to a university in Australia and because of this program he has the $5,500 to attend this university,” Bird said. “So all of a sudden you can see that it’s working.”

In the Dominican Republic and Kenya, Bird worked with children rescued from sex trafficking through Operation Underground Railroad. She taught them to polish, design and wire-wrap gemstones to allow them to create an income.

Along with jewelry tools, Pearls With Purpose also purchases sewing machines, computers and other items women can use to better their lives. Bird teaches them to meet with

wholesalers and negotiate prices.

Right before COVID hit, Bird met with some women in the Philippines. They were talking with her but she couldn’t remember their names. She asked what training session they’d completed.

“One of them said, ‘You didn’t train me. You trained my mom. Because of you, I went to college. My mom put me in school. She had enough money.’ Another said, ‘Hi, I’m Janet’s daughter and this is my baby and I married a good man because I went to this university because you trained my mom.’

“It was this generational break in poverty,” Bird said. “I just started bawling. It was so unexpected. You sit there and listen to these younger adults and you know because you landed on that plane in 2005, they were the ones running around barefoot in their little tank tops and shorts…and here they are dressed so properly you don’t even recognize them and they’re saying, you trained my mom and my life is different now.”

Pearls With Purpose endured through COVID on fumes and held a fundraiser in February to rebuild its accounts. The community can help by purchasing jewelry and books at Pearlswithpurpose.org, donating cash or frequent flier miles, and by spreading awareness on Facebook and Instagram.

Bird’s husband, David, is her biggest cheerleader. As travel opens back up in developing countries, he wants her to get back to doing what she does best: teaching women to build self-reliance and self-worth.

“For years, she has given keynote speeches and had the opportunity to sell the jewelry that these women make,” he said. “My wife is amazing and has dedicated her life to helping hundreds of women in several different developing countries.”l

Riverton resident Wendy Bird (left) created the Pearls With Purpose Foundation to provide jewelry-making training for women in developing countries. The women can create an income while building self-reliance. (Photo courtesy of Pearls With Purpose)

Pearls With Purpose works with women in the Philippines, Kenya, Peru, Dominican Republic, India and Cambodia. The nonprofit, started by Wendy Bird (bottom left corner), offers women a way to create income through jewelry making. (Photo courtesy of Pearls With Purpose)

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Life Care Center of Salt Lake is a safe, clean and compassionate place for those looking for inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation, and short- or long-term skilled nursing care. Located in Millcreek, the center features amenities like walking paths, a garden with plenty of outdoor space, dining, activities and around-the-clock nursing services. The facility was named one of the U.S. News & World Report 2022-2023 Best Nursing Homes.

Sharon Papalii is the admissions director at the center. She’s worked there nearly four years and loves everything Life Care stands for especially the family-oriented culture created by the dedicated staff.

What should people know about Life Care Center of Salt Lake?

We are a skilled nursing facility and have been serving our community for nearly 30 years! Whether you are recovering from a fall, surgery or illness, we are here to help you regain your independence. Our multi-disciplinary team includes top notch professionals from many specialties, working seamlessly together to meet our patient’s needs. Our post-acute teams work diligently to improve the independence and mobility of each rehab candidate. We also provide long-term care for those individuals who are no longer safe alone in their own home and would benefit from around the clock nursing care. We pride ourselves in welcoming patients and their loved ones as if they’re part of our family. They feel our energy, they see the culture and know they’re welcome, safe, their needs are going to be met, they’re going to be heard and they’re going to be taken care of. I am proud to work at Life Care Center of Salt Lake City.

What sets you apart from your competition?

We’ve been here for nearly 30 years. We’ve got nurses, therapists and other members of our administration team that have been here 15 to 28 years. Longevity is remarkable and turnover is low. It goes back to the culture. We’re happy, we’re engaged and we’re committed to what we do here for families, residents and one another.

Tell me about your staff.

We have our Executive Director, Craig Ulibarri and our Director of Nursing, Brenda Izatt who oversee everything that goes on in the building to make sure we’re keeping everybody safe. Our medical

Life Care Center of Salt Lake City

director is Dr. Richard Allen from St. Marks Family Medicine. We have amazing RNs, LPN’s and CNAs. We have outstanding speech, occupational and physical therapists. We have our attentive dietary team and dietitian who keep our residents well fed and given the appropriate diet for their needs. We also have a specialty wound care team that comes in to treat our patients alongside our very own wound care nurse.

What is the best thing about Life Care Center?

The teams here work together to create the experience that patients and their families are seeking. It’s really hard when they’re putting their loved one in a long term care or rehab facility. There’s a lot of emotions. We’ve got such compassionate and loving nurses, everybody here in the facility takes great pride in making sure that our patients and their families are welcomed, they are comfortable, they feel safe and they feel that their needs are met. Tell me about your location.

Our facility is in Millcreek, close to Intermountain Medical Center, St. Mark’s Hospital and The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital. We have housekeeping services that keep our building sparkling and maintenance that keeps the grounds clean and clear of trash. We have a beautiful facility. Our doors are open. You can schedule a tour, but the wonderful thing is you can just walk in and we’ll show you our facility seven days a week, up until 7 p.m.

“Megan is a world class acupuncturist who has helped me with pain from a spinal injury and chronic nerve pain… gratefully, Megan and her team helped me to recover holistically. I recommend her to my friends and family all the time.”

– Sean

Did you get your property tax statement and feel overwhelmed trying to understand it? Every year we get calls from residents who need help making sense of their tax statement, so here is some info that might be useful.

The county treasurer is responsible for collecting taxes for over 70 different entities, not just Salt Lake County. That means that your city/township, school district, water districts, and other entities show up on your property tax statement. Once we get the money, we distribute it to the different taxing entities.

One great thing about our state is that Truth-in-Taxation is required. That means you will be notified if a government entity is trying to raise your taxes. This concept is all about transparency and making sure the government is open and honest about how your tax dollars are being used. Taxation is necessary for funding various public services, such as schools, parks, roads and public safety. But as taxpayers, it’s crucial for you to know where your hardearned money is going.

Just because a tax rate stays the same, doesn’t mean your taxes won’t increase. After your property is assessed, the county adds in additional growth and then divides all the property values by the proposed budget amount. That is how we get the tax rate. Government cannot collect more than what they did the previous year without a

Winder Newton Salt Lake County Councilwoman| District 3

Truth-in-Taxation hearing.

If property values and growth are going up, your tax rate would go down if there was no additional tax increase. When taxing entities tell you the rate hasn’t changed, that still could mean a tax increase from that entity. Don’t worry, though… it should be crystal clear on your property tax statement if it’s an increase. If there is a public meeting, that entity is raising your taxes this year.

As part of this process, governmental agencies are required to hold public hearings to discuss tax-related matters. These hearings are an excellent opportunity for you to voice your opinions and concerns regarding how tax dollars should be allocated. But how do you find out when these hearings are taking place? That’s where your notice of valuation comes in.

Notice of valuation is a document sent to homeowners that provides information about the assessed value of their property.

It’s an important notice because it includes details about upcoming hearings related to property taxes. These hearings give you the chance to speak up and let your elected officials know what you think about the tax rates and how they affect you.

So, why is it important for you to notice when public hearings are available and take the opportunity to comment? Well, simply put, it’s your chance to be heard. By attending these hearings or submitting comments, you can influence the

decisions that impact your community and your wallet. Your voice matters, and by actively participating, you can help shape the future of taxation in Salt Lake County. Remember, your voice matters, and by participating in the process, you can help shape a fair and transparent system that benefits everyone in Salt Lake County. Together, we can create positive change and ensure our tax dollars are used wisely.

Aimee

TMS is like physical therapy for the brain. It uses magnetic pulses, similar in strength to an MRI, to reignite dormant connections in the brain and give you control of your depression. With NeuroHealth, you can take back your life.

Serving Local Families Since 1885

COMPASSIONATE FUNERAL PLANNERS

During one of life’s most difficult moments, you deserve the utmost respect, kindness, care, and guidance. Six generations of Larkins have been devoted to serving Utah families in their time of need, and that unique experience enables us to guide you in preparing services for your loved one with consideration and respect.

Women who work outside the home are supernatural shapeshifters. One minute they’re closing the deal on a $5-million property and the next minute they’re on the phone with their 5-year-old daughter who’s upset because the parakeet won’t talk to her.

I think we can agree women are in the workplace. I think we can agree most households need two incomes to afford the basics like food, shelter and Netflix. I think we can also agree that mothers take on the biggest load when it comes to child care. Well, our country’s child care system is failing women in a spectacular SpaceX explosion kind of way.

This disparity was highlighted during COVID, an infuriating pandemic where millions of women lost their jobs. As child care centers closed, women were usually the ones to step away from their careers to become full-time school teachers, nurses, referees, short-order cooks, video game experts and day drinkers.

Single mothers always draw the short straw when it comes to child care choices. If you’ve never been a single mom who has to decide between using a vacation day or leaving her sick 11 year old at home alone, consider yourself lucky.

Care.com reported on child care costs in the U.S., showing the average family

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spends 27% of their income on child care with the majority spending around $18,000 each year. Utah’s costs are a bit lower than the national average but we make up for that by having one bajillion children.

There are always people who say, “Women should be home raising their children. Problem solved.” Guess what? Problem not solved because most families need two incomes to get by, even adding in the cost of child care. When women choose to stay home, it takes a big bite out of the household income.

To combat this, parents work multiple jobs, alternate work schedules with a spouse or partner, rely on family members to babysit and hope their toddler becomes a child star to cover living expenses.

Employers, do you know how often moms worry about asking for time off to take kids to dentist appointments, doctor visits, parent-teacher conferences, lobot-

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omies, etc.? It’s constant. There’ve been times when I was shamed by my boss because I needed to deal with a situation at home. That should never happen.

Women and families need child care support and it’s about damn time to get

creative.

Let’s start with free (or low-cost) onsite child care. Let’s throw in flexible and remote schedules that allow parents to be home after school. Let’s address the stupid 40-hour work week that’s not only a waste of time, but a drain on families.

Kim Kardashian pays each of her nannies (she has at least four on call 24/7) nearly $100,000 per year. She got it right. That’s what women should be paid for watching children because it’s mentally, emotionally and physically exhausting. But the average family can’t afford ONE nanny for even half that price.

And, yes, sometimes it’s the father who stays home with the kids (and they struggle, too) but the majority of child care responsibility is placed on mothers.

Mothers are expected to work competently at a full-time job and turn into Mary Poppins/Mrs. Doubtfire/Amelia Bedelia the minute they get home. We’re tired of shapeshifting. It’s making us cranky.

If employers want to hire shapeshifters, they’d better be prepared to offer flexibility, creativity and full value for that skill or we’ll take our talents and go home. And then nobody wins.

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We’re ranked as one of the top 50 cardiovascular hospitals in the country–located right here in the Salt Lake Valley.