Registration is now open for the 2022 UWHEN Annual Leadership Conference! This year’s conference will be held virtually on April 8, 2022 and will include a keynote presentation from Vice Chair of the Utah Board of Higher Education Nina S. Barnes, a panel discussion with women leaders from across the state of Utah, as well as several great breakout sessions. You won’t want to miss it! You can register here. Cost is $25 for UWHEN institutional members, $35 for non-members.

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9:00 – 9:30 am | Welcome & Awards
Ms. Teri Bladen (WSU), UWHEN Board Chair; President Brad Mortensen (WSU); President Astrid. S. Tuminez (UVU), UWHEN Presidential Sponsor; Dr. Valerie Herzog (WSU), UWHEN Awards Committee Chair

9:30 – 10:15 am | Breakout Sessions

• “But I’m Not a Leader!”: First Steps Toward Leadership – Ms. Amber Collins (RMUHP) 
• Embodying Wayfinding: Survivance and Navigation of “Difficult Conversations” as Two Faculty Women of Color– Dr. Andrea Garavito Martinez and Dr. Kristina Moleni (WSU) 
• Women in Higher Education: Knowing Strengths, Knowing Leadership – Ms. Kristen Nuesmeyer and Ms. Marianna Henry (UVU) 
• Navigating Mentorship: Pathways to Build Up Women – Dr. Heather Wilson-Ashworth and Ms. Jessica Ballard (UVU)

10:15 – 10:30 am | Break

10:30 – 11:15 am | Keynote Speaker: Mindy Benson, SUU Interim President
Mindy Benson is the first female to serve in the presidential role for Southern Utah University. President Benson’s primary focus has been to connect and engage stakeholders who are often overlooked. She has strengthened ties to alumni, along with creating deep and lasting relationships with community members and leaders in Utah. She is actively involved in the community and region by serving on the Cedar City Historic Downtown Economic Development Committee, Bryce Canyon National History Association Board, SUU’s Community Advisory Board and Rocky Vista University Executive Advisory Council. President Benson is responsible for a variety of community outreach projects, alumni engagement, workforce development, economic growth, community leadership trainings and special events. Along with her University responsibilities, she is a professional event consultant and planner, with experience producing hundreds of productions, concerts, events and political inaugurations nationally.

11:15 – 12:00 pm | Breakout Sessions

• Navigating New Spaces: Actions for Aspiring Male Allies – Dr. Kyle Reyes, Mr. Jeremy Knee, and Mr. Dustin Berlin (UVU)
• Women’s Equality in Utah: Why UT is Ranked as the Worst State, and What Can Be Done – Dr. Susan Madsen (USU) and Ms. Nubia Peña (UT Office of the Governor)
• Navigating Stormy Conversations – Ms. Jodie Jones (SLCC)
• Lessons Learned from Joining a New Team in the Age of COVID – Ms. Katie Mazzie and Ms. Lisa Molina (USHE)

12:00 – 12:15 pm | Break

12:15 – 1:15 pm | Leadership Panel
Join women leaders from across the state as we discuss their journey and strategies in “Navigating New Spaces.”

1:15 – 1:45 pm | Networking and Wellness Break Sessions

1:45 – 2:30 pm | Breakout Sessions

• Navigating the Glass Labyrinth: Models and Advice for Success – Ms. TaraLee Cook (Snow College)
• Leading from the Edge – Ms. Anya Petersen-Frey and Ms. Sharon Lyman (U of U)
• Navigating Change: How We Resist, Subsist, or Insist – Ms. Melanie Chambers and Ms. Sharon Lyman (USU)
• Making a Difference Through Advocacy – Dr. Valerie Herzog (WSU) and Dr. Rosemary Lesser (UT House of Representatives)

2:30 – 3:00 pm | Closing Remarks & Raffle Drawing

How many times have you heard someone say that their calendar controls them? How many times have you sat in a meeting wondering why you were asked to attend that meeting? Let’s stop the cycle of the calendar controlling us and start reclaiming our time and energy in the workplace. Join in on a discussion and learn some tips to help you say “no” — whether it is to a meeting or a project.

Speaker: Dr. Alexis Palmer, Associate Vice President Dean of Students, Utah Valley University

Alexis Palmer joined Utah Valley University (UVU) in 2004 and has served as the coordinator and then director of the Volunteer & Service-Learning Center, the Senior Director of Community and Continuing Education, and now serves as the Associate Vice President of Student Life/Dean of Students. Palmer has been in her current role since 2014. Her motivation for working in Student Affairs began when she was a Resident Assistant at Idaho State University. The RA experience was transformational and created the foundation of her passion for engaging women in leadership, advancing inclusion initiatives, and student development. A lover of learning, Palmer graduated with her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Boise State University, Master’s in Youth and Family Recreation from Brigham Young University, and EdD from Grand Canyon University in Organizational Leadership & Development.

Palmer oversees the Student Life division which includes Campus Recreation, Student Leadership & Involvement, Center for Social Impact, Event Services, Sorensen Student Center, Student Health Services, Office of Student Conduct, Student Media, and Office of Accessibility Services. She also facilitates the CARE Task Force, Bias Education Support Team, and Mental Health Task Force.

Palmer is the recipient of several UVU awards including a University College Teaching Excellence Award for Adjunct Faculty and the Presidential Award of Excellence for Student Success, the highest award given by the university President. Additionally, Palmer served as the President of UVU’s Professional Association for Campus Employees for 2.5years.

The UWHEN-Southern Utah University Chapter will host guest speaker, Dr. Susan Madsen and a workshop on Women in Leadership: Identity, Purpose, Calling. This is an in-person event that will take place in Cedar City, UT on Southern Utah University’s campus. Register here: https://uwhen.swoogo.com/strengtheningyourinfluence

Presentation: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Lunch: 1:00-1:30 pm

Workshop: 1:30 – 3:00 pm

Presenter: Dr. Susan Madsen

Dr. Susan R. Madsen is the Inaugural Karen Haight Huntsman Endowed Professor of Leadership in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University. She is also the Founding Director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project, which focuses on strengthening the impact of Utah girls and women through increasing college completion rates and helping girls and women find their voices and become leaders. Professor Madsen and her team have written many Utah research and policy briefs, research snapshots, impact reports, newspaper editorials, and other resources. They host 20-30 events each year to support the mission of their work. Susan is also a well-known global scholar, authoring or editing six books and publishing hundreds of articles, chapters, and reports. Madsen’s research has been featured in the U.S. News and World Report, The Atlantic, The New York Times, Parenting Magazine, Chronicle of Higher Education, The Washington Post, and she is a regular contributor to Forbes. She is a sought-after speaker in local, national, and international settings. For example, she has presented at the New York Times, Argentina Parliament Palace, House of Commons in England, Lithuania President’s Palace, and NGO sessions at the United Nations. She serves on or advises many nonprofit, community, and education boards and committees, including Silicon Slopes, Envision Utah, the Utah Governor’s One Utah Roadmap, Real Women Run, United Way of Utah County, South Davis County Communities that Care, Utah Financial Empowerment Coalition, KUER Radio, and more.  Madsen received a bachelor’s degree from BYU, master’s from Portland State, and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota. She and her husband Greg are the proud parents of four adult children and two grandchildren.

Women leaders who are currently holding office in Utah will share ways they staked their claim as a woman in politics and higher education administration. Hear their personal experiences of trailblazing and navigating spaces that have not always been welcoming to women. Register here: https://uwhen.swoogo.com/stakeyourclaim

Panelists include:

Senator Ann Millner

Dr. F. Ann Millner serves as the State Senator for District 18; she serves in Senate leadership as the Senate Majority Whip, as well as serving on multiple committees including the Executive Appropriations Committee, the Legislative Management Committee and the appropriations subcommittees for both public and higher education. She is a regents professor of health administration and former president of Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. Under Dr. Millner’s leadership as president from 2002-12, Weber State became a multi-campus institution, experienced nearly a 40-percent increase in enrollment, initiated a major facilities revitalization effort, expanded its network of community partnerships, launched WSU Davis, emerged as a regional center for economic development and earned national recognition for its undergraduate research and community-based learning initiatives.

Councilwoman Rosalba Dominguez

Rosalba Dominguez is a Murray City Council Member and lifelong Utah resident, community advocate, wife, step-mother and urban gardener living in Murray’s historical area of Council District 3. She is the first Latina elected in her position and is proud to bring her perspectives and experiences in her role. For the past 20 years, Rosalba has been building bridges in her community through her work on various advocacy boards including Utah Coalition of La Raza, Utah Afterschool Network, State of Utah Hispanic Advisory Council, serving as Vice-Chair of the Salt Lake County Hispanic Democratic Council and is a member of the I.J. & Jeanné Wagner Jewish Community Center.

Mayor Dawn Ramsey

Dawn R. Ramsey serves as Mayor of the City of South Jordan. During her time in office, she has maintained a determined focus on public safety, economic development, housing, transportation infrastructure, education, preservation of open space, overall management of rapid growth, collaboration, and representation for her city at every level, working to guarantee that South Jordan will maintain its high quality of life far into the future. Under her leadership, South Jordan continues to achieve extraordinary success. She serves the people of Utah through her roles on more than 30 boards and committees across the state, holding top leadership positions on many of them. Mayor Ramsey is most proud of her role as wife, mother, and grandmother. She and her husband Dan have six children and one grandson with a second on the way. Her faith, spending time as a family, and serving The People is what brings Mayor Ramsey the greatest joy.

Councilwoman Amy Fowler

Amy was elected to her first term by Salt Lake City District Seven residents in November 2017 and took her oath of office in January 2018. She currently serves as City Council Chair after being elected by her peers in January 2021. Amy previously served as the Redevelopment Agency (RDA) Board Vice-Chair in 2018 and as RDA chair for 2019-20. In January 2020 Amy was appointed to a one-year term as Vice-Chair of the National League of Cities Large Cities Council and was recently appointed Chair for the 2020-2021 year. Amy was appointed by the National League of Cities to serve on its Safety and Crime Prevention Federal Advocacy Committee for 2019.  In 2013 she co-founded the LGBT and Allied Lawyers of Utah, a non-profit legal organization fighting for the LGBT community’s rights. She worked as a Public Defender for several years prior to opening Fowler Venable Law.

Moderator: Trina Polta

As a Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) alumna, Trina Polta creates engaging, meaningful, and creative marketing content as the college’s Events Marketing Manager.  Trina is the Utah Women in Higher Education Network (UWHEN) SLCC President 2021-22, and is a member of the UWHEN State board, SLCC’s Employees of Color Coalition (ECC), American Association for Women in Community Colleges (AAWCC), and Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

Looking Back, Moving Forward

2021 UWHEN Annual Leadership Conference

REGISTER NOW!

Registration is now open for the 2021 UWHEN Annual Leadership Conference! This year’s conference will be held virtually on April 9, 2021 and will include a keynote presentation from Utah Supreme Court Justice Paige Petersen, a panel discussion with UVU President Tuminez, DSU President Williams, WSU President Mortensen, and Westminster College President Dobkin, as well as several great breakout sessions. You won’t want to miss it!

Register at: https://uwhen.swoogo.com/annualconference2021 

2021 UWHEN Leadership Conference Agenda

9:00am-9:45am Welcome and Awards

Join us as we open the 2021 UWHEN Leadership Conference by honoring our Leadership Award winners for the 2020-21 year.

9:45am-10:30am Breakout Sessions

• Advocating for Women in Higher Education: Women Supporting Women Through Mentorship. Sarah Billington & Michelle Maraffio (SLCC)
• A Journey to Authentic Leadership through Autoethnography: Bridging Past Experiences and Identities with Future Career Planning. Donna Harper Ziegenfuss (U of U)
• Creating Spaces and Advocating for Female Students of Color on University Campuses. Louise Wheeler & Deli Juarez (BYU)
• Forging Our Own Paths: Envisioning Our Future Selves as Leaders in Academia: Personal/Interpersonal Factors. Hina Garg, Coral Gubler, Christa Young, Miriam Cortez- Cooper, & Ann Hoffman (RMU)
• That’s What She Said: Utah Women, Leadership, and Aspirational Shame. Nancy Hauck & Amanda Scott (DSU)
• The Adventures of a Mid-Level University Manager: Oh My Heck! Jodi Chowen & Sherami Jara (BYU)

10:30am-11:30am Keynote with Utah Supreme Court Justice Paige Petersen

Justice Paige Petersen was appointed to the Utah Supreme court in December 2017 by Governor Gary Herbert. Before joining the Supreme Court, she was a district court judge in the Third Judicial District, which serves Salt Lake, Summit, and Tooele counties. Justice Petersen graduated summa cum laude from the University of Utah in 1995, after first obtaining an associate’s degree from the College of Eastern Utah in Price. She received her law degree from Yale Law School in 1999. After graduation, she clerked for two years in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. After her clerkship, she joined the law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York City, practicing civil litigation. She then transitioned to criminal law, serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn. There, she handled cases involving organized crime and international narcotics trafficking. Petersen then prosecuted war crimes at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Netherlands, where she was a member of the trial team responsible for successfully prosecuting the former Serbian Chief of Police for ethnic cleansing and mass murder in Kosovo. She then returned to Utah and joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Salt Lake City, where she prosecuted violent crimes for three years before taking the bench.

11:30am-12:00pm Networking and Wellness Break

These interactive break sessions provide an opportunity to network with other attendees while engaging in wellness activities.

• Color Meditation with Olga Antonio (WSU)
• Flexible Work Options with Mary Anne Berzins (U of U)
• Guided Meditation with Jennette Wood (WSU)
• How to Break Down ANY Problem with Stephanie Hobbs (Clarity Life Coaching)
• Work/Life Integration with Rene Eborn (USU)
• Yoga with Teri Bladen (WSU)

12:00pm-1:00pm Presidents Panel

Join us as we learn from Presidents Astrid S. Tuminez (UVU), Richard Biff Williams (DSU), Brad L. Mortensen (WSU), and Bethami A. Dobkin (Westminster College). Facilitated by Provost Debbie Tahmassebi (Westminster College) and Interim Provost Melanie Jenkins (Snow College).

1:00pm-1:45pm Breakout Sessions

• 5 Years of SUU Women’s Network: Looking Back and Moving Forward. Shalini Kesar, Jacqueline Russell, & Jennifer Leard (SUU)
• A Personal Reflection on Candor – Is it Worth It? Mary Anne Berzins (U of U)
• Increase Productivity and Decrease Stress: Tips to Save you 8 Hours per Week. Katie Garrett & Dani Sloan (UEN)
• Model for Career Changing Success. Linda Evans (Trinity University)
• Talking about Leadership: The Role of Formal Development Programs and Mentoring within USHE. Jessi Hill (UVU) & Nancy Hauck (DSU)
• Turning Our Conversations into Coaching Conversations: A Guided Coaching Workshop. Julie Morrow (InsideOut Development)
• Want to Help Someone? Walk in their Shoes! How Women Leaders from Three Generations Developed Cultural Relativism through Self-reflection to become Advocates, Educators and Mentors. Kimberly Love, Lucy Ormond, & Emma Love Harding (WSU)

1:45pm-2:15pm Moving Forward

We’ll close this year’s conference with a few important announcements and a raffle drawing (must be virtually present to win!).

About this Event

Thursday, 10.8.2020
1-2:30PM

For many women, life has become more complicated in the era of COVID-19. In addition to uncertainty in the world, fear for personal and family safety, financial stress, and often juggling working from home with family responsibilities is causing increased stress on women.  In this presentation, participants will learn how to build personal resilience and gain practical strategies to help them better adapt to the unique challenges of today’s world.

Facilitator: Julie de Azevedo Hanks, PhD, MSW – Utah Valley University

Learn more and register at https://uwhenresilience.eventbrite.com. 

Hosted by UVU

September 25, 2020

Hosted by Dixie State University

Building Your Network

Come join us for an engaging hands-on workshop where we’ll discuss strategies for growing your professional network.  You’ll also have the opportunity to create your own networking map.  And of course, you’ll have the chance to network with other UWHEN members!  At the end of the workshop we will be able to:

·        Determine areas of your network that you would like to develop

·        Identify various opportunities for growing your network

·        Develop a networking map

At the Spring 2019 UWHEN Leadership Workshop, we distributed a book, written by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith, called “How Women Rise: Break the 12 Habits Holding You Back from Your Next Raise, Promotion or Job.” Come join us for an engaged conversation about how we rise and how our habits act as potential inhibitors.

At the end of the workshop we will be able to:

• Understand how the concept of “rising” applies to us at the individual level
• Recognize the 12 habits and how they potentially hold us back
• Identify strategies to help master them

This workshop will provide suggestions for improving department dynamics so as to increase levels of participation and professional satisfaction for women employed in higher education. It will also provide insights and practical ideas for improving the experience and performance of female students. The focus here is practical, not theoretical.

Join us for our 2020 Utah Women in Higher Education Network Leadership Conference!

This year’s Conference theme is Looking Back, Moving Forward and features a variety of speakers from across the State, a Presidents Panel, and a special keynote by Justice Paige Petersen. Content is relevant to all women employed in higher education, including faculty, staff, and administrators. We are limited to 350 registrations and, as we have in the past, anticipate a waitlist will quickly form – grab your reservation and join us at Weber State University!

Registration Open for 2019 Leadership Conference

April 5, 2019 Dixie State University

Rise Together

Let’s Rise – How Women in Higher Education Can Rise Together

Friday, December 7 ▪ 1-3PM ▪ Webinar via Western Governor’s University

Description
Join leading women in higher-education from the comfort of your own favorite work-space in an inspiring, reflective, and interactive virtual workshop (yes, even virtual meetings online can be interactive!) focused on personal and professional development.  This workshop is dedicated to identifying the unique leadership barriers, habits, and behaviors that hold women back from rising and strategies for how to transform your skills to confidently achieve your goals

Women. We are in a moment.

On the national and the local stage, the power of women—and particularly women working together—cannot be denied. Utah higher education is at the forefront of this moment, with a record 5 female presidents leading our institutions. Utah Women in Higher Education Network has an opportunity to continue to lead this moment. This is where YOU can make a difference.

Have you ever wanted a mentor but don’t know how to make that happen? Or have you ever wanted to share your experience and expertise in a meaningful way? We are not only going to help you understand what a mentoring relationship can be, but we will also put it into action. Whether you come to this session wanting to find a mentor or looking to mentor a budding professional, you will leave satisfied.

We are seeking up to 40 women (20 mentors and 20 mentees) from various backgrounds across higher education to help us pilot a UWHEN mentoring program. During the session, we will “speed match” you with a mentor or mentee, we will provide you with mentorship training, and we will ask you to schedule future mentoring sessions as your schedule allows. We will provide suggested topics to discuss at each session, as well as an optional check-in call with our facilitators to help you with the process.

UWHEN. Let’s take this moment and make it a movement.

Registration Details
Identify yourself as a mentor or a mentee. Registration is limited. Workshop attendance is a requirement in order to match mentors and mentees.

• Register as a MENTEE if you are desiring to build a relationship with someone further along in their career that can guide you and give you advice.
• Register as a MENTOR if you are interested in providing guidance and advice to a budding professional.
• If filled, register on the WAIT-LIST. If a spot becomes available we will contact you.
• If unable to attend please NOTIFY us beforehand so we can give your spot to someone on the wait-list.

What does “financial freedom” mean to you? Getting out of debt? Paying off your mortgage? Getting beyond living paycheck-to-paycheck? Having an emergency fund? Knowing you are on track for a secure post-career life (AKA retirement)? After this session, you will be able to:

• Find reliable resources for reducing debt (credit card, student, mortgage).
• Make prudent decisions on student loans.
• Know when to put your financial security first (when children of all ages may have a claim on your resources).
• Prioritize your long-term financial freedom over short-term wants.
• Recognize the need for an Advance Health Care Directive, letter of last instruction, and a will.
• Locate and use trustworthy financial resources.

Join leaders for an interactive and insightful afternoon of learnings, lessons, and actionable activities that will support your goals for success.

Do you know your strengths and weaknesses? Do you know what you bring to the table when you show up to work each day? Do you know where you want your career to go and how to get there? Join a conversation with Mary Weaver Bennett who spent over 25 years as a legislative and regulatory policy expert in Washington, DC, Ms. Bennett will share insights and experience on how she thrived and was successful in a demanding and male-dominated environment. This event will help you gain tools to explore your individual strengths and weaknesses and create your strategic advantage.