Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top 50 Women Leaders of Utah for 2022. These individuals are honored for their dedication and efforts in industries including education, healthcare, technology, financial services and more. In this state, women were enfranchised 50 years before most American women and were the first women in America to vote under an equal suffrage law. This year's awardees follow in the footsteps of those Utah women who came before them, leading fields that are often largely male-dominated. They continue to eliminate barriers before them and are setting an example for younger generations of women leaders.
Among this year’s awardees is Barbara Wirostko, Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder of Qlaris Bio, a recognized top ophthalmologist who commits her life to developing therapies for her patients; Clivetty Martinez, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer of Myriad Genetic Laboratories, who uses her decades of experience to eliminate areas of compliance risk for the company worldwide; and Sharon Cook, Chief Marketing Officer at Mountain America Credit Union, who blends a successful mix of digital, social, and traditional marketing tactics with innovative ideas to continue the growth of the organization.
This year’s awardees are key to the success and progress in the industries they serve. Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 50 Women Leaders of Utah for 2022.
3. Clivetty Martinez
SVP & Chief Compliance Officer, Myriad Genetic Laboratories
Clivetty Martinez has been recognized for showing dedication, leadership and excellence in ethics and compliance throughout her career. She is a seasoned professional with global compliance experience in the health care, medical device, and pharmaceutical industries. Currently the Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer for Myriad Genetic Laboratories, she is charged with developing and overseeing the daily compliance program's activities, driving awareness of the Code of Conduct, identifying areas of compliance risk, and guiding the efforts of the compliance teams at each location worldwide. She previously worked at Johnson & Johnson, Wyeth, and Perrigo in the compliance field. She prepared for her career by earning a PhD in international health studies and a master's degree in occupational therapy from Duquesne University.
Martinez has numerous certifications in compliance, including a Health Care Compliance certification from Seton Hall University, a Leadership in Compliance certification from INSEAD University in France, and a CCEP certification from the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics. In 2010, she partnered with the University of Miami to develop the first executive education Certification in Compliance for compliance professionals working in Latin America. Martinez received a certificate of appreciation from the University of Miami School of Business Administration for outstanding performance and lasting contributions in development of their program, and is an adjunct professor in the program today. Martinez is considered an expert in her field. She has spoken at several international conferences and has partnered with conference developers to develop the first Latin American Compliance Conference in which she was the master of ceremony. Martinez is a member of The International Women's Leadership Association and a Distinguished Delegate honored for continued contribution to the field of International Health. She is also a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the Occupational Therapy Association, and the American Business Women Association.
4. Sharon Cook
Chief Marketing Officer, Mountain America Credit Union
Sharon Cook, Chief Marketing Officer at Mountain America Credit Union, is an industry and community leader. She has helped reshape the credit union industry, driving company growth and individual employee development while also focusing on member needs and giving back to the community. Cook is an example for women looking to achieve success while balancing their careers and family life. During her tenure, Mountain America has grown from $2.7 billion in assets and 330,000 members in December 2009 to over $13 billion in assets and nearly 1 million members in May 2021. She expanded the marketing team from nine to over 50 employees and created key teams including the strategic communications, sponsorships and events, financial education, and marketing automation teams. Cook also launched the Mountain America brand in Idaho, Montana and Arizona while expanding the Utah, New Mexico, and Nevada market share.
Cook’s ability to leverage social media, sponsorships, marketing automation, and key marketing mediums allowed the organization to grow membership at an annual average of 18.84% over the past five years. In 2010, Sterling Nielsen, Mountain America’s president and CEO, unveiled an ambitious 10-year, $10 billion plan. Cook’s successful marketing campaigns and digital savvy were key to the credit union achieving that goal two years early. Her vision and strategy also earned Mountain America the number three spot for credit unions nationally for all social channels and the number two spot for Facebook according to the Financial Brand. Over the years, Cook established numerous programs to support the communities Mountain America serves. She serves as the chair of the Annual Mountain America Swing for the Kids Challenge and actively supports the community by serving on numerous boards and committees.
7. Jen Tanner
AVP of Internal Communications Operations, Mountain America Credit Union
Jen Tanner is the AVP of Internal Communication Operations for Mountain America Credit Union. When she first walked into a branch to start her job as a loan officer, she had no idea she was laying the path for a successful career as an entrepreneur and an educator and experience influencer in the financial industry. As a high achiever, it has never been enough for Tanner to hold just her full-time positions at Mountain America. Her entrepreneurial spirit has helped her start and run multiple small businesses that fills her need for creative outlets. However, she loves her day job too and has grown her career from managing at a branch to training to her most recent role overseeing the employee experience.
Seeing a need to capture organizational knowledge, she created a knowledge base that now has more than 4,000 process pages and is accessed by thousands of team members each day. As a long-term thinker, she established a network of subject matter experts to ensure organizational knowledge was captured and shared. Additionally, she helped document critical processes to help resolve inefficiencies. Her work here led her to dive even deeper into the experiences that make the workplace magical, and she now runs a team whose sole focus is identifying, standardizing, and creating moments that make for a truly unique and enviable workplace. In 2018, she began fostering her nephew. Two years later, she formally adopted him and was able to complete another dream, becoming a mother. And she did it all while working full-time, running two successful businesses, and graduating with her MBA.
8. Jeri Larsen
Chief of Operations, YouScience
Jeri Larsen is the Chief of Operations for YouScience. She is a consultant at heart, seeing what needs to be fixed and setting about fixing it. She believes in managing people better so they can manage a better client experience. Her attention is typically split between optimizing individuals and optimizing the business. In her career, she's had the opportunity to meet organizational and client needs from several directions including sales, CX, operations and L&D. She has served in both the private and public sectors, in agencies and tech, in small start-ups to Fortune 100s.
Prior to joining YouScience, Larsen was the SVP of sales operations and development at MX, and before that, a VP of strategy and analytics at Skipio. Larsen graduated from Brigham Young University with an undergraduate degree in English literature and from the University of Montana with a master’s degree in English literature.
9. Brooke King-DeWyze
Chief Operating Officer, Moreton & Company
Brooke King-DeWyze is the Chief Operating Officer at Moreton & Company, an independent insurance brokerage that places coverage for over 5,500 commercial insurance and employee benefits clients. She is responsible for taking a bird’s eye view of the organization and identifying opportunities to maximize operational efficiency and enhance the lives of the company’s employees.
King-DeWyze’s tenacity and appetite for learning has led her to gain experience in finance and accounting, acquisitions, benchmarking, strategic planning, effective management, executive operations, agency workflow, and technology implementation. In her 25-year career, she has developed and managed key production metrics for sales initiatives, and analyzed financial production data with industry best practices. She utilizes this range of skills in her current role to lead initiatives that reduce procedural waste, improve the client services offered, and ultimately creates a more positive, healthy, award-winning company culture. King-DeWyze earned her degree in accounting from the University of Utah. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC), and serves on the board of directors for PAR Holdings, domiciled in Bermuda.
10. Jane Barratt
Chief Advocacy Officer, MX
Jane Barratt, Chief Advocacy Officer of MX, is a long-time champion of financial strength. In her role at MX, Barratt works with financial institutions, industry groups, policy makers, and regulators to ensure people have secure access to their financial data and the ability to put it to work. She advocates for financial education through her personal finance courses on LinkedIn Learning.
Previous to MX, Barratt was the founder and CEO of GoldBean, an education first advisory platform. She also spent two decades driving growth and technology advancements for Fortune 500 companies. Barratt earned an undergraduate degree in commerce from Bond University.
13. Barbara Wirostko
Chief Medical Officer & Co-Founder, Qlaris Bio
Barbara Wirostko, a serial entrepreneur, is the Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder of Qlaris Bio. As a board-certified practicing glaucoma clinician-researcher, Dr. Wirostko holds titles of Adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology and in Biomedical Engineering at the Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT. In this role, she oversees residents’ research, plays an active advisory role, and is consistently recognized as a top ophthalmologist in the country.
Before co-founding Qlaris Bio, Dr. Wirostko was the chief medical officer of EyeGate Pharmaceuticals following its acquisition of Jade Therapeutics, where she was the co-founder and chief scientific officer. Prior to Jade, she served as the chief medical officer of Altheos, a small, privately held glaucoma biotech company. Dr. Wirostko also held leadership positions in medical and clinical development at Pfizer in Ophthalmology as a senior medical director, overseeing anterior and posterior segment ocular programs, including Xalatan (latanoprost) and several other pipeline programs. She sits on several editorial boards and holds fellowship positions with The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Following the sudden tragic death of their oldest son, Joseph, Dr. Wirostko and her husband founded the Joseph James Morelli Legacy Foundation to raise awareness and advocate for people with dyslexia, which Joseph was diagnosed with as a teenager. Serving as the executive director and board chair of the foundation, her conviction to create opportunities out of obstacles has resulted in more than $400,000 raised for scholarships and mentoring awarded to more than 150 students with dyslexia who are pursuing careers in STEM fields. The foundation has created a network for students like Joseph, who may have struggled with doubts about their ability to succeed in their academic and career pursuits because of the stigma and lack of support for those with dyslexia. Dr. Wirostko received her MD and completed her residency at Columbia University and holds a BA with distinction in microbiology from Cornell University. Dr. Wirostko completed a glaucoma fellowship at Cornell University.
View the complete list of awardees.
14. Brandi Connolly
SVP of Marketing, Sorenson Communications
Brandi Connolly is a business leader, brand strategist, and partnership architect. She is currently serving as the Senior Vice President of Marketing of Sorenson Communications. Connolly first joined the company in 2020 as a vice president for consumer and digital marketing. Sorenson Communications was founded on the principle that communication and being understood is fundamental to the human experience. Inspired by this belief and the core values of their communities, they develop the most trusted communication offerings, including Sorenson Relay, the highest-quality video interpreting service, and Sorenson Interpreting, which matches qualified sign language interpreters to specific assignment needs. As the largest private employer of Deaf people and sign language interpreters, Sorenson endeavors to provide each customer with an exceptional communication experience.
Previously, Connolly was a president at Crestline Consulting and before that, a head of global marketing at Sport Court. Earlier in her career she worked with Rodale Inc. as a special projects manager. Connolly earned an MBA from W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and an undergraduate degree in communications from Southern Methodist University.
15. Ruth Jensen
Business Partner & Senior Manager of Human Resources Information System, NSP
Ruth Jensen is the Senior Manager Human Resources Information System and Business Partner of NSP. NSP, Nature's Sunshine Products, manufactures and markets tablets and encapsulated herbal products, high-quality natural vitamins, food supplements, skin care and other complementary products. The company has operations in the United States, South Korea, Mexico, Venezuela, Japan, Brazil, Canada, Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, the United Kingdom, Israel, and Chile. They also export their products to several other countries across the world. Jensen is a successful human resources professional with over 13 years of HRIS experience. She is passionate about people-focused innovation and process improvement.
Before joining NSP, Jensen was a senior HR information system manager and business partner at Younique Products and before that, a HR generalist at Protection 1 Security Solution. Earlier in her career she worked with Ancestry.com in HR administration. Jensen graduated from Utah Valley University with an undergraduate degree in business management in human resources.
17. Michelle Richardson
Co-Founder & EVP of Marketing and Creative, Proper Seven
Michelle Richardson is a serial artist and entrepreneur. Obsessed with driving growth and results through the creative vehicles of visual storytelling, brand building and marketing. Seeking those prepared to challenge the status quo, who dare to create remarkable products and brands that will stand the test of time. Michelle believes that a brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer's decision to choose one product or service over another.
Michelle has worked with many successful businesses and technology startups where she played a key role in fundraising events to secure seed and series rounds through brand and marketing efforts. She has occupied a number of leadership roles where she has led and assisted a number of victorious teams, products, campaigns and projects. Michelle is well known for the creation, establishment and growth of many outstanding and flourishing brands. Her chef-d'oeuvre is being a published editorial designer, Mother to her children, and a Founder of Proper Seven. Michelle is a trained and awarded fine artist and graduate of the Hein Academy of Fine Art and Atelier where she trained in the discipline of portraiture and human form, taught in the ways of the Old Masters. Michelle holds a BA Degree in Art and Visual Communication and Design from Utah Valley University, a Brand Management Degree from the University of London as well as a professional certificate in UX design from Google.
20. Tasha Toy
Senior Equity and Inclusion Officer & AVP for Campus Diversity, Utah Tech University
Tasha C. Toy, PhD is the inaugural Senior Equity and Inclusion Officer and Assistant Vice President for Campus Diversity at Utah Tech University. In this role, she oversees University-wide diversity-driven specifically in the areas of university policy, instruction, and community engagement.
She is an accomplished presenter and theorist who focuses nationally on diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, and intersectional identities. She is a member of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and serves on the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program Board of Directors. Her membership also includes the National Association of Branch Campus Administrators and she serves as chair of the research committee and editor of its journal. Dr. Toy earned a doctorate of philosophy in Higher Education-Research and Policy from Seton Hall University (NJ), a Master of Arts in Education, and a Bachelor of Arts from North Carolina Central University, a historically black institution. Tasha is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Kappa Delta Pi since 200. She enjoys traveling, volunteering, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
21. Diane Bonham
President, Walker Tape Company
Diane Bonham is the President of Walker Tape Company. Over the last 24 years, she has been instrumental in leading Walker's growth. From her beginnings in sales and purchasing to leading multi-million dollar revenue growth, Bonham continues to be a leading force in the industry. She is also the face, name, and resident expert for the Hair Extension Tape industry.
In addition to her roles at Walker Tape Company, Bonham also devotes her time and energy to various charities and organizations including an election to the board of directors at Valley Mental Health located in Salt Lake City. She works with the non-profit organization, which provides treatment and services for people of all ages with various mental health disorders and issues or behavior problems, by overseeing the activities and establishing policies, budget, finance distribution, and fundraising. Bonham graduated from Ohlone College and the University of Utah.
22. Hannah Gordon
Vice President of Product, Enveda Biosciences
Hannah knew she wanted to be a scientist in seventh grade. Hannah Gordon, PhD, MSCI, is the Vice President of Product for Enveda Biosciences. Enveda is a rising startup that translates molecules from medicinal plants into new drugs through a proprietary platform that combines machine learning and biological technologies. Gordon leads a team that designs and executes Enveda’s strategy across disease biology, mass spectrometry and other diverse technical fields. Gordon is a classically trained molecular biologist with deep experience in AI-guided target-agnostic platforms. She has a strong record of leading committed, talented scientists in scientific inquiry, building profitable drug programs that will positively affect human lives.
Prior to joining Enveda, Gordon was a project team leader and scientist for Recursion Pharmaceuticals Inc., where she led its first hybrid new chemical entity program and developed therapies for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Gordon earned her PhD in human genetics and performed her post-doctoral studies at The University of Utah. She earned a Bachelor of Science in cellular and molecular biology from Pacific University. Gordon has been honored regularly for her research, has presented at numerous international platforms, and has published in top-tier peer-reviewed journals. An advocate for recruiting, mentoring, and advancing women in STEM, she has served on committees dedicated to the inclusion of unique voices in science. When she is not trailblazing cures, she enjoys flying airplanes, climbing, and exploring the Earth with her partner Tyson and dog Milo. Gordon is grateful for the chance she’s had to successfully pursue her seventh-grade dream, one that she continues to live out every day.
25. Jamie York
President, Elase Spas
Jamie York is a business leader, educator, speaker, mother, and wife. For the past 12 years, York has served as the President of Elase Medical Spas, a premier medical spa chain based in Utah. After a decade in corporate leadership, she joined the team at Elase Medical Spas which is now ranked among the top 5 in the nation. Elase is a customer experience-focused brand that offers botox, dysport, dermal fillers, laser hair removal, body sculpting, and skin rejuvenation. Elase has 4 Utah locations along the Wasatch front and employs a team of over 130 experts in the field. Elase is known for a positive performance-based culture that is rooted in the empowerment of people.
Previously, York was an executive director at Senior Management Concepts, LLC.
View the complete list of awardees.
26. Angie McArthur
President, Bleeker
Angie McArthur is a co-founder and senior partner of Professional Thinking Partners (PTP), and since joining the company in 1998 has co-facilitated and designed global conferences, leadership retreats, training programs, and ongoing one-on-one Thinking Partnerships in organizations from non-profits to Fortune 500s. PTP merged with Bleeker in 2019 and McArthur is one of four Bleeker principals and its lead thinking partner. She is the co-author of two books by Random House: Collaborative Intelligence: Thinking With People Who Think Differently, and Reconcilable Differences: Connecting in a Disconnected World. She is part of the Random House Speakers Bureau. McArthur is also one of the creators of the Worldwide Women’s Web, a network formed in 2001 to retain women in corporate leadership roles. As an expert in multi-dimensional thinking, she has developed communication strategies for authors, corporations, and CEOs, and the ongoing Executive Champions Workshop. She has also designed interactive web assessments and products for corporate training programs.
McArthur has also worked extensively with youth as part of PTP’s sister company SmartWired, developing materials, interactive websites, and programs around the world in multiple languages for non-profits and military children. She co-authored the parenting book I Am Smart. McArthur received her BA in English from McGill University and has a passion for adapting emerging technology to maximize communication effectiveness and synergy. Her clients include Nike, GE, Google, Mozilla, Women Moving Millions, Bolthouse Farms, Dunn and Associates, MUSE Schools, PepsiCo, Royal Dutch Shell, Xerox, Chrysler, Green Mountain Energy Resources, the Institute for Storytelling, Kimball Arts Center, SEED (Schlumberger Excellence in Educational Development) and the Society for Organizational Learning.
28. Jill Koziol
Co-Founder & CEO, Motherly
Jill Koziol is the Co-Founder and CEO of Motherly, a wellbeing destination empowering mothers to thrive with expert content, innovative product solutions, and supportive community. Motherly engages an audience of over 50M readers and viewers a month, with on-demand parent education classes, Webby-award winning videos, The Motherly Podcast, essays, and articles, and a highly-engaged social media community.
Koziol is also the co-author of The Motherly Guide to Becoming Mama: Redefining the Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum Journey and This Is Motherhood: A Motherly Collection of Reflections and Practices. She is a start-up advisor, brand builder, and angel investor. She is passionate about serving and empowering women and mothers because when mamas are successful, everyone wins. An advocate for families, female founders, and how to thrive with multiple sclerosis, Koziol lives in Park City, Utah with her husband and two daughters.
29. Jean Krisle
Founder and CEO, 10,000 Beds
Jean Krisle is the Founder and CEO of 10,000 Beds. Passionately and personally motivated by addiction within her own family, Krisle paused a successful speaking career in 2014 to create the unparalleled, national 501c3 nonprofit organization, 100% conceived from her desire to provide hope and support to individuals and families without resources seeking help for a substance use disorder. Over the past eight years, 10,000 Beds has awarded millions of dollars in donated addiction treatment scholarships from vetted treatment programs across the country.
In 2021, Krisle and her husband joined the brokerage of Stratum Real Estate Group as the Krisle Real Estate Team in their hometown of Cedar City. A portion of their earnings are donated to support 10,000 Beds. Krisle graduated from Central Washington University with an undergraduate degree in philosophy and religious studies, and from San Bernardino Valley College with an undergraduate degree in business and managerial economics.
33. Jody Niemann
Vice President of People & Culture, Utah Motorsports Campus
Jody Niemann is the Vice President of People & Culture of Utah Motorsports Campus. Utah Motorsports Campus is an auto, motorcycle, bicycle, kart racing, and corporate event facility located in Grantsville near Tooele, Utah. It previously operated under the name of Miller Motorsports Park from 2006 until October 2015. Niemann provides guidance and direction to executive leadership and associates during a high-growth development phase of the company. She is committed to people strategy and company culture. Niemann has 23 years of experience. She began her career in 1999.
Before joining Utah Motorsports Campus, Niemann was a general manager at Royal Links Golf Club, and before that, a director of corporate/convention market at Topgolf. Earlier in her career she worked with the Ladies Professional Golf Association. Niemann graduated from Arizona State University with an undergraduate degree in communication.
34. Reggan Jastram
Managing Broker, Coldwell Banker Realty Park City
With over 16 years real estate experience, Reggan Jastram is currently the Managing Broker for Coldwell Banker Realty Park City. With a strong desire to change the level of service in the real estate industry and offer personalized, high end luxury service, Jastram opened her own independent boutique brokerage, Innovative Real Estate in 2015. She has a long commitment to provide the quality of service and communication desired and deserved. Jastram leads by example by staying involved and supporting her local and state real estate communities, and consistently taking the time to educate her agents and herself.
Jastram has served on the UAR Forms Committee and the UAR Legislative Committee and is currently the chair for the Park City Board of Realtors Affordable Housing Committee. In addition to being a founding member of the Wasatch Women's Business Alliance, she is on the board of directors and serves as a mentor for the Wasatch CAPS program, is president of the Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce Advisory Board, is a member of the Community Alliance for Main Street and holds various other roles in the local community.
35. Kacey Thorne
Director of Skills Architecture, Western Governors University
Kacey Thorne is the Director of Skills Architecture at Western Governors University (WGU). In this role, she operates at the intersection of higher education and the future of work, where she is responsible for establishing a comprehensive network of competencies and skills that are aligned to workforce needs. This network serves as the foundation for the development of WGU programs and facilitates the ability to offer personalized, workforce-relevant learning pathways. To accomplish this transformative work at scale, Thorne has established an emergent ecosystem of partnerships, processes, tools, and technologies that continues to grow and evolve. She is passionate about the urgent call to action for higher education to better meet the needs of students and employers. She is deeply invested in student success and creating higher education systems that support access, equity, choice, and upward mobility.
Previously, Thorne was a high school health science teacher coordinating and managing the Emergency Medical Technician program at the Canyons Technical Education Center. Before that, she served as a fraud and chargeback dispute specialist at Zions Bancorporation. Thorne earned an MEd in instructional design from Western Governors University and an undergraduate degree in English and literature from the University of Utah.
36. Stephanie Reid
Assistant General Counsel, Varex Imaging
Stephanie Reid has served as Varex’s Assistant General Counsel since 2020 managing many of Varex’s core legal functions. She has worked as in-house counsel for medical device companies in Silicon Valley and Utah for the past 13 years. Her career began as a litigation associate with primary focus on resolving customer disputes and managing discovery for products liability and patent litigation. Since that time, her role has evolved into managing an international team of lawyers and professionals responsible for corporate governance, litigation, ethical compliance, employment, and commercial matters globally for Varex.
Before joining Varex Imaging, Reid was a corporate counsel at Varian Medical Systems and before that an associate at McDermott Will & Emery. Earlier in her career she worked with Varian Medical Systems as a corporate counsel. Reid holds an undergraduate degree in history from the University of Colorado, Boulder and a JD from the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California. She is licensed to practice law in California, Illinois, and Utah and recently received her certificate for being a licensed professional in ethics and compliance (LPEC).
View the complete list of awardees.
42. Sara West
Managing Director, ProIQ
As Managing Director of ProIQ, Sara West leads strategy and solution development and delivery for ProIQ’s clients from the office in the greater Salt Lake City area. West and her team partner with companies to implement innovative digital recruiting strategies, like social media recruiting, programmatic job advertising, and recruitment marketing to better position themselves in a fast-paced hiring world. In addition, West leads Hire Velocity’s demand generation and marketing growth strategies and operations. She continues to work closely with the sales process to implement scalable end-to-end sales and marketing solutions. Before her current role, West was the director of strategic development at Hire Velocity where she led sales development and helped shape the company’s brand strategy to build market awareness, generate sales leads, and acquire new customers.
West’s prior experience in operations, marketing, and technology has positioned her uniquely to oversee the strategic planning process, create synergies across the organization, and assess new strategic initiatives. Her responsibilities include developing Hire Velocity’s national marketing vision and brand strategy, overseeing marketing programs and communications, generating awareness and demand through brand messaging and content strategy, and implementing predictable sales processes. Prior to joining Hire Velocity, West served as a Financial Analyst for Signal Hill Capital Group in New York, where she specialized in the IT services and IT security software sectors. There, she played a pivotal role in researching, evaluating, and executing major deals, completing extensive due diligence for both buy-side and sell-side transactions. West began her career at Garber Venture Capital Fund. West graduated from the Schreyer Honors College at The Pennsylvania State University with a master’s degree in accounting and undergraduate degree in accounting, as well as concentrations in economics and religious studies.
43. Kaleigh Bronson-Cook
Awareness & Prevention Director, Canyon Creek Services
Kaleigh Bronson-Cook currently serves as the Awareness & Prevention Director at Canyon Creek Services, a community based domestic and sexual violence service agency located in Cedar City, Utah. She is passionate about and deeply committed to preventing domestic and sexual violence and serving survivors, addressing the social determinants of health, increasing access to housing and mental health/substance abuse treatment, and fighting for social justice and equity.
Bronson-Cook graduated with her undergraduate degree from Southern Utah University in 2020 and is currently enrolled in the Master of Social Work program at Boston University, one of the top 10 social work programs in the country. She is actively involved in numerous community groups and organizations in Southern Utah and was named the Youth Citizen of the Year by the Cedar City Chamber of Commerce in 2018. Recently, she has served as the co-chair of the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition's Public Policy Committee, presented at several statewide conferences and has been conducting research on social services employee wellbeing and retention as well as a community assessment regarding risk and protective factors for violence.
44. Christine Gregerson
Director of Operations, Leeway Global Logistics
Christine Gregerson began her professional career in the transportation industry six years ago. She currently serves as the Director of Operations for Leeway Global Logistics. Leeway Global Logistics is a brokerage company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Gregerson was brought on board back in April of 2018 when Leeway was a small firm doing $2.6 MM a year. With Gregerson’s help, Leeway is on pace to break 50MM in revenue in 2022. Gregerson oversees the general operation including carrier compliance, on-boarding of new clients, customer service, and ensuring Leeway is in compliance with on-time demands. She has built strong, long-lasting relationships with their customers through her hard work and dedication to creating world class service.
Prior to joining Leeway Global, Gregerson was the director of customer engagement for an asset-based transportation company. Before that, she served as a general manager for a restaurant for 10 years. Her experience in the restaurant industry helped pave the way to her current successes, allowing her to develop a strong understanding and knowledge of the customer experience.
45. Melissa Freigang
Founding Director, Weber Prosperity Center of Excellence
Melissa Freigang is the Founding Director of the Weber Prosperity Center of Excellence. The Center is an interagency collaboration of Weber County in partnership with the Weber-Morgan Health Department and Weber Human Services. Freigang blends her 25 years of experience in operational excellence with her expertise in human development, family resilience, and intervention design to address the county’s most complex social challenges. Freigang leads interdisciplinary teams made up of representatives from agencies across industry, education, non-profits, economic development, government, and behavior health systems. She leverages their expertise and leads community engagements to achieve common goals. She identifies root causes to the region’s growing social challenges, unites stakeholders to eliminate agency silos, and implements human-centered strategies to benefit all Weber County residents, resulting in a thriving, resilient community.
Freigang brings decades of experience to the Center directing government grants and building strategic community partnerships. She continues to bridge the gap between policy and practice. She is the Co-Chair of the Governor’s Commission on Women in the Economy, Co-Chair of the Utah Alliance on the Social Determinants of Health, founding member of the Utah Child Care Cooperative, and leads the Weber County Welfare Reform Commission. She also serves on multiple non-profit boards including the Salvation Army, Ogden Civic Action Network, and the United Partnership Council. Freigang holds a bachelor’s degree in human development, family consumer studies from the University of Utah, a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University, and post-graduate certifications in workforce development, strategic planning, leadership, peer mentoring, and operational excellence. She is a former US Senior National Team member, three-time NCAA All-American and member of two NCAA Division I National Championship gymnastics teams at the University of Utah.
46. Stori Fearing
Client Success Director, InMoment
Stori Fearing is a Client Success Director at InMoment. She first joined the company in 2021. InMoment’s mission is to help their clients improve experiences at the intersection of value, where customer, employee, and business needs come together. The heart of what they do is connect clients with what matters most through a unique combination of comprehensive data, modern technology, and human expertise that helps executives and the companies they lead recognize the power and value of customer and employee experiences. In her role, Fearing is responsible for business leadership, client management, strategic account development and financial management. Fearing has over 25 years of experience.
Prior to joining InMoment, Fearing was a senior client success manager with MartizCX. She graduated with an associate degree from Brigham Young University in Idaho.
47. Tracy Pettingill
Director of Customer Support and Operations, GIG Car Share
Tracy Pettingill began her career over 25 years ago. She first joined GIG Car Share in 2017 as a member support lead and is now the Director of Member Support leading a cross functional team to drive customer success.
During her career with AAA Mountain West Group and GIG Car Share, she has supported the launch of several other organizations within the company. During her tenure, Pettingill showcased her experience in change management, stakeholder engagement and risk identification and mitigation. Her passion is leadership and focused ROI with high performing teams. Pettingill graduated from American InterContinental University with a master’s degree in business management and accounting, and an undergraduate degree in business management.
48. Jen Luker
Senior Staff Software Engineer, Nav
Jen Luker is a Senior Staff Engineer of Nav. She first joined the company in 2020. Nav was founded with one goal in mind: to reduce the death rate of small businesses. They are changing the way business owners secure lending with their innovative technology and customer-centric approach, providing a simple and intelligent financing experience. Luker influences the growth and development of the company’s web-based products through improved cross-team collaboration, streamlined processes, and product development.
Luker has spent the majority of her career as a full-stack developer using PHP, Javascript, ReactJS, and React Native but has a particular fondness for frontend technologies. She is a leader on engineering teams, and trains others in ReactJS, Accessibility, and beating imposter syndrome. Previously, she was a senior frontend engineer at Gremlin and before that an engineering manager at Formidable. Earlier in her career she worked with Alorica as a web developer, classroom trainer, and content developer. Luker earned an undergraduate degree in mathematics and computer science from Salt Lake Community College.
View the complete list of awardees.