“They said I couldn’t do it, but I did:” Conversations with two of Southern Utah’s mayors

“Get in. Fit in. Redefine in:” Running elections in Utah’s largest counties

For our last episode, Nina and Yándary are talking to two of the women with experience running elections for the largest counties in Utah—Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen and Utah County Commissioner Amelia Powers Gardner. We are so excited for you to learn more about the innovative work they have done to support voters in our state. Clerk Swensen has served as Salt Lake County Clerk since 1991. Commissioner Gardner became the first woman to serve as county clerk/auditor in 2019. Earlier this year she won a special election and became the first woman to serve on the county commission. While running elections is a huge part of a county clerk’s job, Clerk Swensen and Commissioner Gardner tell us more about the wide variety of work they do, including some of the lesser-known parts of the job. Read more about Clerk Swensen here: https://slco.org/clerk/biography/ [https://slco.org/clerk/biography/] Reader more about Commissioner Gardner here: https://www.utahcounty.gov/Dept/Commish/portfolios.html#Gardner [https://www.utahcounty.gov/Dept/Commish/portfolios.html#Gardner] For more information about Real Women Run, find us on Instagram: @realwomenrunutah [https://www.instagram.com/realwomenrunutah/] Our theme song is “Raising Me Higher” by Ahjay Stelino.

“You are part of that table:” County-level criminal justice work in Utah

In episode five Nina and Yándary are taking a look at two positions in county government that require candidates to have a more specialized background than most other elected positions do—county sheriff and county attorney. Our first guest is Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera is the first and only woman in all of Utah to be elected as a county sheriff. Our second guest is Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson, one of only five women to have been county attorneys in Utah. Whether or not you have the training or professional experience to be the county attorney or sheriff, these women have a lot of great advice about leadership and running for office in general. And, if you are just starting out in your career, or looking to try something new, their interviews may provide some insight into the possibilities of what a career in the justice system can hold. Read more about Sheriff Rivera here: https://slco.org/sheriff/training-diversity/about-sheriff-rosie-rivera/#:~:text=Sheriff%20Rosie%20Rivera%20was%20sworn,Chief%20and%20on%20to%20Sheriff [https://slco.org/sheriff/training-diversity/about-sheriff-rosie-rivera/#:~:text=Sheriff%20Rosie%20Rivera%20was%20sworn,Chief%20and%20on%20to%20Sheriff]. Read more about County Attorney Olson here: https://www.summitcounty.org/230/Attorney [https://www.summitcounty.org/230/Attorney] For more information about Real Women Run, find us on Instagram: @realwomenrunutah [https://www.instagram.com/realwomenrunutah/]. Our theme song is “Raising Me Higher” by Ahjay Stelino.

“We need to get a woman’s perspective:” County council service in Cache and Grand counties

The first half of our season focused on municipal-level government. For the second half, we’re taking a look at some of the positions that make up county-level government. In Utah, there are two forms of county government. Some counties are governed by a three-person county commission and other counties have a mayor-council form of government, similar to what you find in a city or a town. For episode four, we interviewed two county councilwomen, Barbra Tidwell of Cache County and Trisha Hedin of Grand County. Join Nina and Yándary for a conversation about how their professional life and personal interests shape the way they lead. Read more about Councilwoman Tidwell here: https://cachegop.com/2016/11/16/meet-your-newly-elected-cache-county-council-members/ [https://cachegop.com/2016/11/16/meet-your-newly-elected-cache-county-council-members/] Read more about CouncilWoman Hedin here: https://www.moabsunnews.com/news/article_9365e8ea-0fdc-11eb-b17a-bf4acce47a4b.html [https://www.moabsunnews.com/news/article_9365e8ea-0fdc-11eb-b17a-bf4acce47a4b.html] For more information about Real Women Run, find us on Instagram: @realwomenrunutah [https://www.instagram.com/realwomenrunutah/]. Our theme song is “Raising Me Higher” by Ahjay Stelino.

Building a legacy of female leadership: A conversation with Helper Mayor Lensie Peterman about her city’s majority-female council

In 1911, Utah’s first all-female town council was elected in Kanab.  Although there is still a long way to go, female representation in municipal government is improving across the state. Many city or town councils in Utah are majority-female. And although there isn’t an all-female council anywhere in the state right now, the city council in helper Helper is pretty close. Since 2018, four of the five seats on the Helper City Council have been filled by women. Mayor Lenise Peterman was also elected that year and serves as the city’s first female mayor. In this episode, Yándary interviewed Mayor Peterman about what it’s like to work with an all-female council and what her day-to-day life as mayor looks like. Read more about Mayor Peterman here: https://www.helpercity.net/meet-the-mayor [https://www.helpercity.net/meet-the-mayor] Read more about Kanab’s all-female town council here: https://www.utahwomenshistory.org/bios/kanab-town-council/ [https://www.utahwomenshistory.org/bios/kanab-town-council/] For more information about Real Women Run, find us on Instagram: @realwomenrunutah [https://www.instagram.com/realwomenrunutah/] Our theme song is “Raising Me Higher” by Ahjay Stelino.

“They said I couldn’t do it, but I did:” Conversations with two of Southern Utah’s mayors

Yándary and Nina started this season in Salt Lake County where Yándary lives. In episode two, they head south to interview the former mayor of Cedar City and the current mayor of Hilldale. Former Mayor Maile Wilson Edwards (Cedar City) and Mayor Donia Jessop (Hildale) are both the first female mayors of their communities. In this episode, Nina and Yándary talk with the women about how their unique backgrounds prepared them to work to improve the future of the communities they grew up in. Read more about Former Mayor Wilson Edwards here: https://www.mailewilsonedwards.vote/about/ [https://www.cedarcity.org/141/Meet-the-Mayor] Read more about Mayor Jessop here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donia_Jessop [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donia_Jessop] For more information about Real Women Run, find us on Instagram: @realwomenrunutah [https://www.instagram.com/realwomenrunutah/] Our theme song is “Raising Me Higher” by Ahjay Stelino.