Team & Contact Information

Dr. Susan R. Madsen is the Extension Professor of Leadership at Utah State University. She is also the Founding Director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project and is leading a statewide social change movement titled, A Bolder Way Forward. Professor Madsen and her team have written many Utah research and policy briefs, white papers, research snapshots, partnered reports, newspaper editorials, and other resources. They host many events each year to support the mission of their work.

Susan is also a well-known global scholar, authoring or editing nine books and publishing hundreds of articles, chapters, and reports. Madsen’s research has been featured in the U.S. News and World Report, Newsweek, The Atlantic, The New York Times, Parenting Magazine, Chronicle of Higher Education, Cosmopolitan, and The Washington Post, and she is a regular contributor to Forbes. She is a well-known 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, Costa Rica Parliament, and NGO sessions at the United Nations. he serves on or advises many nonprofit, community, and education boards and committees, including the Envision Utah, South Davis Communities that Care, Utah Financial Empowerment Coalition, Governing Group, and others. Dr. Madsen received a bachelor’s degree from BYU, a 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 six grandchildren.

For more detailed information about Dr. Madsen, see her detailed bio and her CV. For more information about her writing and speaking, check out her LinkedIn articles, UWLP "In the News," speaking and consulting website, and her Forbes articles. Also, join her on social media: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Brie (Brieanne) joined the Utah Women & Leadership Project as the Statewide Impact Manager at the start of 2024, and transitioned to the role of Associate Director in 2026. She is a key strategic partner in planning and executing research, resources, and events that align with the overall mission and goals of the UWLP and its current initiative, A Bolder Way Forward (BWF). This includes setting goals, implementing strategy, project planning, office/team management, developing and maintaining relationships around the state, tracking outcomes, dissemination of progress, and fundraising.

Prior to joining the UWLP, Brie managed graduate medical education programs as an Academic Manager of Neurology Fellowships at the University of Utah. Previously, she worked for the Utah Clinical and Translational Science Institute (also at the University of Utah), engaging diverse communities and stakeholders in health research discussions, presenting nationally and locally on community engagement, and facilitating conversations that impacted a variety of health research projects and publications. During this time, Brie also served as an appointed member of the Salt Lake County Mayor’s Council on Diversity Affairs.

Brie completed her MBA at the University of Utah and has a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from Idaho State University.  As a former educator and theatre director, her communication and organizational expertise serve her well in facilitating conversations, improving processes, and project/people management. She has a passion for learning and fostering partnerships and finds her greatest joy in serving others.

Deborah is passionate about making a difference. Having grown up in Santa Maria, California, and having spent time in Arizona and South Carolina, she now calls Utah home. She has a bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree in Teaching English as a Second Language from Brigham Young University. She was previously a project manager at the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, taught ESL at BYU, SUU, and Utah Tech, has worked on political campaigns, and has volunteered extensively with public schools, church, and the community. She enjoys traveling and cares deeply about helping people. 

In her role as UWLP’s Local Outreach & Resource Manager, Deborah works directly with Dr. Susan R. Madsen on her local level research agenda and social impact goals. Specifically, she collaborates in the planning and implementation of statewide research, resources, and events. She develops local partnerships across Utah, including creating county coalitions for A Bolder Way Forward. She also creates new resources for all Utahns, researching and writing reports, and coaches individuals and teams on related topics and initiatives. 

Kylie is a Cache Valley native and USU alum. Prior to joining the Utah Women & Leadership Project, she worked at the University of Hawaii as an event coordinator for the William S. Richardson School of Law and spent five years working at USU Event Services, where she coordinated a variety of large-scale conferences and events. Kylie has served in several leadership positions on the Women in Business - Cache Valley board. Kylie loves to travel, spend time with her family, and the Utah Jazz.

As the Program Assistant, Kylie works closely with Dr. Susan R. Madsen and the UWLP Team to support the mission of UWLP and A Bolder Way Forward.

Amy Z. Anderson is the Regional Outreach Coordinator for A Bolder Way Forward, focused on supporting five counties in Northern Utah and the “Health Across the Lifespan” spoke.

With a background in hospital administration, her career includes work with Advocate Health Systems and the American Hospital Association's Institute for Diversity. She has resided in Logan since 2004, serving on multiple non-profit boards and community councils including Cache Community Connections, the Cache Interagency Council, Women in Business, Loaves and Fishes Community Meal, Logan High Community Council and others. Prior to joining UWLP, Amy served at Sunshine Terrace Foundation as Director of Outreach in 2013 and continues to work as a Spiritual Counselor for Sunshine Hospice.

Amy was elected as a Logan City Council member in 2017 and reelected in 2021. Appointed to the Utah Commission on Aging, she advocates for healthy aging throughout the state. Among her civic duties, she is the Chair of the Bear River Local Homeless Council and on the board of the William A. Burnard Warming Center, addressing the needs of the unhoused in the community.

As Regional Outreach Coordinator, Amy will strive to strengthen the impact of girls and women throughout the state with an emphasis on healthy aging across the lifespan. In her spare time, she will squeeze in skiing, hiking, new recipes, friends and time spent with her husband, Allan, and their three adult children.

Bonnie joined the Utah Women & Leadership Project as the Community Collaborations Coordinator in early 2025, where she enjoys working with Dr. Susan Madsen and the UWLP team. She primarily supports the mission of A Bolder Way Forward by coordinating events and sharing resources with organizations, coalitions, and community groups that help women and girls in Utah.  

She attended Brigham Young University and earned her bachelor's degree in Community Health Education with a minor in Public Relations/Communication. Her extensive experience in community service includes roles in school, church, and non-profit organizations. She currently serves with the Board of Directors of the Bountiful Children’s Foundation and is a Modern Woodmen of America Youth Service Club Leader.

Bonnie and her husband Eric are the parents of eight children and live in American Fork. Her family loves a good game of driveway four-square, playing board games, hosting lively gatherings, and attending local theater and choir performances, especially when family members are in them. Bonnie also enjoys reading, watercolor painting, baking delicious rolls and breadsticks, and taking way too many photos.