BWF County Coalition Updates - July 2025

In the Bolder Way Forward Framework, grassroots is key to making long-term societal change, and that means getting the message to every community, neighborhood, and family in Utah. County Coalitions in each of the 29 counties ensure this happens. The following are bi-monthly updates for each county coalition’s progress. Please click on the individual County Coalition webpages (linked below) to learn more. 

Beaver County: With a county coalition member attending the Third Annual BWF Summit, there is increased enthusiasm to elevate the work of the county coalition and raise awareness about BWF. After the Summit, a representative from Saprea asked to be connected to the coalition in Beaver County and other rural counties to help meet their goal of a community educator in every county. These educators will be trained to give child sexual abuse prevention trainings at the local level to parents and caregivers. She was connected with the county Child Sexual Abuse Spoke representative who is employed by the Children’s Justice Center, so this will be an important partnership. A fall community gathering is being planned to help raise awareness overall and grow the county coalition.   

Box Elder County: An in-person meeting was held with a presentation by Regional Outreach Coordinator, Amy Anderson, on the importance of county Spoke representatives; this resulted in identifying representatives for the majority of the Spokes. To help raise awareness, the Box Elder Interagency Coalition is dedicating the first 10 minutes of their monthly meetings to spotlight a BWF Spoke. In June, Allena Pierce, Spoke Representative for Health Across the Lifespan, talked about the low rate in Utah for mammogram screenings. She encouraged everyone to get a mammogram and talk to the women in their lives about getting one. Each month, the coalition has decided to publish A Bolder Way Forward Box Elder Newsletter that includes updates from each of the 18 Spokes—whether it’s an event, a challenge, a win, or a need for collaboration. The purpose of the newsletter is to communicate what’s happening across Spokes, celebrate progress, encourage collaboration, and support shared goals for women and girls across the county.  

Cache County: Seeking to expand the coalition base, an after-work meeting was held in May, inviting new community contacts to come learn more about BWF. Three topics were discussed to share the organizations and issues at work in the county. With elected women, nonprofit leaders, service providers, and more in attendance, it was a great opportunity to learn and share with one another. The Northern Utah Conference to End Violence, sponsored by BWF partners USU and CAPSA, shared information cards with the attendees. Invited to partner by the Cache Refugee and Immigrant Connection at their World Refugee Day event, an information table brought new faces to the work. During the Third Annual Summit, over 25 Cache and Box Elder attendees were led in a strategic visioning session by Julia Westover and Michelle Smith. Based on these ideas, planning for the rest of the year is underway.  

Carbon County: In June, aligned with Father’s Day and the Movement-Wide Awareness Campaign, the coalition hosted a male allyship luncheon covered by the local paper that included Spoke representatives from across the focus areas. A highlight was a powerful message shared by Bikers Against Child Abuse (B.A.C.A.); their presence and mission to protect and support abused children reminded everyone of the importance of standing with those who need us most. The coalition took time at the lunch to recognize the men supporting the mission and invited nominations for local male allies. Another takeaway from the luncheon was encouraging more women to get politically involved since it often takes multiple touch points before someone feels ready to take that first step into civic participation and participation in programs like BWF. The coalition is actively brainstorming ways to expand their reach and increase community engagement through social media, with their Facebook page having reached 60 followers. Another check-in with Spoke representatives is in the works, and they are compiling a growing list of community resources to support each Spoke’s efforts. The #StartByBelieving campaign is now visible throughout downtown Price and Carbon County, encouraging people to believe and support survivors. They’re preparing to launch a “This Is My Why” campaign, spotlighting personal motivations behind involvement with BWF. 

Daggett County: Cooperating with Duchesne and Uintah as they grow, see the unified effort below under the Uintah Basin Coalition. Attendees from Daggett were at the Third Annual BWF Summit.  Follow them on Facebook or email Teresa Larsen at teresalarsen@kodiakcounseling.com to learn more. 

Davis County: Angie Holzer and Claire Harrison have both recently joined as county co-leads. In addition, WikiCharities and Generation All are new Key Partners supporting the county coalition. With a new detailed plan to move forward, the co-leads are focusing on determining roles and responsibilities, including frequency and purpose of recurring meetings. Spoke working groups are becoming a priority and will be overseen by individual co-leads. They enjoyed a wonderful breakout session at the annual Summit where many attendees chose to engage with the county coalition. Rising Violet, a Key Partner, has offered to host a community event to help grow the county coalition. Follow their new Facebook account for updates.   

Duchesne County: Cooperating with Daggett and Uintah as they grow, see the unified effort below under the Uintah Basin Coalition. Activities are being planned for UBIC – Uintah Basin in Celebration – held in Roosevelt in August, including a visit from the Boob Bus to expand access to screening mammograms. Follow them on Facebook or email Teresa Larsen at teresalarsen@kodiakcounseling.com to learn more. 

Emery County: The Emery County Coalition continues to promote A Bolder Way Forward and is actively recruiting new members to join their efforts to enhance the well-being of women and girls in Emery County. In June, the coalition hosted a well-attended discussion on male allyship, featuring Kent Nelson of the Green River Prevention Coalition and covered in their local newspaper. Kent emphasized the vital role of male allies in creating a future where women and girls, including his own daughter, are free to pursue their dreams without gender-based limitations. In July, the coalition is partnering with the USU Extension HEART team to present Empowering Parents in Recovery, an event focused on supporting families affected by substance use. This initiative reflects the coalition’s commitment to addressing a broad range of community challenges impacting women and families. Additionally, the Emery County Coalition will have a booth at the county fair to raise awareness about A Bolder Way Forward and engage more residents in this important statewide movement.  

Garfield County: The county coalition continues to have monthly countywide Zoom meetings which engage a variety of individuals with varied interests.  They had the first meeting to address childcare and now have the beginnings of their first Spoke working group with a handful of great women working with supporters from the Five County Association and the Garfield School District to address childcare needs in Garfield County. They were able to have an article published about childcare in their local newspaper, The Insider, which covers Garfield, Wayne, and Piute Counties. They will focus on education in August as part of the movement-wide awareness campaigns. One of the county co-leads was able to attend the Third Annual BWF Summit and connect with others from neighboring counties. 

Grand County: Two partners who work to prevent child sexual abuse—the Children’s Justice Center and Saprea—are connecting and aligning their efforts to expand awareness and support for survivors as well as prevention of child sexual abuse. They are working to identify a volunteer community educator to be trained to give Saprea’s curriculum for parents and caregivers regarding prevention. Samantha Campbell, Higher Education Spoke Representative and Associate Campus Director at USU Moab, shared their desire to increase graduate program numbers and increase interactions and support for local students. They hope to do a better job of letting the community know about opportunities and emphasize concurrent enrollment opportunities.  

Iron County: Meagan Beesley recently joined the Iron County Coalition as a co-lead to help coordinate BWF efforts in Iron County. Delineating responsibilities among the leadership to accomplish more is a priority. Connecting with Saprea to help identify a community educator will raise awareness around preventing child sexual abuse. They recently had a booth at the Cedar City Rotary Club’s July Jamboree, Cedar City’s largest one-day event, to help raise awareness about BWF and grow the county coalition.  

Juab County: In Juab County, the coalition is excited to have more involvement and opportunities to introduce A Bolder Way Forward to the community.  Representatives have been attending the Juab Prevention Coalition meetings where they had the opportunity to present, as well as participating in community events they have hosted. The coalition had a booth at the Juab Community Night Out to raise awareness. On May 12, co-lead Lisa Woodland presented to the Juab County Commissioners in their monthly meeting. They will participate in a Back-to-School event at the hospital on July 30th and look forward to meeting with the Superintendent in a few weeks. They are thrilled to partner with The Refuge and Saprea to help get their resources and information to the community about child abuse prevention, especially through the schools.   

Kane County: In Kane County, the coalition continues to make meaningful progress toward A Bolder Way Forward. With 16 of 18 Spokes now filled, they’re nearing full engagement in this collaborative effort. Their new monthly meeting format has proven effective, featuring educational updates from Spoke representatives. This past month, they had a powerful presentation on childcare barriers in Utah from the Child Care Resource Agency, along with discussions on male allyship and book resources to help increase their local impact. Looking ahead, they plan to continue their education hour during monthly meetings and grow awareness of the efforts and resources available to tackle the complex issues across Kane County.  

Millard County: Jody Anderson, one of the county co-leads, was able to attend the BWF Third Annual Summit and help facilitate a breakout session with those attending from Juab, Millard, Piute, Sanpete, Sevier, and Wayne Counties. This was a valuable opportunity to connect with attendees from neighboring counties. Currently the co-leads are focusing on having representation from the two distinct sides of Millard County. Intermountain Health’s Community Health Program Manager has recently stepped forward to be the Spoke representative for Health Across the Lifespan, and the county is connecting with Saprea about having a community educator to help with child sexual abuse prevention education.   

Morgan County: Individuals in Morgan County have stepped forward to be Spoke representatives to focus on needs in specific areas and bring in others already involved as part of the systems approach. At this time, they are looking for a few individuals willing to serve as co-leads to coordinate the efforts within the county. Contact Amy Anderson at amy.z.anderson@usu.edu to learn more about helping Morgan County’s Coalition grow.  

Piute County: As the next to smallest county in the state, the BWF Piute County Coalition appreciates support from New Horizons with several of the Safety & Security Spokes. In addition, Intermountain Health’s Community Health Program Manager is helping with the Health Across the Lifespan Spoke. They are working on connecting with Saprea about training a community educator who can provide child sexual abuse prevention education for parents and caregivers. 

Rich County: With interest from members of the Bear River Association of Government and Bear River Health Department in place, co-leads are sought to build the coalition and connect to women throughout the county. Contact Amy Anderson at amy.z.anderson@usu.edu to find out how to be part of BWF in Rich County.  

Salt Lake County: It’s been a season of growth and momentum in Salt Lake County. In the past two months, they’ve experienced a lot of community engagement. After passing a resolution supporting BWF, Midvale City became the first Bolder Way Forward City in Salt Lake County. Following an amazing BWF Summit June 6, the coalition hosted a BWF county summer event with a dessert and mocktail station, energizing breakout sessions, a silent auction, and amazing sponsors, all designed to deepen engagement and collaboration across the coalition. The Salt Lake County Coalition grew by over 60% in June, thanks to the combined impact of the Summit and the SLCo event, growing from 650 to more than 1,050 members. In addition, the Coalition Executive Leadership Team has grown. They are grateful to Jeneanne Lock, Karen KLC, and Clémence Rogers, SLCO leaders who’ve taken new roles or gracefully stepped back after an impactful first year. Their contribution helped lay the foundation for the next year of this movement.  

Almost every Spoke now has one or more active representatives, and they’re building onboarding and training, fundraising, and partnership programs to support their efforts and amplify impact across the county.  

San Juan County: The San Juan County Coalition has been busy presenting to the local prevention coalition—San Juan County Prevention, Action and Collaboration (SJCPAC)— as well as to the county commissioners. As a result, the county plans to work towards becoming a BWF County, and they hope to take the movement to towns and chapters throughout the county.  Monthly meetings are underway to share the BWF message and gather Spoke representatives from around the county as they rotate meeting locations and offer Zoom options to others. Representatives from Help Me Grow and Saprea have joined their meetings recently as Key Partners. The Utah Navajo Health System (UNHS) continues to be a valuable partner, and the county has identified a male ally connector to help bring other men into the movement.   

Sanpete County: Sanpete County Coalition’s co-leads have been focused on laying the foundation to support long-term success of A Bolder Way Forward in their county. To facilitate that, they have designed and distributed a survey for those who have expressed interest and to recruit more broadly across the county as they are recruiting Spoke representatives to direct initiative-specific endeavors. Engaging with the Snow College student community will help to recruit, engage, and galvanize the leaders of tomorrow. Monthly co-lead meetings keep things moving. Follow them on their new Facebook page for updates! 

Sevier County: The Sevier County Coalition is in the process of establishing meaningful connections with Intermountain Health and other healthcare professionals to explore opportunities for collaboration. Discussions are ongoing regarding strategies to raise awareness for BWF by participating as a team in the Out of Darkness Walk scheduled for September. Furthermore, representatives from a Key Partner, New Horizons, attended the third annual A Bolder Way Forward Summit last month, where the co-leads had the opportunity to collaborate with Jody Anderson from Millard County to facilitate a workshop for the counties represented by R6. Marry Ramirez with Intermountain Health has stepped up to be the Spoke representative for Health across the Lifespan for the five counties in her service area.  Additionally, connections were established with advocates from Juab County, paving the way for potential future collaborations. The Sevier County Coalition is committed to seeking opportunities to collaborate with neighboring Piute and Wayne County Coalitions. This ongoing effort is a testament to their shared commitment to support and strengthen one another. 

Summit County: Summer is full of tourists in Summit County, but the work within the community for those who call it home doesn’t take a vacation. An editorial by Dr. Madsen, “Ways to Strengthen Girls and Women in Summit County,” was published in May, generating interest in the work to be done. Over 20 attendees at the Third Annual Summit were present from the Wasatch Back. Led by Tana Toly from Summit and Celeste Johnson and Reggan Jastram from Wasatch, collaboration in Spoke areas such as Domestic Violence, Political & Civic Representation, Sexual Harassment & Gender-based Discrimination, and others was a focus. The four co-leads in Summit County are working to identify the key leaders in the community and request their involvement as County Spoke representatives, utilizing 211 as a guide.   

Tooele County: The county coalition is thrilled to welcome a new co-lead, Stacey Egan. All three of the county co-leads were grateful to attend the annual BWF Summit with other coalition members and Spoke representatives, where they gained perspective and motivation to continue helping A Bolder Way Forward thrive in their community. To strengthen their work, they've divided the Spokes among the co-leads and are planning a Spoke representative meeting to clarify roles within the movement and build stronger relationships between Spoke representatives and the co-lead they’ll be working with. They're excited to have a booth at the Tooele County Fair—and hopefully at a few upcoming city days—to spread the word and begin advertising for an upcoming brunch event. This brunch will offer the community a chance to learn more about A Bolder Way Forward, explore booths from each Spoke, spotlight the amazing work being done, and connect with the Spoke that resonates most with them.  

Uintah County: Along with Daggett and Duchesne counties, the Uintah Basin Coalition has continued building momentum through community engagement and strategic planning. In June, the coalition welcomed new members and began drafting Spoke-specific goals to align with the broader objectives of A Bolder Way Forward. The coalition is proud to announce that Spoke representatives are now in place for Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Health Across the Lifespan, Home & Family, Poverty & Homelessness, Higher Education Attainment, and Leadership Development. Efforts are now focused on filling the remaining Spoke representative roles to ensure strong representation across every area. Members were encouraged to subscribe to the Utah Women & Leadership Project newsletters for access to valuable research and statewide initiatives. The coalition also shared key resources, including toolkits and data dashboards, to support local action. To enhance visibility and outreach, a new coalition Facebook page was launched. Additionally, community partners contributed flyers and event details to help promote opportunities throughout the Uintah Basin.    

Utah County: The Utah County coalition held a breakout session at the Third Annual BWF summit with over 100 people attending. From that session, two new Spoke representatives were identified, many Spoke working groups were formed, and a coordinator for county partnerships was designated. Avery Stonely recently joined as a new county co-lead, supported by the United Way of Utah County. Kathryn Newman, UWLP’s Partnership Coordinator, attended a county co-lead meeting and gave a presentation on the types of Partnerships available and how to work with them. Pelican Analytics is the newest Key Partner to engage in Utah County and will donate their resources to help analyze data in Utah County. A male allyship connector will help them engage more male allies in the movement. 

Wasatch County: Women and girls were invited to walk the trail during “Power on the Path” on June 21. Special surprises every quarter mile kept them motivated on their journey followed by a celebration with music, food, yoga, and prizes. The Park Record recently published an editorial by Dr. Madsen on “Ways to Strengthen Girls and Women in Wasatch County,” which will be used to focus Spoke representative recruitment. County co-leads Celeste Johnson and Reggan Jastram, along with Leadership Development Spoke leader Kelleen Potter, began to strategize how to best lead out with clear goals and objectives and will present them on September 9th. A Save the Date has already been sent to those who have joined the coalition and those who attended the think tank in 2024.    

Washington County: Located in one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation, the BWF Washington County Coalition has recently added April Subashe as a co-lead. A Washington County Coalition meeting was held on May 29, with many new attendees engaging. County co-leads attended the June 6 BWF Third Annual Summit in Salt Lake City and were inspired by connecting with supporters from across the state. They got to meet co-leads and representatives from the Five County area—Beaver, Garfield, Kane, Iron, and Washington Counties—and are working to coordinate and collaborate efforts. Local organizations, including Tuacahn, Four Points Clinic, Utah Technical College, The Center for the Arts at Kayenta, SwitchPoint Community Resource Center, Utah Pet Partners, Utah Technical College, the St. George Interfaith Council, and the City of St. George, are learning about and contributing to the county coalition’s goals. Miss Washington County, Kaili Ruth, has partnered with her “Shine Safe” initiative to prevent child sex abuse. The coalition continues to work closely with WIN (Women’s Influence Network), whose monthly gatherings highlight BWF and the movement-wide awareness campaign. The county co-leads have met with local women’s organizations and loosely formalized a “connection, communication, and collaboration council” to share resources, highlight one another’s events, and support each other. The county co-leads have deepened their relationships with statewide impact team leaders by participating in virtual meetings. Male allies are leaning in to learn how they can make a difference, so the coalition is planning a two-day Male Allyship event that will bring together allies and organizations from the surrounding Five Counties. They anticipate having local cities become BWF Cities. 

Wayne County: Thanks to efforts from several BWF Partners, Wayne County will soon have two licensed childcare providers whereas they previously had none (read more about it here). A county co-lead was able to attend the Third Annual BWF Summit, connect with neighboring coalition leaders, participate in a regional breakout session, and feel inspired. Intermountain Health's Community Health Program Manager has recently come on as a Spoke representative for Health Across the Lifespan, and Saprea is working to have a community educator in Wayne County. 

Weber County: Focused on confirming and recruiting Spoke representatives, the county coalition is re-engaging past participants and welcoming new coalition members into the work. All three co-leads attended the BWF Annual Summit June 6 and hosted a breakout session; they left energized to deepen engagement across the county. They followed up by having a breakfast mixer June 26 at the United Way of Northern Utah with over 40 people in attendance. Reaching and including the Hispanic community is a priority. In July, they will be going through interest surveys to finalize the coalition structure with needed volunteers. They welcome Soroptimist International of Ogden and the League of Women Voters of Weber County as new partners. Follow their new Facebook account to keep updated!