BWF County Coalition Updates - March 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 Utah counties ensure this happens. The following are bi-monthly updates for the county coalitions’ progress. Please click on the individual County Coalition webpages (linked below) to learn more.

Beaver County: A recent in-person community gathering at the Beaver City Offices helped grow the county coalition and educate the community about BWF, including identifying two new Spoke Representatives. They discussed many areas where the county is excelling, but other areas that need attention to help girls and women thrive. They are currently looking for county co-leads to coordinate the county efforts, as well as additional spoke representatives and working group members. They are hoping to have a BWF table at the county fair this summer.

Box Elder County: Through their support of the new Community Campus in Box Elder, co-leads Jeunelle Jeffries, Susie Witt, and Loni Newby, along with members of the county coalition, are amplifying their collective voices and impact alongside nonprofit organizations. Boys and Girls Club of Northern Utah, Habitat for Humanity, 4-H, and Days for Girls are partners with the coalition and reside in the space that includes a Community Services Building, an Events & Recreation Center, a Family Education Center, a Domestic Violence Shelter, a Job Skills Center for teens and adults, a 0-5 Child Care, after school programs for K-12th grade, and more, all which align with BWF focus areas.

Cache County: Highlighting the Child Sexual Abuse Spoke in their monthly meeting, members heard from BWF Spoke leader Jake Neeley, Executive Director of the Malouf Foundation, who provided background on the overall statewide vision and goals for this spoke. Joined by Scott Bodily, Director of the Children’s Justice Center (CJC) in Cache County, Scott helped members understand the work and mission of the CJC in addressing child sexual abuse in the county. The Policy Project, a BWF partner, came to Green Canyon High School and invited county coalition members to participate, bringing their campaign to a gathering of over 200 people and publicly recognizing BWF coalition members.

Carbon County: Regular monthly meetings with the county coalition co-leads help keep things moving in Carbon County. They are working toward identifying their final two Spoke Representatives, have divided responsibility for the Spokes among the co-leads, are looking at regular check-ins with the Spoke Reps, and are hoping to build working groups for each Spoke. They have created a new county Facebook page to grow the county coalition.

Daggett County: Thanks to the county leaders in the adjoining counties of Uintah and Duchesne, efforts to engage Daggett County members in the work of BWF has begun. With crossover in service providers and concerns, Daggett County will be strengthened by involvement in a Basin-wide group as their population is the smallest in the state. Efforts to include organizations like the Uintah/Daggett Children’s Justice Center and the Uintah Basin Agency on Aging are underway.

Davis County: Alyssa DeHart, founder of the Utah Advocacy Coalition, and Michelle McConkie, director of the Trust Lands Administration, have recently joined as county co-leads. They recently had a wonderful in-person event at Davis Technical College to bring together those engaged in the coalition and educate others about BWF and are excited to build on that momentum. The county coalition continues to identify individuals willing to be county spoke representatives and part of spoke working groups.

Duchesne County: Reorganizing and re-energizing the Duchesne County Coalition, lead Lindsay Garlick reached out to those who participated in the initial think tank, responded to surveys, and attended earlier meetings. Cooperating with neighboring Uintah County to grow the coalition, a meeting was held where Dr. Madsen’s Bolder Way Forward video was shared along with outlining expected outcomes and impacts from the county coalition. A discussion of key community programs in existence and opportunities for collaboration led to sharing ways to include Daggett County and Tribal representation. Regional Coordinator, Amy Anderson, will join them for their meeting in April to help brainstorm ways to move forward.

Emery County: The Emery County coalition has been busy. In January they participated in the Beat the Winter Blues Festival with a booth and information about the movement. At the January BWF monthly meeting, the focus was on child sexual abuse along with awareness and prevention. The speaker was author Lacy Hardman and many community members attended. In February, a planning meeting was held and they went over the statewide fall survey, focusing on the results for Emery County. On March 24, there will be a community awareness evening with presentations on A Bolder Way Forward -- spoke representative Lacy Hardman will speak on prevention of child sexual abuse and awareness and Niki Allred from the OneDirection Prevention Coalition will speak on the harmful effects of alcohol and educate the public about the focus of their coalition in preventing drug and alcohol use among youth. There will be a dinner sponsored by the BWF coalition at this awareness event.

Garfield County: The Garfield County Coalition has recently held both virtual and in-person county gatherings to educate about BWF and bring individuals and organizations into the coalition. With an expansive county, this has helped reach those who could not travel to an in-person event. They have had a great response, with individuals becoming engaged and being willing to be spoke representatives and part of working groups. They are excited to build on this momentum.

Grand County: Many individuals in Grand 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. Additional spoke representatives and working group members are always welcome.

Iron County: An in-person community lunch at Southwest Technical College brought together individuals already involved in the coalition and new members who want to be involved in lifting girls and women in their county. They recently had a table at Cairn’s Women’s Conference, a county partner, where they were able to spread the word about the BWF Iron County Coalition. Identifying Spoke Representatives and those who want to be part of working groups continues to be a priority.

Juab County: Juab County’s efforts are gaining momentum as they expand their co-lead and spoke representative teams. Haylee Eastvold, from Utah Valley University, has recently joined as a county co-lead. Collaboration and organization are fundamental components the team is actively working on to deepen Juab’s community engagement. Key upcoming efforts include networking with Juab’s Prevention Coalition and having a table at USU Extension’s campus open house in the next two months. The coalition is also organizing a BWF Info Night on April 30, focused on re-engaging previous think tank attendees and welcoming new community members. Additionally, the team is exploring social media strategies to increase visibility and encourage more community members to step into spoke representative roles.

Kane County: A successful February gathering at Southwest Technical College helped identify spoke representatives for 16 areas, which is a significant step for the coalition. They’re excited to welcome Brittney Johnson from Kane County Hospital as their newest co-lead — her expertise and passion will be a great asset to the team. Looking ahead, they are working toward establishing monthly recurring meetings to maintain momentum and foster collaboration. Additionally, they are actively spreading awareness about the impactful work happening in Kane County to further engage the community and build partnerships.

Millard County: The coalition held an in-person gathering at the Millard School District Office in Delta to educate about A BWF. Many attendees engaged in pertinent spokes, and important connections were made between attendees. They discussed supporting New Horizon Crisis Center’s efforts during Sexual Assault Awareness month and the Children’s Justice Center’s efforts during Child Abuse Prevention month. Involving residents across the county is top of mind.

Morgan County: With county co-leads Christianna Hayes and Jill Hatch, a small nucleus of women committed to moving Morgan County forward meets regularly. Focusing on ways to bring the community together, plans are underway for a county-wide gathering utilizing the seed money provided to counties through BWF. There is much to celebrate in Morgan County with strong school and family commitment, yet areas remain that need attention which the coalition can help bring awareness to.

Piute County: The BWF Piute County Coalition appreciates the combined efforts and support from Sevier and Wayne Counties as they are very interconnected, as well as support from New Horizons Crisis Center with several of the spokes. They are considering how to best serve their small county. Additional co-leads and spoke representatives are needed and will help meet their goals.

Rich County: One of Utah’s smaller counties in population, Rich County continues to seek co-leads to work with willing coalition members. Sharing services with Cache and Box Elder, support comes from the greater Bear River area through The Family Place and the Bear River Association of Governments alongside the Rich School district, Rich Senior Center, and Bear Lake Chamber. Connections are in place to help leaders launch a successful coalition.

Salt Lake County: As the largest county coalition, Salt Lake County is building a solid foundation with an Executive Leadership Team (ELT) that is working with the county co-leads to oversee and recruit spoke representatives. They have recently added several new ELT members, spoke representatives, and an impact team representative. Spoke reps have set ambitious goals for 2025, and they are rolling out a new onboarding program to set up their leadership team for long-term success. In addition, they have added a Marketing & Communications team member who will oversee their newsletter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Jeneanne Lock has been a powerful advocate, sharing BWF during the legislative session and with community at a variety of events. BWF had a significant presence at Mind the Gap at The Gateway on March 8, including a Keynote from Dr. Madsen, coalition members in multiple breakout sessions, and a table to raise awareness.

San Juan County: The coalition continues to grow with spoke representatives being identified and more education being done about the movement. AshTEC is a new BWF partner who is located in San Juan County and is leaning in to help with the county coalition. The county leadership is considering how to make the greatest impact, including the best ways to elevate the work of the Utah Navajo Health System and reach out to the Navajo Nation Chapters to learn how to serve their communities. Finding and writing grants to support existing organizations is a significant need.

Sanpete County: Sanpete County is looking for committed residents to help lead the county coalition and elevate the work of the spokes. There are many residents who see the need to lift girls and women and are excited to get involved. They are planning a spring community BWF gathering to help grow their coalition.

Sevier County: The Sevier County Coalition is coordinating with the Wayne and Piute County Coalitions to optimize the overlap of services in many areas.  One example is that through New Horizons Crisis Center, direct and immediate contact can be made with an advocate when a patient discloses domestic violence or abuse in the exam room or ER. They are also getting ready for Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April as part of the Movement-Wide Awareness Campaign. Last year New Horizons created stickers that many establishments put on their cups all month, and that will continue this year. Moving forward, they hope to continue to grow and support each other with a variety of activities in their communities.

Summit County: Co-leads Tana Toly and Jessica Hill each bring a unique focus to Summit County. As an elected Park City council member and business owner, Tana connects across the Workplace and Community Engagement focus areas. Jessica has a passion for addressing Safety and Security issues which includes the addressing the fact that 165 children and families were served by the Children's Justice Center in 2024, a record number for this county. Together, they continue to map those who can come together to help move this diverse county forward.

Tooele County: Monthly community events that provide education, support, and resources for women and girls has been the focus of the Tooele County Coalition to increase engagement and awareness of the movement. They have brought in partners to present around pertinent topics, including finance in February, with managing stress coming up in March, sexual assault prevention in April, and higher education opportunities in May. Updates and event details are shared through local Facebook groups with the primary focus being to strengthen community involvement by connecting with local leaders, businesses, and individuals to bring more awareness to the statewide movement. They are continuing to identify spoke representatives, and those who have attended the County Representative Communities (CRCs) have been enthusiastic about connecting to elevate the work across the state.

Uintah County: Teresa Larsen, new lead, has partnered with Duchesne County’s lead, Lindsey Garlick, to grow and lead the work of a Bolder Way Forward in Uintah County. A virtual meeting was held to provide an overview of BWF, identify key partners and community needs, establish next steps and action items, and plan the next meeting in April. Outreach responsibilities for inviting key partners to the meeting are being assigned to better identify potential spoke representatives and engage them. Support from regional coordinator, Amy Anderson, at the April meeting will help build collaboration across the Uintah Basin.

Utah County: The Utah County Coalition has recently added team members to help identify and track new county coalition members and identify opportunities to present about BWF in the community. In addition, volunteers from Brigham Young University are helping the coalition in a variety of ways. A high school young woman in Utah County is the first in the state to start outreach to other high schoolers about BWF as she has gathered young women to share BWF with them as part of an internship. They continue to identify spoke representatives and are looking for additional county co-leads as two are focusing their efforts. A countywide spring event will help educate, motivate, and recruit community members for A Bolder Way Forward.

Wasatch County: The Wasatch County Coalition welcomed Celeste Johnson, Mayor of Midway, as a new co-lead. Establishing monthly meetings, they met in March in the Midway City Hall with the goal of identifying a representative for each spoke. A great start was achieved and once they are each defined, the spoke representatives will begin meeting with people in their same industry or area of interest to start connecting the resources that exist. They will also focus on the gaps to fill and look forward to building these relationships. In April, Regional Coordinator Amy Anderson will join them to provide support and updates.

Washington County: Two new county co-leads, Katarina Aikens and Debi Barmonde, have joined to lead the county coalition and represent the Women's Influence Network (WIN). WIN has led out with monthly meetings that focus on the BWF spokes and will continue to do so with the new BWF Awareness Campaign. They are spreading the word in the community, including with a booth at WIN's annual conference. Dr. Susan Madsen recently presented A Bolder Way Forward to a packed house in St. George to reengage and educate individuals about BWF and the county coalition. The event energized local organizations and individuals to accelerate community improvements for women, girls, and families. Jamie Shaw also led the first discussion-based gathering of BWF’s Exploring Your Purpose: Talents, Callings, and Influence course. By starting with already aligned organizations and leaders, the coalition aims to advance BWF initiatives by rallying behind emerging and proven leaders as they identify spoke representatives.  

Wayne County: The county coalition welcomes Julie Jeffery from New Horizons Crisis Center as a new co-lead, and appreciates their support in multiple areas. The coalition is identifying spoke representatives and looking for ways to educate the community. The coalition is happy to report that as a result of the Wayne County think tank about women and girls last spring, the Department of Workforce Services, the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, and Care About Childcare worked together to get a grant from the Wayne County Economic Development Board for two licensed childcare providers. This is a significant win for a county that currently has no licensed childcare providers, and they appreciate all those who contributed to this effort.

Weber County: The Weber County Coalition is excited to introduce three new co-leads: Flor Lopez, Danielle Neveselov, and Hailey Prendergast. Flor is the President & CEO of Phoenix Business Solutions and a dedicated community advocate; Danielle is the Senior Director of Community Resources at United Way of Northern Utah, a returned United States Peace Corps Volunteer, and an active member of the Junior League of Ogden; and Hailey is an avid outdoorswoman and entrepreneur with a professional background in research & development engineering. These co-leads are getting to know each other and determining next steps for the Weber County Coalition. Later this month they are coming together for an afternoon workshop to draft goals and priorities for the coalition and to plan an event for the whole coalition to come together (targeting late May)! They appreciated the opportunity to present to a class at Weber State University.