The Salt Lake Chamber and Women’s Business Center of Utah will host the annual Women & Business Conference and ATHENA Awards Luncheon on November 10, 2025, at the Grand America Hotel!
This year’s theme, “Believe. Become. Build.,” reflects the powerful journey of growth. We invite attendees to believe in their own potential, become the leaders they’re meant to be and build pathways for others to thrive.
At this conference, attendees will hear from inspirational speakers, gain valuable business insights to further their professional growth and foster relationships with other businesswomen in the community.
During the luncheon, the Salt Lake Chamber will present the ATHENA Leadership Award to an active member who demonstrates creativity and initiative in business, provides valuable service by devoting time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community and assists women in reaching their full leadership potential.
In addition to the ATHENA Award, the Chamber will also recognize business and community leaders with the Pathfinder Award for their work to create new paths and promote the development and recognition of women in business.
*2025 full agenda and honorees to be announced soon.
2025 Women & Business Conference and ATHENA Awards Luncheon
November 10, 2025
8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
The Grand America Hotel
555 S. Main Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Registration & Breakfast
Location: Grand Ballroom
Check out the exhibitor booths. Be sure to get a sticker or stamp on the official Women & Business Conference exhibitor passport. By completely filling out the passport, attendees have the opportunity to be entered into a drawing for a major gift! (Drawing will happen during the closing session, must be present to win.)
Welcome
Location: Grand Ballroom
More information to come.
Opening Session:
How Embracing Your Passion Can Transform Your Life.
Location: Grand Ballroom
In this inspiring presentation, Emmy Award-winning sports broadcaster and Naismith Hall of Famer Holly Rowe shares how following your passion can transform your life — and the lives of those around you.
From her early days in Utah to covering the biggest sporting events in the world, Rowe reflects on a 30-year career filled with high-pressure moments, hard-won breakthroughs and unforgettable stories from the sidelines. But it was her five-year battle with Stage IV metastatic melanoma that reshaped her perspective entirely.
With warmth, wit and wisdom, Rowe opens up about how adversity taught her to lead with joy — not in spite of challenges, but because of them. She offers powerful lessons on finding purpose, staying focused and embracing the spark that drives us — in sports, in work and in life.
Whether you’re an athlete, professional or someone navigating life’s curveballs, Rowe’s message is a reminder that joy isn’t just a feeling — it’s a choice.
Speaker:
More information to come.
More information to come.
ATHENA Awards Luncheon
Location: Grand Ballroom
The Salt Lake Chamber will present the ATHENA Leadership Award to an active member who demonstrates creativity and initiative in business, provides valuable service by devoting time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community, and assists women in reaching their full leadership potential.
In addition to the ATHENA Award, the Chamber will also recognize business and community leaders with the Pathfinder Award for their work to create new paths and promote the development and recognition of women in business.
ATHENA International Award
Pathfinders:
More information to come.
Closing Session
Your Extraordinary Starts Now
Location: Grand Ballroom
We live in a fast-paced, always-on world where the lines between work and personal life often blur. This constant state of busyness may look like productivity, but it often leads to burnout, dissatisfaction and underperformance. So, how do you slow down, cut through the noise and focus on what really matters?
In this energizing and empowering keynote, Olympic medalist Shannon Bahrke shares the powerful mindset, habits and strategies that helped her win America’s first medal of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Bahrke reveals how these tools are just as effective in everyday life and business as they are in elite sport, and how you can use them to unlock your next level of success.
Because your extraordinary doesn’t start someday. It starts now!
Speaker:
Holly Rowe is a three-time Emmy Award-winning sports broadcaster, storyteller and cancer survivor who has spent the last 30 years redefining what it means to be a woman in sports.
Known for her electric energy and compassionate reporting, Rowe has become one of the most respected voices in sports media. From college football and basketball to the WNBA, NCAA gymnastics and the Women’s College World Series, she’s been a presence on the sidelines of some of the most iconic moments in athletics.
In 2023, Rowe was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame with the prestigious Curt Gowdy Award, one of the highest honors in sports journalism. She was also named to the Utah Sports Hall of Fame and, in 2021, made history as the first female analyst for the Utah Jazz.
But her career is only part of her story. After being diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic melanoma, Rowe faced a five-year battle that changed her life — and deepened her mission. Now, in addition to broadcasting, she’s a tireless advocate for cancer research and prevention, using her platform to bring light, awareness and yes — joy — to others.
A Utah native and graduate of the University of Utah, Rowe has also worked as a producer and writer on award-winning features and documentaries, bringing the same curiosity and heart to every story she tells.
Shannon Bahrke was born and raised in Lake Tahoe, CA, and moved to Salt Lake City, UT, in 1998 to pursue her dreams of earning a spot on the U.S. Ski Team and ultimately competing for the USA at the Winter Olympic Games. She made the U.S. Ski Team that very same year and continued on the path of success for the next twelve years. She competed on 6 World Championship Teams, 3 Olympic Teams, brought home 2 Olympic Medals, 7 World Cup wins, 1 Overall World Cup Title and 6 National Titles. She has recently joined her heroes and was inducted into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame in March 2024.
Bahrke’s momentum didn’t stop when she stepped off the Olympic podium. Since retiring in 2010, she’s turned her passion for excellence into purpose-driven entrepreneurship. She co-founded and sold a thriving coffee business, authored a children’s book and today she proudly serves as CEO of not one — but TWO companies: Team Empower Hour, delivering leadership and team-building programs to organizations around the globe, and Champions Advantage, a game-changing mental skills program that empowers youth sports teams to develop confidence, sharpen focus and build unshakable resilience — core skills Bahrke mastered on her way to Olympic success.
Whether she’s transforming corporate teams, igniting the next generation of athletes or raising her two incredible kids, Bahrke leads with unstoppable energy, Olympic-level grit and a fierce sense of purpose.
Dr. Donna Milavetz, Chief Medical Officer, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah
As Chief Medical Officer for Regence across its four-state footprint, Dr. Donna Milavetz leads clinical strategy, program design and clinical policy. She has extensive clinical and business leadership experience in value-based care, preventive medicine and quality improvement.
Previously, Dr. Milavetz served as executive medical director at Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah and in vice president roles at Steward Health Care. Before that, she founded and led Onsite Care, Inc., which operates primary care clinics at employer workplaces to improve employees’ access to health care.
Dr. Milavetz is a distinguished community leader who currently sits on the board of directors for Jewish Family Service and the board of governors for the Salt Lake Chamber. She achieved her Doctor of Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and Master of Public Health at the University of Minnesota. She completed internal medicine residencies at the University of Minnesota and Beth Israel Hospital, Harvard University in Massachusetts.
Senator F. Ann Millner represents Senate District 5, which includes parts of Davis, Morgan and Weber counties. In 2015, Sen. Millner was elected to the Senate, where she now serves as the majority whip and the chair of the Senate Ethics Committee. Additionally, Sen. Millner is a member of the National Conference of State Legislatures Foundation Board of Directors as well as various other legislative working groups with legislative leaders nationwide.
Sen. Millner was born in Middlesboro, Kentucky, and raised in Clarksville, Tennessee. She received a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Tennessee, a master’s from Southwest Texas State University and a doctorate from Brigham Young University. She is a regents professor of health administration and was the president of Weber State University from 2002-2012.
Sen. Millner is passionate about improving Utah’s education system and has sponsored legislation focused on economic development specifically related to the state’s workforce preparation, public and higher education and improving affordable health care.
Kerry Norman is the Executive Vice President of Operations at CHG Healthcare in Salt Lake City. In this role, she leads a variety of business operations areas and oversees its enterprise portfolio of strategic initiatives. Norman is known as a talent developer and plays a large role in executive development and DEI efforts.
Prior to joining CHG in April 2017, Norman spent 17 years at Capital Group Companies in Los Angeles in a variety of HR leadership roles. Previously, she was a talent acquisition leader at FedEx, where she focused on hiring for all operations in their western region. Norman started her career at Prudential Financial in their accelerated leadership development program.
Norman holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Boston College and has participated in the executive leadership program at the Kellogg School of Management.
Liz Owens has been serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the YWCA Utah, since April 2020. She previously served as the Executive Director of the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault (UCASA) and has dedicated her career to gender and racial justice. Owens has expertise in domestic violence and the effects of trauma on individuals and families and approaches her work through the lens of understanding the intersecting issues and dimensions of identity.
Owens has taught sociology, social inequality and program planning courses at Utah Valley University, Salt Lake Community College and Westminster College. In addition, she previously worked at Women in Prison (London, UK), the Utah Pride Center, the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition, Planned Parenthood Association of Utah and the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and has served on many boards and in volunteer positions in the community.
A native of Provo, Utah, Owens earned her Bachelor of Science at Utah Valley University and her Master of Arts in the Theory and Practice of Human Rights from the University of Essex in the United Kingdom. She was a visiting research fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science and is a sought-after presenter and instructor.
Noella Sudbury graduated from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law in 2009 and has already had a full and diverse career.
Following a clerkship for the Honorable Ronald Nehring of the Utah Supreme Court, Sudbury began her legal practice as a public defender, where she quickly developed a passion for criminal justice reform.
In 2016, Sudbury was appointed by the Salt Lake County Council as the Director of the Criminal Justice Advisory Council for the County, and in that role, led the successful bipartisan legislative campaign to pass Utah’s Clean Slate law – a new law that automates the criminal record expungement process for more than 450,000 Utahns. She went on to found Clean Slate Utah, a non-profit to raise awareness of the automatic clearance law, and is the current CEO and Founder of Rasa Public Benefit Corporation, a new legal tech company that provides low-cost legal expungement services to people not eligible for automatic record clearance.
Sudbury has received several honors and awards for her public service, including being recognized as a Young Alumna of the Year by the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, the 2019 Woman of the Year by Utah Business Magazine and as a Pioneer of the National Clean Slate Movement from the National Clean Slate Initiative. In 2022, she was selected to receive the Distinguished Service Award by the Utah State Bar. In 2023, she was named by Inc. Magazine as one of the Top 200 most dynamic female founders in America.
Diana Young has years of Human Resources and administrative experience and harbors a passion for building lasting relationships. Over her 27-year tenure at PrincePerelson and Associates, Young has served in various capacities, including Director of Business Development, Recruiter, VP of Perelson Temporary Staffing and currently a Partner and Vice President of Strategic Partnerships.
Throughout her tenure, Young has played a pivotal role in acquiring and managing key clients and accounts while also spearheading the growth of the Temporary Division to achieve record earnings. With her outgoing nature and extensive networks, Young fosters robust business relationships, many of which evolve into enduring friendships, a testament to the loyalty she garners from both clients and candidates.
Young actively engages in multiple business associations and committees, including the Salt Lake Chamber’s President’s Ambassadors and Business Women’s Forum Steering Committee, MountainWest Capital Network, Economic Development Corporation of Utah and ACG Utah Women’s Professional Network.
Jessica Yurgaitis is the CEO of 108-year-old Industrial Supply Company, a family-owned business in the Intermountain West founded by her great-grandfather in 1916. As the first woman to lead the company, Yurgaitis has brought a fresh perspective and innovative approach to an already storied legacy.
With a deep-rooted passion for the family business, Yurgaitis has dedicated herself to continuing its tradition of excellence while steering it towards modern advancements. Under her leadership, the company has not only maintained its reputation for reliability and integrity but has also embraced new technologies and strategies to stay ahead in the competitive industrial distribution market.
Her tenure is characterized by her focus on sustainable growth, employee development and customer satisfaction. Yurgaitis believes in fostering a work environment that values innovation, teamwork and continuous improvement. Her vision has led to the implementation of several successful initiatives that have strengthened the company’s market position and operational efficiency.
Yurgaitis’s journey to the helm of the company is marked by her commitment to both her professional and personal life. She is happily married and the proud mother of four grown children, always working to balance her roles as a business leader and a devoted parent and wife. She enjoys yoga, hiking with friends and family, skiing in her hometown of Park City, Utah, and travel. She serves on both the Affiliated Distributors (AD) Industrial Safety Division board and the Industrial Supply Association (ISA) board of directors, giving her time back to the industry.
Yurgaitis’s leadership is a blend of respect for the company’s rich heritage and a forward-thinking mindset that embraces the challenges and opportunities of the future. Her story is one of breaking barriers, honoring tradition and paving the way for future generations.
| 2020-Present | 2010-2019 | 2000-2009 | 1990-1999 | 1984-1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020: Molly Mazzolini, Infinite Scale | 2010: Dr. Cynthia A. Bioteau, Salt Lake Community College | 2000: Patricia Richards, First Security Bank | 1990: Jacqueline Nicholes, Quality Press | 1984: Phyllis Steorts, Westin Hotel Utah |
| 2021: Natalie Gochnour, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute | 2011: Beverley Taylor Sorenson, Sorenson Foundation | 2001: Lori Giovannoni, Lori Giovannoni and Associates | 1991: Patricia Freston, Ph.D., Questar Corporation | 1985: Carol Fay, Internal Revenue Services |
| 2022: Vicki Varela, Utah Office of Tourism | 2012: Gail Miller, Larry H. Miller Group of Companies | 2002: Susan Glasmann, Questar Gas Company | 1992: Rhoda Ramsey, Ramsey Group | 1986: Isabelle Jensen, Questar Corporation |
| 2023: Amanda Covington, The Larry H. Miller Company | 2013: Dr. Linda Leckman, Intermountain Healthcare | 2003: Becky Berkey Potts, AT&T Wireless | 1993: June Morris, Morris Air | 1987: Patricia Shoemaker Glessner, KSL TV |
| 2014: Peggy Larson, WCF Insurance | 2004: Gov. Olene Walker, Utah State Governor | 1995: Joan Lewis, Nesco Service, Inc. | 1988: Carol Browning, CLU | |
| 2015: Karn Gunn, Salt Lake Community College | 2005: Pamela Atkinson, Community Advocate | 1996: Ramona Rudert, Predictable Building Systems | ||
| 2016: Lori Chillingworth, Zions Bancorporation | 2006: Marilyn Tang, Certified Handling Systems | 1997: Carol Carter, IC Products | ||
| 2017: President Deneece Huftalin, Salt Lake Community College | 2007: Margo Provost, Log Haven | 1998: Deborah S. Bayle, American Red Cross Greater Salt Lake Area Chapter | ||
| 2018: Cindy Crane, Rocky Mountain Power | 2008: Senator Patricia W. Jones, Dan Jones & Associates | 1999: Lorraine Miller, Cactus & Tropicals | ||
| 2019: Linda Wardell, City Creek Center | 2009: Chris Redgrave, KSL News Radio |
| 2020-Present | 2010-2019 | 2000-2009 | 1990-1999 | 1983-1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020: Allyson Bell, Silvia Castro, Darla Gill, Beth Holbrook, Abby Murtagh, Heidi D. Ruster | 2010: Amy Rees Anderson, Amanda Dickson, Diane Mansfield, Nicole Mouskondis, Luz Robles | 2000: Maun Alston, Marjean Daniels, Maxine Turner, Junior League of Salt Lake City | 1990: Richard Davis, Ann Erickson, Irene Fisher, Tinby Milne, Elizabeth Pierce, Ramona Rudert | 1983: Carol M. Fay |
| 2021: Beth Colosimo, Ibi Guevara, Rep. Sandra Hollins, Aubriana Martindale, Brittany Westover, Lori B. Williams | 2011: Christy Alter Haymond, Marsha Gilford, Melia Tourangeau, Jody Williams | 2001: Steven B. Allnatt, Marsha Fetzer, Connie Holbrook, Dr. Peggy Stock, Marilyn Tang | 1991: Mayor Palmer DePaulis, Isabelle Jensen, Verl Topham, Josie Valdez | 1984: Bernice Galbraith, Ruth Hardy Funk |
| 2022: Heather Doggett, Marlise Fisher, Natalie Kaddas, Kacie Malouf, Sui Lang L. Panoke, Pres. Astrid Tuminez | 2012: Dr. Sarah B. George, Debra Hoyt, Dr. Vivian Lee, Dr. Susan Madsen, Molly Mazzolini | 2002: Afton Bradshaw, Lisa Eccles, Gladys Gonzales, Karen Meacham, Jeanetta Williams | 1992: Judith Bell, Judge Judith Billings, Brenda Hancock, Patricia Richards, Douglas Tapking, Olene Walker | 1985: Vee Carlisle, Joe Pacheco, Madily Parker, Joe Siciliano, Doty Williams |
| 2023: Lucy Cardenas, Natalie El-Deiry, Kaitlin Eskelson, Deneiva Knight, Pauline Ploquin | 2013: Jennifer Danielson, May Kay Griffin, Susan Mayo | 2003: Sherrie Hayashi, Jane Shock, Arlene Urias | 1993: Barbara Dirks, Linda Galindo, Jan Graham, Margaret Hunt | 1986: Dee Dee Corradini, Linda Jensen, Jinnah Kelson, Jane Marquardt, Dee Rowland, Elaine Weiss |
| 2014: Patrice Arent, Juanita Damon, Martha Eining, Denise Winslow | 2004: Margo Salazar Rillston, Hydee Willis, The Utah Women’s Alliance for Building Community (UWABC) | 1994: Pamela Atkinson, David M Jones, Joan Lewis, Lynne Ann Tempest | 1987: Deborah Bayle, Kaye Coleman, Lorraine Miller, Karen Shepherd | |
| 2015: Rebecca Dutson, Jodi Holmgren, Cathy Keen, Fraser Nelson, Kathy Ricci | 2005: Allison Bridges, Ana Maria Fereday, Mary Mark, Susan Peterson and The Jones, Kevin Potts, Jennifer Scoffield, Waldo Women Lawyers Group, Lauryn Wingate | 1995: Carol Carter, Julie Kilgore | 1988: Fred Ball, Carol Dunlap, Lee Ence, LouJean Flint, Jim Herbster, Kent Moon | |
| 2016: Maura Carabello, Dr. Ivy Estabrooke, Laura Kaiser, Kathy Luke | 2006: Paulette Cary, Leigh von der Esch, Dr. Linda Leckman, Leann Linderman, Sabina Zunguze | 1996: Aileen Clyde, Cecilia Foxley, Linda Kruse, John E Mooney | 1989: Laura Benson, Kenneth Hill, Ruth Novak, Rhoda Ramsey, D.N. Nick Rose | |
| 2017: Amanda Covington, Mary Crafts-Homer, Lavanya Mahate, Heidi Prokop, Maureen Riley, Vicki Varela | 2007: Michelle Flynn, Annette Jarvis, Peggy Larsen, Brenda Scheer | 1997: Susie Adams, Grethe Peterson, Kayleen Simmons | ||
| 2018: Kristen Cox, Katie Holland, Dr. Donna Milavetz, Hollie Pettersson, Amanda Smith, Emily Wright | 2008: Silvia Norman, Nancy Nowak, Karen Suzuki-Okabe, Lisa Vehrenkamp, Andrea Wolcott | 1998: Mary Ann Flinders, Jean Fox, Kathy Hillis | ||
| 2019: Theresa Foxley, Mikelle Moore, Christy Tribe, Melanie Vartabedian, Jennifer Williams | 2009: Shauna Bona, Diana Kirk, Judy Reese, Lynne Ward | 1999: Becky Berkey Potts, Beverly R. Cooper, Bernadette Martinelli, Jamee J. |