Utah Women and Friends in the News This Week

My good friend Josie Valdez has announced she was nominated to run for Lieutenant Governor on the Democratic ticket along with Democratic Governor nominee Bob Sringmeyer. Josie has been a champion of women and minorities at the SBA in Salt Lake since the early 80's and will carry on this role if elected. Her goal is to get more Latinas to vote and seek office. Way to go Josie! I just wonder how she will do it with her husband Mark Wheatley running to maintain his seat in the Utah House of Representatives, but knowing Josie she will do it!

There are quite a few great women in the State Legislator. I am very proud of another longtime friend Rebecca Chavez-Houck who is doing a fantastic job completing Ralph Becker's House seat and now running herself. A new friend Jayla Burley-Wolfe is running for City Council! (Jayla, why didn't you tell me? I had to read it in tne newspaper! That's what I get for postponing our lunch plans!)

Yet another friend is first-time Democratic runner Luz Robles, who beat out incumbent Fred Fife for his Seante seat. Luz is getting a lot of local and national attention as a result. Go Liz!

Tomorrow Amy Reese Anderson will be the first woman to receive the Mountain West Capital Network entrepreneur of the year award at the annual Mountain West Capital
Luncheon. Amy's company is MediConnect Global, Inc., and she is its founder and CEO. I first met Amy, I think in 2002, when we presented her with an award at the Annual Women's Business Day Luncheon sponsored by the Women's Business Center, the SBA, and Utah Business during the annual Small Business Week. Later I asked her to be a speaker at one of the following Women's Business Day luncheons another year. Amy is a fabulous and inspiring presenter.

Mountain West is the oldest business networking organization in Utah, according to the Salt Lake Tribune, but that must be incorrect because I think it is the Salt Lake Chamber which is over 100 years old. Mountain West is more likely the oldest venture capital networking company. I will be there to cheer for Amy!

Women's History month 2008 is nearly over, but I am excited because I am just beginning. I am finally starting my blog on women's issues and news in Utah. It has taken me two years to get to this point. What I want to share is what I have seen, heard, read and thought about women's issues. I did some fun and educational things in this month of Women's History, although some of them may have ocurred in February, like seeing the play "Crowns." A friend of mine was one of the actresses, DeeDee Duffin, she was wonderful and sang so well. "Crowns" is the story of black women's hats and the stories of the women wearing them. You can buy the book of photos exhibited at the time "Crowns" ran.

I saw a gorgeous powerful pink almost fuschia colored wide-rimmed hat the other day. I wanted to buy it, but I wondered would I really wear it ever? It makes a statement and do I really want to do that? Maybe I should buy it for a decoration, but where would I put it? Some things just have to be relished in memory. The pink hat would give me a memory of Women's History Month 2008 and the year I started by blog. Maybe I will just have to go and get it!