Bolder Way Forward for Utah

Leadership Development                                                                                  A Bolder Way Forward Logo

Developing leadership knowledge, skills, and abilities in girls and women across Utah is central to ensure that girls and women—and their families—better thrive. Developing male allies is also critical to this spoke and the work of A Bolder Way Forward. Some of the initial elements of this spoke include helping more people understand what leadership means and how women lead in all kinds of ways, from their homes to their churches, communities, and workplaces. It will encompass efforts to help women and girls understand their gifts, talents, strengths, purpose, and calls. Important elements are strengthening a leadership identity, understanding our biases, and developing more traditional leadership skills and abilities. It will include development initiatives and opportunities, from girls’ camps to executive education, and increasing mentoring, sponsorship, and coaching skills, while gathering and sharing best practices for programming and metrics to increase effectiveness and collaboration across the state. To learn more, listen to the spoke leaders discuss the work on this 15-minute podcast.

Spoke Leaders

Shirlayne Quayle

Shirlayne Quayle

CEO, PowerLane
LinkedIn Profile

Shirlayne Quayle is Founder/CEO of PowerLane, Co-founder of the Women’s Influence Network and TimeMaker Remodeling and Design. An innovator, strategist, coach, and community-builder, she champions women and girls, male allyship, entrepreneurship, and housing attainability.


Women's Influence Network

Powerlane Podcast

Jamie Shaw

Jamie Shaw

Board Chair, WIN
LinkedIn Profile

Jamie Shaw is the Chair of the Women's Influence Network, an organization dedicated to cultivating and amplifying women's influence to shape a vibrant community. Professionally, she is the Operations Director of a consulting firm, with a strong background in operations, resource planning, and team management.

 

Bold Vision & Goals

To make Utah a place where more girls and women can thrive, the Leadership Development spoke leaders and partners have crafted the vision and goals below. Spoke leadership and UWLP team members are currently working to collect baseline data that will assist in adding numbers to the changes we want to see by 2026 and 2030.

Vision: To significantly increase the number and percentage of women leaders in all settings within Utah. This includes creating opportunities for every Utah woman and girl to envision themselves as leaders, develop leadership skills, and lead in any setting they choose. It also includes increasing the number of male allies and individuals understanding and confronting their own biases.

Goals: 

  1. Increase the percentage of Utah women in leadership.
    1. Increase women in executive positions by 4% in 2026 and by 11% in 2030. [Metric]
    2. Increase women in business leadership (e.g., CEO, board, president, top managers) with a 30% increase in each category by 2026 and doubling each by 2030. [Metric]
    3. Increase women in K-12 leadership including district superintendents (12.2% in 2022 to 25% by 2030), high school principals (29% in 2022 to 50% by 2030), and high school assistant principals (35.4% in 2022; to 50% in 2030); maintain leadership representation in all other roles. [Metric]
    4. Increase women in higher education leadership to 40% by 2026 and 50% by 2030. [Metric]
    5. Increase women in government leadership at the local [Metric], county [Metric], and state levels [Metric] (to 40% by 2026 and 50% by 2030).
    6. Increase women in elected office (in support of the Political & Civic Representation Spoke goals).
  2. Maintain the percentage of women leaders in nonprofit settings [Metric] and some of the K-12 leadership categories. [Metric]
  3. Increase the percent of women in the higher income earning category ($100,000+) (in support of the Gender Pay Gap Spoke Goal #2).
  4. Increase the number of quality leadership development programs for girls and women by 10% by 2026 and by 25% by 2030. [Metric Forthcoming]
  5. Increase the number of individuals who are completing quality leadership development programs by 20% by 2026 and by 50% by 2030. [Metric Forthcoming]
  6. Increase the number of women program completers who are advancing in their careers so that (1) by 2026, 30% of participants have advanced in their careers within 2 years of completing the program and, (2) by 2030, 50% of the participants have advanced within 2 years of completing the program. [Metric Forthcoming]
  7. Change Utahns’ agreement (understanding and perceptions) in the following areas: [Metric Dashboard]
    1. I aspire to be a leader. [Increase women’s agreement by 10% by 2026 and 25% by 2030]
    2. Others consider me a leader. [Increase women’s agreement by 10% by 2026 and 25% by 2030]
    3. It is important for me to pursue opportunities to develop leadership abilities. [Increase women’s agreement by 10% by 2026 and 25% by 2030]
    4. There are opportunities and resources around me to help me develop leadership skills. [Increase women’s agreement by 10% by 2026 and 25% by 2030]
    5. People in Utah are interested in understanding and confronting their biases. [Increase agreement by 5% by 2026 and 15% by 2030]
    6. People in Utah are aware of their own biases. [Increase agreement by 5% by 2026 and 15% by 2030]
  8. Increase Utahns’ agreement (understanding and perceptions) around elements of male allyship (in support of the Male Allyship Impact Team).

Thriving Statement: Women and girls thrive when they envision themselves as leaders, have access to leadership development opportunities, and lead in any setting they choose.






Leadership Development Resources
Spoke Resources:
Other Resources:

 

Partners


EKS


Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity


Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs

Women’s Influence Network


USU Extension

Women Tech Council

Women's Leadership Institute

Utah Women & Leadership Project

Utah Women in Higher Education Network (UWHEN)

Girl Scouts of Utah

Women Who Succeed

 

 

 

Working Group Leaders

  • Companies with ERGs: Angela Carmack (Sr. Director of Customer Success, Award Co.) & Carrie Johnson
  • Data Research: Stephanie Smith (The Path Made Possible) & Laura Magstadt (Chief Nursing Officer, Cache Valley Hospital)
  • Organizations for Girls & Young Women: TBD
  • Public Organizations for Women: Amy Upchurch (Communications Coordinator, Envision Utah)

  • Utah Women in Higher Education Network (UWHEN):  Angela Belnap (Associate Dean – Division of Allied Health, Salt Lake Community College) & Cecile Delozier (Associate Dean – Institute of Public Safety & Criminal Justice, Salt Lake Community College)



Get Engaged: Ways to get engaged include assessing if your organization(s) can support the development or delivery of leadership training and/or mentorship programs; joining a working group; examining the gender breakdown of current leaders and the pool of potential leaders in your organization(s) to better understand how leadership development could support your goals; actively watch for opportunities to mentor women and girls, helping them envision a future as a leader, while helping them recognize and build their skills; and read and utilize existing women’s leadership research and resources. Thank you for your interest!

Laney Benedict

Laney Benedict

Spoke Coordinator
LinkedIn Profile
laneysconnection@gmail.com