The Past, Present, and Future of Diversity
6th Annual Economic Symposium: Innovations and Collaborations that Redefine Diversity
Fran Peek with his son Kim Peek. Kim was the inspiration for Dustin Hoffman’s character in Rain Man. For the rest of the story turn to page 5‌
Tuesday, April 2, 2019 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Bottom Line of Disabilities Economic Symposium Zions Bank Building Founders Room, 18th Floor One South Main Street, Salt Lake City
PREMIER SPO N SOR
Thank you to the Sorenson Legacy Foundation for your generous support of this symposium.
T H A N K YOU T O OUR S p o n s o r s
V ISIO N ARY SPO N SOR
I N N O V A T OR SPO N SORS
C O N N E C T OR SPO N SORS
IMPA C T SPO N SORS
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Un w i n d i n g D i s a b i l i t i es: A Com m unity Col l aboration Event Partners
Promoting Education about Disabilities through Storytelling. Rootworthy Films and the Utah Film Center’s Media Education team have worked with students from the Elizabeth Academy throughout the school year to document a classmate’s journey to finding inclusion and independence. The teacher teams, their students, and film mentors will present their final project—a short film on inclusion—during the Peek Award for Disability in Media event on April 1.
Dylan is a young man with a promising career at Boeing because community partners came together to support his goal of independence.
Thank you for joining us for our inaugural “Unwinding Disabilities” two-day event that brings together people from all walks of life to share stories, celebrate successes, and have in-depth conversations about disabilities. Columbus, the Global Interdependence Center, Rootworthy Films, and the Utah Film Center have independently presented a number of disability-related events and projects over the years. This year these four organizations are collaborating to elevate the story of disabilities through events that are focusing on economics, education, and media. We are grateful to the Sorenson Legacy Foundation for being the premiere sponsor that gave us the opportunity to pursue this collaboration. We can never underestimate how we are all impacted by disabilities. In Utah, 19% of our population has some level of disability. Nationwide, US Census data shows us that 1 in 5 individuals in the general population has a disability. Those with disabilities are often invisible to us because there are just too many obstacles they face to live and work in the community. We can’t change the statistics—but we can change how we view disabilities. More importantly, we can work together to ensure individuals with disabilities are fully integrated into our communities as friends, colleagues, neighbors, and citizens.
Celebrating Filmmakers Who Tell the Stories of Disabilities. The 8th annual Peek Award for Disabilities in Media pays tribute to artists, media makers, and film subjects who are positively impacting our society’s perception of people with disabilities. The award was created from the generosity of Barry Morrow, Rain Man filmmaker, who permanently loaned his Oscar statue to Salt Lake City in memory of Kim Peek. Kim Peek, the savant about whom Rain Man is based, lived in Salt Lake City and passed away in December 2009. Intelligent Lives, directed by Dan Habib, has been selected to receive this year’s Peek Award on April 1. Discussing the Economic, Social, and Financial Impact of Disabilities with Local, National, and International Experts. On April 2, Columbus Community Center and the Global Interdependence Center co-host the 6th annual Bottom Line of Disabilities Economic Symposium. This year’s topics include a timely discussion of economic issues with a prestigious panel of economists and financial experts; examples from local business leaders about how the practice of corporate social responsibility can positively impact our community; a candid conversation with community leaders about the affordable housing crisis; and a discussion with artists and educators who bring us the individual stories that touch our hearts and move us to action. Thanks to these nonprofit organizations that also supported this year’s events: Volunteers of America; National Ability Center; Disability Law Center; and Alliance House Labeled Film Festival.
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The rest of the story…
main character, Raymond Babbitt, played by Dustin Hoffman. Morrow won the Oscar for Best Screenplay for the movie. Kim became a popular speaker and traveled the world to showcase his savant skills. Morrow gave Kim his Oscar statue to carry with him in his world travels. In 2009, after Kim passed away, Morrow donated the Oscar to Salt Lake City, where it now resides with the Utah Film Center.
In 1952… This letter, written by a local business owner and father, appeared in the Salt Lake Tribune:
SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, September 1952
Today…the vision and grassroots efforts of parents in the fifties changed how we look at disabilities. Utah was—and continues to be—a leader in providing opportunities for children and adults with disabilities through groundbreaking work in education, communitybased living, and workplace inclusion.
Letter to the Editor I am a parent of a mentally retarded girl, six years old. I plan to keep her at home, but I want her to learn as much as she is capable of learning. I find there are no programs for her in the Salt Lake Valley. If you are a parent with a similar problem, and would like to form a group to begin a day care center, please call me at 35644. Richmond T. Harris
Optimizing Autism If you are an adult on the autism spectrum, this workshop is for you. Methods of Self-Advocacy will present ideas and information about how and when to discuss your autism. (It is recommended that participants be at least 18 yrs old.) Our presenters will discuss their personal stories and struggles related to their successful self-advocacy. Please register online by April 19th at optimizingautism.org.
METHODS OF SELF-ADVOCACY
By the time Richmond organized a meeting, there were fifty families who came together to share their stories, to laugh, to cry, and to embrace in the relief of finding each other. These families literally fought to save their children from isolation and institutionalization, and they were responsible for establishing the disability services that exist today in Utah. Fran Peek, father of Kim, was a friend and colleague of Richmond’s, whose daughter, Irene, inspired the above letter. In 1968…The parents who began organizing programs in the fifties and sixties opened Columbus Community Center on June 6, 1968. The doors opened with 8 young adults and a group of volunteer parents, and it quickly and steadily grew over the past five decades. As young adults, Kim Peek and Irene Harris attended Columbus for a number of years. In 1988…Barry Morrow won the Oscar for best screenplay for the movie Rain Man. Morrow had met Kim and Fran Peek, who were Salt Lake natives, in 1984 at a conference in Texas, and the three became close friends. Kim became the inspiration for the movie’s
Date : April 27th, 2019 Time : 10am - 2pm (Lunch Provided) Place : University Neuropsychiatric Institute, Hardin Branch Auditorium, 501 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City
MEET OUR PRESENTERS Josh Olivas Josh will be discussing the mechanics of selfadvocacy and self-awareness. He will be covering how to identify your needs as an autism and how to go about getting those needs met.
Sarah Heuser Sarah will be covering how we see autism and disability through our current cultural lens, and how we could turn that cultural lens into something more beneficial by adding the neuro-diversity perspective.
For more information and to register visit: optimizingautism.org This event is supported by Optimizing Autism (501c3) and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Utah
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SYMPOSIUM AGE N DA 7:30 A.M. to 8 A.M. Registration & Continental Breakfast 8:00 a.m. to 8:10 a.m. Welcome
8:45 A.M. TO 9:45 A.M. Session I: An Economic Outlook from Top Economic and Financial Experts Tax reform, a trade war, the global economy, low unemployment, interest rates, and opportunity zones are all headline news. A distinguished panel of economists will have timely updates on current economic and financial news.
Moderator: Spencer Eccles, Jr.
Managing Director, The Cynosure Group
Kristy Chambers Lance Allred CEO, Columbus
Event Emcee
8:10 A.M. to 8:20 A.M. Opening remarks
Philippa Dunne Co-editor, TLR Analytics High Resolution Economic Research
David Altig, Ph.D. Executive Vice President and Director of Research, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Stephanie Mackay Chief Innovation Officer, Columbus
8:20 A.M. to 8:45 A.M. Keynote Address
Patricia Healy Senior Vice President of Research, Cumberland Advisors
Robert Spendlove Economic and Public Policy Officer, Zions Bank
Bryan Miller Motivational Speaker, Writer, and Philanthropist and Executive Director of Culture at Larry H. Miller Group of Companies “Make the World Work for Every One”
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SYMPOSIUM AGE N DA 9:45 A.M. to 10:45 A.M. Session II: Models of Corporate Social Responsibility that Make a Difference
10:45 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. Break
Only 4% of corporations have diversity policies that specifically acknowledge individuals with disabilities as part of a diverse workforce. Representatives from a cross-section of companies, ranging from small to large, will discuss how they are demonstrating impact locally, nationally, and globally.
Moderator: Jay Francis Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs & Miller Family Philanthropy
11:00 A.M. to noon Session III: A Roundtable Discussion with Emerging Leaders about the Future of Housing and Workplace Environments This panel of community leaders will discuss innovative efforts that are paving the way to make our communities more accessible and affordable for current and future generations. They have been invited to bring their vision about access and affordability for individuals with disabilities and their families.
Moderator: Wayne Niederhauser
Jeff Miller General Manager, Mark Miller Subaru
Principal and Co-Founder, CW Management Corporation
Abby Ivory
Jennifer Hwu, Ph.D.
Manager, Impact Investing, Sorenson Impact Center
CEO, InnoSys
Cameron Gunter
Safia Keller
President, PEG Development
Chief Employment Development Officer, Columbus Community Center
Brian Dawson
Beth Whisamore
CFO, MADi Homes
EVP and Director of Human Resources, Zions Bancorporation
Taylor Woodbury
Jamee Rawlings Beus
COO, Woodbury Corporation
Trust Specialst, Zions Bank
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SYMPOSIUM AGE N DA 2:15 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. Breakout sessions
12:15 P.M. to 1:00 P.M. Lunch and a conversation with Barry Morrow and V.R. Ferose
(participants choose to attend one session)
Breakout Session 1 Meet the Filmmaker
These two inspiring individuals will share their stories about how disabilities shaped their lives and careers in ways that have transformed how we look at disabilities.
Join Barry Morrow, Oscar-award winning screenwriter as he discusses his film career and his friendship with Kim Peek, the inspiration for Rain Main.
1:00 P.M. to 2:00 P.M. Session IV: The Role of Media and Disabilities: Telling the Story The movie Rain Man had a profound impact in popular culture because it gave an authentic and humane portrayal of a man with a significant disability. Panelists will share how storytelling raises awareness and facilitates change that is positive and meaningful for families and communities.
Moderator: Jasen Lee Journalist, Deseret News/KSL
Breakout Session 2 Corporate Social Responsibility An opportunity to discuss with corporate leaders best practices and ideas for implementing and measuring the impact of corporate social responsibility in our community.
Breakout Session 3 Integrating Neurodiversity into the Workplace An opportunity to discuss some of the practices and technologies that can support neurodiverse individuals, their families, and employers as they pursue employment and independent living.
Dallas Graham Executive Director, The Red Fred Project
Learn more about our Event Partners www.columbusserves.org
Kasandra VerBrugghen Executive Director, Spy Hop www.interdependence.org
Suzi Montgomery Education Director, Utah Film Center
www.utahfilmcenter.org
Vanessa Williamsen
www.rootworthyfilms.org
Executive Producer, Rootworthy Films
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SPEA K ER BIOS Lance Allred, NBA Player and Motivational Speaker Lance is the first legally deaf player in NBA history. Known as “The Lion,” he is a best-selling author of Basketball Gods and Longshot and is an expert on leadership, perseverance and grit. Standing at 6’11, and born with 80% hearing loss within a polygamist commune before his family escaped when he was 13, Lance has had people all of his life placing limitations on him, but he never listened: he couldn’t hear very well anyway. Lance is also a TEDx speaker and shares his message of leadership, perseverance and grit as a motivational speaker. He sits on the Columbus Board of Trustees. (http://www.lanceallred41.com/)
level management positions in health care, real estate, retail, and hospitality. Kristy serves on various local and national non-profit boards. She graduated Cum Laude from UCLA with a degree in Economics/Business and has a Master’s in Taxation with honors from the Washington School of Law.
David E. Altig, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Director of Research, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Dr. David E. Altig is executive vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. In addition to advising the Bank president on monetary policy and related matters, Dr. Altig oversees the Bank’s regional executives and the Bank’s research department. He also serves as a member of the Bank’s management and discount committees. He leads the Atlanta Fed’s macroblog, which provides commentary on economic topics, including monetary policy, macroeconomic developments, and the Southeast economy. Prior to joining the Atlanta Fed, Dr. Altig served as vice president and associate director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. Jamee Rawlings Beus, Trust Specialist, Zions Bank Jamee first came to Zions as an intern as part of the bank’s internship program for individuals with disabilities. When she was 13 years old, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor, which upon removal took the use of her left arm, foot, and damaged some left-side peripheral vision. Since this time, she has overcome these challenges that she was faced with and relearned how to do everything in her life. Despite not being able to use her left hand, there isn’t anything that Jamee isn’t able to accomplish. If there is a will, there is a way. “I can’t do this” is not in her vocabulary. Jamee has never taken the easy way out, she continues to work hard to achieve all that she wants to. Jamee received her Bachelor’s Degree in 2014 from Weber State University, got married, and has been working for Zions Bank for over four years. Kristy Chambers, CEO, Columbus Prior to joining Columbus, Kristy served as CEO of Wasatch Homeless Health Care, Inc., better known as Fourth Street Clinic. A certified public accountant for over twenty years, Kristy’s professional background includes public accounting and top
Brian Dawson, CFO, MADi Home Brian is an entrepreneur with significant start-up, strategy, operational and capital markets experience spanning twenty plus years across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. He is CFO of MADi Homes, an innovative affordable modular housing option that is manufactured and distributed globally. He is also the head of Wall Street Blockchain Alliance (WSBA), a trade advocacy group for financial market professionals by financial market professionals. He is the founder of companies operating in the social finance space. He has served in leadership positions at Credit Suisse, Accenture, PA Consulting, Thomson Reuters, and tier-1 hedge fund. Philippa Dunne, Co-Editor, LTR and Sightlines Bulletin Philippa is co-editor of two independent macro-economic newsletters: LTR, with a trading focus, and Sightlines Bulletin, which takes a longer perspective. She has a long history in independent research, has completed research and writing for the American Museum of Natural History and the office of Ray and Charles Eames, and has taught at the college level. A graduate of the University of California, she has a graduate degree from Wesleyan University. She sits on the advisory board of the Global Interdependence Center. (www.tlranalytics.com) Spencer P. Eccles, Managing Director, The Cynosure Group Prior to co-founding The Cynosure Group, Spencer served as executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) for the State of Utah, which was responsible for statewide business, tourism and film development, international trade, rural economic development, and the Utah Health Exchange. During his tenure, GOED facilitated the expansion or relocation of strategic anchor companies in Utah’s urban and rural counties – companies that were projected to create more than 32,500 jobs and $2.1 billion in new state revenue over the next decade. He remains an advisor to the Governor on economic development issues and has been involved on numerous public and private boards, including as chair of the Governor’s Economic Council, vice-chair of the Utah Science Technology and Research (USTAR) initiative, vicechair of the STEM Action Center, and a member of the Utah Capital Investment Board (UCIB). He received his MBA from BYU’s Marriott School of Management and his BA in History from the University of Utah.
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SPEA K ER BIOS V.R. Ferose, Author, autism advocate, and Senior Vice President at Globalization Services, SAP, SE Ferose is a Senior Vice President and Head of Globalization Services at SAP SE, based out of Palo Alto. He is responsible for the global reach of SAP products. He is passionate about making a difference in the world in a meaningful way. He started the industry’s leading autism initiative, “Autism at Work.” He gives a guest lecture at Columbia University on the topic of “Personal Leadership.” He is the co-author of the bestseller Gifted and Innovating the World - The Globalization Advantage. He writes regularly on topics from books, leadership and culture and is a regular contributor to India’s daily swarajya. (https://swarajyamag.com) Jay Francis, Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Miller Family Philanthropy Jay Francis has been with the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies (LHM Group) for 34 years, and is currently the executive vice president for Corporate Affairs and Miller Family Philanthropy. In this role, he directs corporate events, community relations and philanthropy as he oversees the Larry H. Miller Education Foundation, the Driven 2 Teach program, Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation, and Larry H. Miller Charities. Jay is also the executive editor of Winning Spirit, the employee magazine. Prior to his current appointment, Jay was the executive vice president of operations for Larry H. Miller Management Corporation and had oversight of Miller Family Real Estate and Jordan Commons. Dallas Graham, Executive Director, The Red Fred Project Dallas Graham is a fortysomething, Salt Lake City creative interested in books, birds, stories, children, kindness, photography, letters, yoga, punctuation marks, giant eggs, compassion, making hummus, collaborations, and hiking with others. He is learning that there are many ways to look at solving problems in this world— especially when you’re working with people who care about other people, whether they are friends or strangers. Dallas is a publisher and the executive director of the Red Fred Project and is currently creating life-legacies in the form of children’s books with kiddos dotting the United States. Cameron Gunter, CEO, PEG Development, Inc. Cameron Gunter graduated from Idaho State University, where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration with an accounting emphasis. Prior to the founding of PEG Development, Cameron worked in private and public accounting, city management, and construction and development services. Cameron’s experience in the public sector familiarized him with all facets of city government,
including ordinances, development laws, economic development, tax incentives, special improvement districts, local and federal grants, and planning and zoning. While serving as the executive director of the RDA for the Micron Technology Project in Lehi, Utah, he was responsible for the largest tax incentive project in the western United States to that date ($125 million). Patricia Healy, Senior Vice President of Research and Portfolio Manager, Cumberland Advisors Patricia M. Healy joined Cumberland Advisors in the summer of 2016 as a Senior Vice President of Research and Portfolio Manager. Ms. Healy was most recently Senior Director for Bayern LB where she oversaw the Public Finance portfolio as well as the firm’s Tender Option Bond liquidity program. Previously, Ms. Healy served as a credit analyst at TD Securities as well as Offitbank. She also has experience at the credit rating agencies of Fitch and Standard & Poor’s. Ms. Healy holds a B.S. in Finance from the State University of New York at New Paltz. In addition, she is a holder of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. Jennifer Hwu, CEO, InnoSys, Inc. Almost 30 years ago, Jennifer Hwu quit her job as a high school physics teacher in Taiwan and moved to California to study electrical engineering at UCLA. After earning a Master’s and Ph.D. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Hwu accepted a job as a professor at the University of Utah. Twelve years later, she decided she wanted to put her research to use and started InnoSys, a company that manufactures electronic components for electric systems and applications, such as the electric units inside LED lighting. InnoSys is moving from the private sector and will offer consumer products later this year, a shift that she anticipates will double its current revenue. Her company has seen steady sales growth for the past eight years. Abby Ivory, Manager, Impact Investing at Sorenson Impact Center Abby Ivory is a Manager at the Sorenson Impact Center. She currently works with Senior Director Paul Brown to develop a student-run fixed impact fund that will be housed at the University of Utah. Prior to joining the center, Abby worked at Equilibrium Capital, where she first began researching the development of green bonds. While pursuing an MBA, Abby then chose to focus on sustainability, with specific emphasis on green bonds. Her research recently resulted in a public article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review. Abby has an MBA from the David Eccles School of Business and B.S. in International Studies from the University of Utah.
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SPEA K ER BIOS Safia Keller, Chief Employment Development Officer, Columbus Safia comes to Columbus with 10 years of experience in fundraising and 11 years of experience in sales and program creation. She worked at Westminster College as director of corporate relations for 10 years and prior to that was the group and corporate sales director for 14 cities for Broadway Across America for 11 years. She received her BA in International Affairs from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Salt Lake City and is the current Chair of the Utah Women’s Giving Circle. She sits on several boards in the community including the AFP – Utah Chapter (Association of Fundraising Professionals), the Salt Lake Rotary Foundation and the University of Utah Ski Archives. Jasen Lee, Journalist, Deseret News/KSL Jasen is a veteran journalist and broadcaster who began his career in radio. He’s worked in Milwaukee, WI, Springfield, IL, and Salt Lake City covering news, politics and sports. He is the co-creator of the Voices of Reason podcast along with Amy Donaldson where they promote civil dialogue and understanding between people of differing views. He is also the co-founder and president of The Loudmouth Project — a digital media company that creates and produces podcast content that inspires change through story telling. A Chicago native, Jasen received a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and earned a Masters of Professional Communication degree at Weber State University. Stephanie Mackay, Chief Innovation Officer, Columbus Stephanie joined Columbus in 2004 and has worked with her colleagues, board members, and community stakeholders to build the agency’s capacity to serve individuals with some of the most severe disabilities. She is deeply committed to promoting a model of inclusion through economic development—working with stakeholders to create replicable, sustainable models of employment, housing, and community access for individuals with the most severe disabilities. She sits on the Global Interdependence Center’s Board of Trustees. In 2015 she was recognized as “30 Women to Watch,” and in 2018 she was a finalist for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Bryan Miller, Motivational Speaker, Writer, and Philanthropist and Executive Director of Culture at Larry H. Miller Group of Companies Bryan is a writer, coach, and philanthropist. Within the family enterprise, the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, he serves on the board of directors and as Executive Director of Culture. In 2013, Bryan created Miller Inspiration, a personal development and professional training company that serves business leaders and entrepreneurs as well as employees of the Larry H. Miller
Group of Companies (LHM Group). Outside of the family enterprise, he is president of a consultancy group that serves the needs of legacy families, helping them position themselves for multigenerational success. He recently launched the School for Good Living, a coaching company dedicated to helping individuals live extraordinary lives of happiness, meaning, and contribution. Jeff Miller, General Manager and part owner of both the Mark Miller Subaru Dealerships and JCO Financial Jeff has been with the Mark Miller Organization since 2003. He received his MBA from the University of Utah in 2010 and his Bachelor’s in Business from University of Southern California in 2002. He is a member of various prestigious corporate boards including the regional dealer advisory board for Subaru of America, the Dealertrack Technologies National Advisory Board, and the Dealertrack DMS Client Advisory Board. He is also very involved with the community serving on the boards of the Ronald McDonald House of the Intermountain Area and the Boys and Girls Club of Salt Lake City. He works tirelessly to ensure that the Mark Miller Dealerships make a lasting impact in the community through charitable efforts and community outreach. Suzi Montgomery, Education Director, Utah Film Center Suzi Montgomery helped establish and now directs the Utah Film Center Education Department. The department introduces students and teachers to the power of film as a teaching resource and improve students’ media literacy through film screenings, discussions, workshops, and classroom lessons that increase student engagement, comprehension, and critical thinking while supporting core curriculum requirements. Barry Morrow, Oscar-winning screenwriter of the movie Rain Man Barry is an Emmy and Academy Award winning writer/producer best known for his original story and screenplay for the 1988 Best Picture Rain Main. Early film projects related to disabilities, child abuse, and elder abuse led Barry to become an advocate for marginalized groups, and he received a lifetime achievement award from the National Association of Social Workers. Several of Morrow’s scripts are inspired by real people, especially people with disabilities and extraordinary talents. These include the savant played by Dustin Hoffman in the film Rain Man, inspired by the real savant Kim Peek, and Bill Sackter, played by Mickey Rooney in the TV movie Bill. Both works received writing Oscar, Emmy and other awards for Morrow and for the actors who portrayed them. Morrow gave his Oscar statue as a gift to Kim Peek. After Kim passed away in 2009, Morrow put his Oscar statuette on permanent loan to Salt Lake City in Kim’s memory, and helped establish the Peek Award for Disabilities in media.
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SPEA K ER BIOS Wayne Niederhauser, Owner, CW Management Corporation, and past president, Utah State Senate Wayne is a co-owner of CW Management Corporation, a real estate development company located in West Jordan. CW focuses on residential and commercial projects that enhance a quality lifestyle and the surrounding community. He served in the Utah State Legislature from 2010 -2018. From 2012 to 2016 he served as president of the Utah Senate. Prior to that, he served as Majority Whip. He sits on the Columbus Board of trustees. Robert Spendlove, Economic and Public Policy Officer, Zions Bank In this capacity, Robert monitors and reports on economic indicators and public policy developments for the bank. Robert’s research interests are primarily in the areas of macroeconomics, demographics, financial markets, and public policy. He is known for his insightful and understandable approach to explaining economic trends. Robert also serves in the Utah House of Representatives, where he was elected in 2014. He represents District 49 in the Legislature, covering parts of Sandy and Cottonwood Heights cities. He is the Chair of the Revenue and Taxation Committee and the Vice Chair of the Rules Committee. He also serves on the Public Education Appropriations Committee and the Health and Human Services Committee. Robert serves on a number of boards and commissions, including the Utah Economic Council, the Utah International Relations and Trade Commission, and Envision Utah. Robert received a Master’s of Public Administration with an emphasis in economic public policy at the University of Utah, where he is currently an adjunct instructor of public policy. Kasandra VerBrugghen, Executive Director, Spy Hop Productions Kasandra is the executive director of Spy Hop Productions, a nonprofit youth media arts organization located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Founded in 1999, Spy Hop is dedicated to mentoring young people in digital media arts to help them find their voice, tell their stories, and be empowered to affect positive change in their lives, their communities, and the world. Spy Hop serves over 15,000 young people statewide each year through in-school and afterschool programming in film, audio, music, and design. She joined Spy Hop in 2008, has over 25 years of experience working for nonprofit education and youth development organizations, and has a BA in Political Science from the University of Arizona and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Washington.
Vanessa Williamsen, Executive Producer, RootWorthy Films Native-Utahan and middle-child of seven, Vanessa grew up learning patience and observational humor in real-time, skills that proved to be useful while briefly teaching Special Education in an inclusive classroom post-college. During her time in education, she specialized in creating adaptations from the general curriculum so students at various levels of academic functioning were able to work together in academic and social settings. Her notable achievement was directing the school’s annual Science Technology Engineering Arts and Math (STEAM) showcase. Her experience of incorporating the arts and media into special education inspired a journey into filmmaking, primarily focusing on stories of social inclusion. In 2017 Vanessa founded RootWorthy Films, a non-profit production company that connects emerging filmmakers with social relief organizations and causes to produce documentary content. Elizabeth Whisamore, SPHR, EVP and Director of Human Relations, Zionsbancorpation Beth is an Executive Vice President of Human Resources for Zionsbancorporation. In her current role as Director of Employee Services, Beth and her team focus on escalated employee relations, employee-related shared service functions, employee engagement, policy and practice standardization and interface with legal, compliance and audit. Beth has worked in Human Resources for 20 years spending the first decade of her career working for an HR management consulting company based in Northern Virginia that consulted primarily to the Federal government. In 2009, Beth relocated to Salt Lake City and spent two years as the HR Manager for an advertising agency. In 2011, she joined Zions and has worked as an HR Business Partner, HR Manager and HR Director. Beth recently joined the board of the non-profit organization, Friends for Sight, after spending three years on the Utah Governor’s Committee on Employment for People with Disabilities. Taylor Woodbury, COO, Woodbury Corporation Taylor serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Woodbury Corporation. He is also a principal in Woodbury Strategic Partners Management which manages Woodbury’s private equity fund. Mr. Woodbury is involved with various departments in the company, including accounting, finance, development, legal, and administration. Mr. Woodbury is a member of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society, the Utah Bar Association, and he was an adjunct professor in the MBA program at Westminster College’s Gore School of Business in Corporate Finance. He graduated cum laude with a B.S. in Economics and earned J.D. and MBA degrees from The George Washington University.
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Learn more about Columbus I want to learn more about employing people with disabilities. Columbus has a Community Employment program that connects businesses with qualified employees. Columbus staff work with companies to determine staffing needs, assess individuals looking for employment, and provide on-the-job training and placement resources. • Visit www.columbusserves.org/support-services/supportedemployment. • Contact Safia Keller, Chief Employment Development Officer, skeller@columbusserves.org, (385) 715-2736
I want to hear more about Columbus’s business solutions. Columbus has several business services that can meet your company’s needs, including secure document destruction, grounds maintenance, custodial, production, and light assembly and packaging. We can talk to you about custom business solutions based on your need. • Visit www.columbusserves.org/business-services. • Contact Lin Sorenson, Chief Operating Officer, lsorenson@columbusserves.org, (385) 715-5390
I would like to make a donation that will have an impact. Your donation can support individuals with disabilities in a way that is strategic, meaningful, and measurable. For more information: • Visit www.columbusserves.org/get-involved. • Contact Stephanie Mackay, Chief Innovation Officer, smackay@columbusserves.org, (385) 715-5399
I want to know more about programs and services. Columbus has three programs that provide services for individuals with disabilities: residential services, vocational programs, and a day activity program. • Contact Lin Sorenson, Chief Operating Officer lsorenson@columbusserves.org, (385) 715-5390