Women in Business - 1
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2 - Women in Business
Our Business is Saving Lives.
Honoring The Nurses at Ashley Regional Medical Center
Ashley Regional Medical Center would like to recognize their female nursing staff and offer sincere appreciation for their hard work. In 2016 Ashley Regional became a designated Trauma IV center, and received Chest Pain Accreditation because of the efforts of these dedicated employees. Thank you to all the nurses who devote their working hours to caring for the sick and injured in our community and go above and beyond every day.
Emergency Nurses Tawnie Reynolds Jessica Jacobson Kelly Bingham Kristena Hunsaker Lise Ellender Nichole Sorensen Scarlet Reynolds Tabitha Cutright Valerie Slaugh Abbilyn Caldwell Megan Parker Kayleen Copeland Lacey Christensen
ICU Nurses
Dannielle Wilson Lareesa Knight Stephanie Smith Crystal Thompson Mallori Fuller Gwenna Powell Amy Bigelow
Medical/Surgical Nurses Shelly Turner Brittany Kidd Amanda Goodwin Brianna Hanington Brittany Slaugh
Chelsea Malnar Dawn Merrick Deana Kay Margo Baker Tenille Mickelson Denise Reynolds Emily Bradley Kaitlyn Bennion Kathleen Smith Kathryn Kidd KayCee Asay Natalie Gardner Eve Nichols Kimberly Kobernick Holli Atwood
OB Nurses
Pennie Johnson Alys Mansfield Camille Perusek Candace Lewis Lisa Cable Stacey Thorlaksen Paula Breitenbach Tracy Winterton Becky Hermann Charlene Andreason Heidi Winn Janine Boren Jill Harrison
Visit www.ashleyregional.com for more information on our hospital.
Katherine Goodrich Nichole Olsen Adreana McDonald Cami Cook Tera Massey Jennifer Lance Megan Smith Jeanette Eaton
Surgical Nurses Debra Schrader Tama Anderson Julee Hanberg Megan Carroll Sara Reary Valerie Simons Brenda Henderson Andrianne Shewell Beth Carroll Jeanette Winn Patty Hardinger Sandi Summers Teri Edwards Patricia Hunting
Nurses
Cindy Hancock Lori Speir Sage McMickell Holly Hacking Ashley Harrison Kayti Priebe Paula Tenderholt Jo Holmes Julie Merkley Ruth Reams Mindy Foster Rachel Hamilton Amy Maclee Cynthia Colton Cammie Thomas Ann Cook Emee Pummell Aleisha Penrod
Like us on Facebook.
Women in Business - 3
The Duchesne County Chamber of Commerce pays tribute to the talented & dedicated women who own manage & staff our valuable businesses.
2016 Duchesne County Chamber Members American Cancer Assoc. Relay for Life America’s Best Value Inn Anadarko Petroleum Aycock, Miles & Associates Ballard City Basin Memorial Basin Moving & Storage Basin Nickel Ads Basin Transmission and Engine Basin Veterinary Clinic Beans and Bites Besst Fire and Safety Best Western plus Landmark Hotel Bill Barrett Corp. Bill’s Old Car Museum Burdick Materials CB&M Properties Canyon Meadows Ranch Cedar Bear Naturales Century 21 Country Realty Chevron Texaco Products Co. China Star Children’s Justice Center City Park Pizza Clark State Farm Insurance Classic Lube Coldwell Banker R.S. West Comfort Inn Country Flair Crazy Daisy Floral D & K Plumbing W. Scott Danley D.D.S. Dan’s Tire Service Davis Food and Drug DDI Vantage Defa’s Dude Ranch Dept. of Workforce Services Duchesne County Assessor Duchesne Co. Attorney’s Off. Duchesne County Clerk/Auditor Duch. Co. Clerk/Auditor Office Duchesne County Ext. Service Duchesne Co. Planning & Zoning Duchesne County Recorder Duchesne County Recorder Off. Duchesne Co. School District
Duchesne County Treasurer Duchesne County Treasurer Off. Duch. Co. Water Conserv. Dist. El Paso Exploration & Prod. Ellie’s EZ Stop Energy Operators Extended Stay Cottages Erik Nelson HVAC, Inc. Family Support Center Farm Bureau Insurance Larry K. Farnsworth Trucking, Inc. Flying J Outfitters, Inc. Freedom Realty Frontier Motel Motel and Grill Gallagher Benefit Services Gateway 66 Grab and Growl Greg Allen Excavating GT Enterprises Harrison Inn Holly Transportation LLC Horrocks Engineers Hullinger Mortuary Hunting Works for Utah The Ink Spot Jerry Sleight Insurance Inc. Jiffy Enterprises Inc. Joel D. Berrett Atty. Jones and DeMille Engineering, Inc. Jones Paint & Glass Jorgensen Construction, Inc. Just A Wee Bit Used King’s Peak Credit Union Kody’s Fitness Center KNEU/KIFX Radio Kohl’s Kuhr Stitching KVEL/KLCY L & L Motor Co., Inc. LC Ranch Landmark Hotel James N. Lemon D.D.S. Landmark Property Management Inc. Little Einsteins Academy Local Pages, The Long’s Plumbing Inc.
Linn Energy Lulu Avenue Jewelry Mainstreet Subway Mama Lia’s Marion’s McDonald’s of Roosevelt McMullin Htg., Cooling & Construction Miller Law Group Miss Annie’s Quilt Shoppe Monsen Farm/dba Water Hollow Ranch Moon Lake Electric Moon Lake Water Users Assoc. Bart Morrill, CPA, PC Mountainland Supply Co. Mt. America Credit Union Murray Motor Uintah Smiles Nielsen’s Northeastern Counseling Center Northeastern Utah Office Supply Oilfield Class Transports, Inc Old Mill RV Park & Gift Shop Old West Antiques and Upholstery O’Reilly Auto Parts Legacy Community Pages Palmer’s American Car Center Paul Hanna Dental Paragon Oilfield Products, Inc Petroglyph Operating Co., Inc. Pepsi of Vernal Ponderosa Yoga Questar Gas Company R & B Slickline and Field Service Inc. Rhino Linings R. Chapman Construction R N Industries RNR Surveying, Inc. Rise Services, Inc. Robinson Dental & Implants Rock Creek Store B/B Roosevelt City Corp. Roosevelt City Police Dept. Roosevelt Industrial Properties, LLC Roosevelt Theaters LLC Service Insurance Agency Signs and Lines
Skips Refrigeration/Heating Steakout LLC Stewart’s Market STRATA Networks Studio 6 Hotel Sunrise Engineering Swasey Enterprises, Inc. Tabby Country Cabins Taco Bell Thacker’s Repair T. Thackers, Inc. THC Company, LLC J. Flint Tomlinson, D.M.D. Tony Basso GM Tri County Health Dept. Tuck-It-Away Storage Uinta Veterinary Services Uintah Basin Assoc. of Gov. U.B.A.T.C. Custom Fit U.B. Applied Tech. College Uintah Basin Home Health Uintah Basin Medical Center Uintah Basin Standard Uintah Broadcasting-KXRQ Roland Uresk USU Extension/Duchesne County USU/Uintah Basin USU/Uintah Basin Utah Power Credit Union Utah State SBDC Ute Enterprises Val’s Body Shop V-TV V-TV Tractor Supply Company Wells Fargo Bank Western Land Realty Inc Wind River Wireless LLC Winterton Suites Wood -N- Design World of Beauty XTO Energy Zion’s Bank Ziplocal, LP
4 - Women in Business
N E E S N IRE HAN
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“Being a woman has not hindered me in any way. I think we live in an area in the Basin where, with the energy industry, we see women in every role. I think at the end of the day, it’s your character, your talent and your passion for what you’re doing. I believe that overcomes all odds.” -Irene Hansen
Women in Business - 5
Look for the Home best, and you’ll find it is where your heart is...
LeeNichole Marett
lmarett@ubmedia.biz
If there’s one person intimately familiar with the ins and outs of doing business in Duchesne County, that person is Irene Hansen. Hansen has served as the Executive Director of the Duchesne County Area Chamber of Commerce for the past 24 years. Under dows that umbrella she oversees economic development, the convention Win Doors rs e bureau and tourism and recreation promotion for Duchesne County. g a r a r Doo Over the course of her career, Hansen has seen business devel- G o i r e t x opment from nearly every angle. Before her career at the chamber erior/E t o Glass of commerce, she and her husband operated their own business inIn Aut Roosevelt. Paint “In the late 80s, we had our own business in town. My husband and I managed the Sprouse store that was here for 15 years,” said Hansen. “As the economy started to soften in the Basin, I started to get involved. I started getting involved in the political arena and just sgoing to meetings, encouraging other businesses, getting involved rs other people who were proactive, and did that for really five owith years.” Doors o r Through her volunteer efforts, Hansen truly found her passion. a ss“Those things were so fulfilling. I could see how much of a difference people were making, and I just wanted to get involved more and more,” she said. “Something inside of me really stirred to realize, first of all, how much I loved it here. We had had such a good run at being in business here. People here are incredible, so loyal, and so I just felt like I wanted to give that back.” By the early 90s, Hansen was spending more time on her volunteer work supporting
other local businesses than she was running her own business. “I was spending probably 40 percent of my time running our business and 60 percent of my time volunteering, trying to help do economic development,” Hansen said. “In about 1990, a new countywide chamber was formed so that we could ask the county to contract with them for economic development. I was on the board at that time.” The newly-formed chamber went through several executive directors in a short period of time. The board wasn’t sure how to proceed with the changes in leadership, but then Hansen stepped forward. “I offered to just fill in for 90 days to help kind of assess the situation and figure out what should be our next move as an office,” Hansen said. “That was at the end of 1992. I took the job for 90 days and fell in love. So my husband took over 100 percent of the management of our store and I just became Duchesne County Chamber. The rest is kind of history.” Starting out wasn’t easy. Hansen and her team literally built the chamber from the ground up. “Those first few years, we had to do everything the hard way,” said Hansen. “There was almost no digital media, so everything was done with phone calls and trips to people’s places. In the Basin, we have to be creative. I’m sure I’m doing things that we consider economic development that, in other areas, aren’t. But we love helping people. We love helping new businesses get started.” Through her career with the chamber, Hansen has assisted many Basin businesses as they grew into successful enterprises. “One of the projects that I’m the very most proud of is being able to work with UBTA, which is now STRATA, over the last 15 years,” Hansen said. “When
me is where your heart is...
SEE HANSEN on 16
re your heart is...
Home is where your heart is...
Youpaint deserve quality paint & glass deserve quality & glass roudly serving you Proudly sinceserving 1938 you since 1938 Suzette Thomas
Patricia Williamsen
Thank you to Suzette Thomas, Patricia Williamsen and all the wonderful business women in the Basin for making our community great.
uality paint & glass 543 North Vernal Ave ROOSEVELT OFFICE 435.722.3533
ngR.S.you since WEST REAL ESTATE 1938
VERNAL OFFICE VERNAL 435.789.7555
789-3241
ROOSEVELT 140 East 100 North VERNAL ROOSEVELT 722-3926
66 - Women in Business
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“People would ask me how I’m doing and I was broke and scared and I would say ‘great, things have never been better,’ I would tell myself ‘fake it till you make it, they don’t know.’” - Cindy Perry
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rm... and that feels Positive attitude begets success Women in Business - 7
That’s why we’ve been Liberty Best
lbest@ubmedia.biz
Cindy Perry keeps her focus on making her thoughts and dreams a reality. Having started in the insurance world after becoming a single mom in the 90s, she had to make ends meet. She didn’t let that slow her down. Creating her own company and having it blossom into something bigger than she originally thought, has made her all the more goal oriented, knowing anything is possible. She says that if you plant carrots, you will get carrots, and the same concept applies to thoughts and mental attitude. She says if you plant good thoughts and plant a belief in yourself, then that positive is what you’re going to accomplish. “My driving force is, if I can do it, then I have paved the way for my grandchildren to do it,” Perry said. “My kids are already doing great on their own. But that’s all I wanted when I was a kid, someone I could look up to and someone that believed in me and showed me it was possible. I feel like, by doing the best I can do and being the best I can be, in whatever aspect it is... my grandkids can stand on my shoulders and be even that much more. I have no doubt they will.” She has had to quickly learn and adapt as she spent time in the 90s gaining experience through new challenges. In 1993, she was thrown into management at an agency she
had only worked at for one week. After gaining experience in the insurance industry, she decided to start her own business, Perry Insurance Agency, and opened the business on April Fool’s Day in 2000. “That was 16 years ago now,” she said. “I have been so fortunate. I’ve had set backs.” Perry said that in order to keep moving forward it was imperative for her to keep those positive thoughts and see herself vividly accomplishing her goals. “If you are going to fill in those shoes you are going to be wearing, you have to see it to the point you know what the outfit looks like, you know how your day starts and how it ends and live it before it happens,” she said and added about how it was to start out. “People would ask me how I’m doing and I was broke and scared and I would say ‘great, things have never been better,’ I would tell myself ‘fake it till you make it, they don’t know.’” She said that when she was first starting her career and didn’t have any money to pay the bills and not much in the fridge, she would just say to herself, “I can survive, I will survive.” “I kind of feel like life is about seasons, and you might have a hard cold winter, but as surely as there is winter there’s a spring,” she said. “In that spring there are new opportunities and summer becomes abundant and fall is about harvest and our lives are like that too.” SEE PERRY on 17
business this way for
t 100 years.
F R I E N D LYST, F , T S FA FA ,
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In RecognItIon of the SERVICE YOU contRIbutIons women
CAN COUNT ON!
make to busIness In ouR Since 1916, Auto-Owners Insurance has been
communIty teaming up with your local independent agent—a
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8 - Women in Business
A E R R E D P AN HAR
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“I’ve gone out of my way to work in every department in this business so that I could be as knowledgeable as possible and as helpful as possible in every aspect. That one thing is probably the reason for my growth in this business. I got my hands dirty right along with them.” -Andrea Harper
Women in Business - 9
Succeeding on her own terms in a male dominated industry LeeNichole Marett
lmarett@ubmedia.biz
“You have to have a backbone to work in this industry. They’re not going to pamper you here.” So says Andrea Harper, Administrative Manager at L&L Motor Company. Harper just celebrated her seven-year anniversary with the locally-owned car dealership on Aug. 24. Harper initially started working at L&L out of boredom. “I was going to try to be a stay-at-home mom, but both my kids were going to be in school full-time and I couldn’t fathom sitting at home by myself all day long,” said Harper. “I had come down to L&L just to talk to Matt (Garner) about something, and he had mentioned that they needed a new front desk receptionist and asked me if I’d be interested. I was like, ‘Yeah, I need something to do. I’m bored.’” Before taking the job at L&L, Harper had been employed full-time as a graphic designer at the Uintah Basin Standard. She studied art in college and had never previously considered changing career paths. “To me, it felt almost like taking a step back. I knew I was more capable than just doing front desk stuff. But at the same time, it also felt new and different, like it was opening up a world that I had never even thought about going into before,” Harper said. “Working in a car dealership felt completely foreign to me, but that was also what was intriguing about it.” Harper spent approximately six months at L&L’s front desk before being promoted to Warranty Administrator. From there, she was promoted to Administrative Manager over the entire dealership. Her duties now include accounting, payroll, human resources, processes and procedures and marketing design. She also serves as the manager over safety, warranty work, titling work and the front desk.
“I’m not exaggerating at all when I say that I love my job,” Harper said. “People always say that no one loves their job, but that isn’t true for me. I’m a firm believer that if we have the right processes in place, then everything else will fall into place. I love watching things come together and work for the better.” Harper has enjoyed great success with L&L Motor Company, but it hasn’t been easy. The automotive industry is notoriously male-dominated and it’s taken time and effort to distinguish herself as a woman in the business. “When I came on and we were still in our building across the street, we didn’t even have a girl’s bathroom. That’s how maledominated it was,” said Harper. “No women had ever worked full time at L&L. They had no idea what to do with me. I brought in a whole new set of problems, like ‘Oh my gosh, maternity leave. What if we have a woman that gets pregnant?’ It had never been an issue before because it had just been run by men.” In addition to the logistical challenges of being the first woman on staff full time, Harper also faced some resistance for being a girl in what was seen as a “man’s world.” “My very first day, they threw me a set of keys and asked me to go move a truck,” said Harper. “Apparently they had all been joking around about how I wouldn’t be able to move it because it was a stick shift. They were all literally standing at the door watching me to see if I’d be able to move this truck. I jumped right in it and moved it because I’ve been driving stick since I was 13, and they were like ‘Oh, she can drive a stick.’ I faced a lot of little tests like that.” Harper didn’t just see resistance from her coworkers for being a woman in a car dealership. She also faced it from some of L&L’s customers.
SEE HARPER on 16
Congratulations to Andrea Harper on your 2016 Women in Business award. Your professional demeanor and friendly attitude make our dealerships truly unique. You , among all the other great women at L&L Motor, are the major reason for our success! Thank you! L&L Motor Team
193 East 200 North, Roosevelt (435) 722-2233 463 East Main, Vernal (435) 789-2114
www.LLMOTOR.com
10 - Women in Business
mpany
R N E E G D GIN BOW
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“You celebrate with food. You always celebrate with food. You celebrate with cake at a wedding, you celebrate with funeral potatoes when someone passes, and so it’s always been ‘how can I make someone feel better’ and between the eat and drink, that’s just it.” -Ginger Bowden
Women in Business - 11
Brewer is inspired by the mystery of tomorrow Liberty Best
lbest@ubmedia.biz
“You never really know what tomorrow brings,” local brewer Ginger Bowden said. Her “tomorrow” brought her into a successful business, brewing beer and making food for the local community. She says she’s never been happier running Vernal Brewing Company and Dinosaur Brew Haus. As a youth Bowden became intrigued by the art, intricacies and varieties of brewing at home with her father. She called it a “family cooking experience.” When she was an adult, her parents gave her a kit to start her own home brews, and she loved delving into it as a personal hobby. In college she studied in Oregon for environmental science, though she had always been drawn to food, with just as much passion for cuisine as she had for beer. Bowden had a desire to attend culinary school, but decided it was not the best choice when she was already two years into her environmental science studies when she was drawn to the idea. “You celebrate with food,” she said. “You always celebrate with food. You celebrate with cake at a wedding, you celebrate with funeral potatoes when someone passes, and so it’s always been ‘how can I make someone feel better’ and between the eat and drink, that’s just it.” Working hard as a regulatory agent for oil and gas for years, the idea of starting up a brewing company was in her mind as “do I do this when I retire, do I do this right now, when does this happen.”
“With oil and gas in its decline, on my end of things, this just seemed like the next best logical step,” she said. The company didn’t take long to get off the ground to stand on its own two feet. Bowden said she put together a business plan, found an investor and before she knew it she was breaking ground, and a building was there ready to open. After opening Vernal Brewing Company, Bowden said it made sense to add Dinosaur Brew Haus as an extension of the experience she wanted to give the community and tourists alike, so a few months after opening, she purchased the Brew Haus. “We’re the only brewery within 150 miles,” she said. “We have Grand Junction, Rock Springs, Salt Lake. But we’re kind of a tourist stop along the way as well, and Vernal didn’t have anything like that. I love beer and I love food and it just made sense to bring it all together in one place where everyone can enjoy it. I want to enjoy it. I want everyone else to enjoy it as well.” Bowden said there has not been one or two obstacles she had to overcome in order to make the business a success, but rather it is the little daily challenges that have to be overcome regularly. Not knowing the sales each day or what tomorrow will bring, gives her a daily goal to achieve something better than the day before. “It still hasn’t necessarily come to fruition, it’s a work in progress, every day,” she said. Her influences in her life have involved her parents, who always told her she can become more and do more than she even thinks possible. She also said her influence in
SEE BOWDEN on 17
contributing to the SucceSS of woMen in buSineSS
Learn More at - wbcutah.coM
1 3 4 W e s t M a i n Ve r n a l U t a h 8 4 0 7 8 Phone: 435-789-1352 Fax: 435-789-1355
12 - Women in Business
N E L L G I E MA ZOB
Uintah
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Bas
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“Maybe it was a little bold, but I think you have to be a little bold to get what you want. You have to be willing to stand up and make your voice heard.� - Maigen Zobell
Women in Business - 13
Positive attitude and confidence create success LeeNichole Marett
lmarett@ubmedia.biz
Even in industries that are dominated by women, it can still be challenging to distinguish yourself as a woman at the top. Maigen Zobell, Director of Marketing/PR and Volunteer Services at Uintah Basin Healthcare, has faced and overcome some of those hurdles. “Being a woman in a management position isn’t always easy,” said Zobell. “Sometimes you feel like the minority in the room, and with good reason. I think it comes down to having the confidence to speak up.” Zobell has had many opportunities to develop that confidence throughout her career. She began her work in healthcare as a Radiology Technician, and planned to pursue the education needed to become a Radiologist. However, a personal challenge caused her to take a new path. “I was diagnosed with Amblyopia, or lazy eye. My right eye doesn’t see any detail at all,” Zobell said. “One of my professors pulled me aside and advised me to consider making a backup plan. It was then that I changed my degree to Business and Marketing.” After graduating with her Marketing degree, Zobell went to work for STRATA Networks, where she spent 12 years as the Marketing Coordinator. Though she loved her time at STRATA, when the opportunity arose to return to healthcare, she took it. “The thought of marketing people rather than products was very exciting to me,” Zobell said. “It took me back to where my heart was. The job at Uintah Basin Healthcare really gave me the opportunity to combine my two interests, marketing and healthcare. It’s right where I belong.” From the very beginning, Zobell’s success at Uintah Basin Healthcare required
hot & cold 2 go Some See Us at our location next to Davis Foods!
confidence. “When I accepted the interview for my current position, I knew that I would be facing the entire administrative team in my interview,” Zobell said. “I wanted to be as prepared as possible, so I started doing research. I learned everything I could about the organization, about their history, their culture, everything. I spent a lot of time getting to know the company and thinking about the impact I could have. Then I came in and presented exactly what I thought Uintah Basin Healthcare needed. I basically said, ‘This is what I think you should do with your brand. I think you need a new logo. I think you need branding guidelines. I think you need a new marketing plan.’ I wanted to show them exactly what I could do for them if they hired me.” That kind of confidence has been a trademark of Zobell’s career. “Maybe it was a little bold, but I think you have to be a little bold to get what you want. You have to be willing to stand up and make your voice heard,” Zobell said. Zobell’s position covers a huge variety of responsibilities. Her duties include graphic design, print, website, social media, TV, electronic signage, radio, video, signage, press releases and communications, branding guidelines, organizing corporate events, raising funds for the organization’s charitable foundation and so much more. “One of the things that’s near and dear to my heart is raising money for Brody’s Fund, which provides financial assistance for medical and funeral costs for families who lose a newborn,” Zobell said. “A large focus of my job is also the patient experience. Uintah Basin Healthcare is committed to creating a healing environment where patients come first. I, along with our Patient Experience Coordinator, utilize our HEALING Model to train staff members at Uintah Basin Healthcare. Basically it’s about ensuring that our SEE ZOBELL on 17
Thank you to all who contribute to our community & businesses Brian Gorum
88 W. 500 S.
Coffee Is Our Business
Mon-Fri 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Saturday and After Hours by Appointment
789-1234 • 789-1557 758 West Main, Vernal
14 - Women in Business
R A E I L N E U E A H T W
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Studio
“I want it to be more for me and for my studio. When I teach, I hope I’m not just giving them dancing skills, I hope that we’re teaching them life lessons.” - Taunia Wheeler
Women in Business - 15
Influencing generations through the love of dance Liberty Best
lbest@ubmedia.biz
Being raised at the barre in her mother’s dance studio, Taunia Wheeler developed a love of dance early in life. She has been a prominent example of strength, agility and what can be accomplished through dedication, in the dance community in Vernal for over 32 years. Wheeler started up her own studio to continue the legacy of knowledge and talent that her mother gave her. Through the course of her many years teaching, she is now instructing second generation dancers at the barre. “I feel like, being a dance teacher involves so much more, and I want it to be more for me and for my studio,” she said. “When I teach, I hope I’m not just giving them dancing skills, I hope that we’re teaching them life lessons.” Wheeler moved to Vernal with her husband, about 32 years ago, with the idea of changing careers from farming to oilfield. Her husband got a few trucks and she said she was getting bored and knew she wanted to continue dance. She started Powerhouse Dance. “I’ve always had plenty of students,” she said. “I have not felt like it was hard to keep the business going, even in bad times.” Wheeler’s studio has changed locations multiple times over the years it has been open and her students and families continue to support the studio. She said she is grateful that people are willing to sacrifice for something they believe in, even in hard times, when the economy isn’t the best locally. “It seems like from the beginning I’ve always had more than enough people to earn
a living, and it is my livelihood,” she said. “Even though I love it, and I wish it was just a hobby, it is my livelihood.” Wheeler said she enjoys teaching and being a part of helping to improve self-esteem for youth. One motto of Wheeler’s studio is, “I can do hard things,” and she has seen that influence her students of all ages, in more than just studio time. She has a dance student that had recently lost a grandfather and was heartbroken and in pain from the loss of her loved one. “You know what she said to her mother? She said, ‘You know I can do this mom, Miss Taunia said we can do hard things,’ and that made me feel so good that we’re not just raising great dancers,” Wheeler said. “That hopefully the lessons they learn through dance, they are becoming great human beings. I love that.” Wheeler was impacted by the determination of her dancer, who learned that difficult times can be surpassed through a positive outlook, and knowing things will get easier, and applied lessons learned in the studio to the challenges in life. “I’ll never forget the time,” she said, “spontaneously, it was just pouring outside, and the girls in their black leotards, pink tights and their shoes ran outside and they danced in rain. That goes with another motto, ‘it’s not about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about dancing in the rain.’ I will remember that moment for a long time, that was a really special moment.” Beginning to teach her former student’s children, she has learned a lot about how much she has influenced the local youth. Mothers will approach her and tell her about how much she has touched their lives.
SEE WHEELER on 17
Just A
LaRee Hurley Owner for 6 years
Special thanks to Employees: Calley Scott • Raelene Phelps Congratulations to the Women in Business Winners
Carolyn Ellingford thanks for being the of our business HEART 360 South 200 East Roosevelt, UT 84066
(435) 722-5171 www.ferrellgas.com
510 South 500 West, Vernal 435.781.3523
34 N. 200 E. ( 34 N. Main ) Roosevelt
(435) 722-USED (8733)
Recognizing the Contributions made by so many!
16 - Women in Business
HARPER
Continued from 9
“When I was in the service department especially, I saw a lot of resistance from customers,” Harper said. “Men would come in, I would ask if I could help them and they would purposely be like, ‘Oh no, I’m waiting for...whoever,’ because they didn’t think I could do it. Because I was a woman, I really had to fight for my
place.” However, being a woman didn’t always stand in her way with customers. Sometimes it worked in her favor. “On the other side of that, I had women coming in the door that would only talk to me,” she said. “I think women feel like sometimes they get taken advantage of in car dealerships because they don’t know what to expect, and when they’d walk into the service department and see me, they were like, ‘Oh, thank goodness.’ It was almost like a guaranteed level of trust.” Currently, Harper is one of only eight women employed on a staff of 49 at L&L’s Roosevelt and Vernal offices. She is also the only woman on the management team. “There are 11 managers total, and I am literally the only woman there,” she said. “It’s the same on the corporate level. When I go to corporate trainings, I’m one of very few women in those rooms. I love that, though. I love that it takes work to make it here as a female.” Harper attributes most of her success to a willingness to learn. “I’ve gone out of my way to work in every department in this business so that I could be as knowledgeable as possible and as helpful as possible in every aspect. That one thing is probably the reason for my growth in this business,” she said. “I got my hands dirty right along with them.” Harper also says that she wouldn’t be where she is, both professionally and personally, without the management team at L&L. “Matt (Garner) and Mike (Labrum) have always supported me in everything, especially in the community. They realize how important that is, which is something that I love about working for a family-owned business,” Harper said. “Matt and Mike love that I’m involved in the community and they’ve always 100 percent supported me in that. They’ve also always supported me as a mother. They don’t just hire good people; they take care of them. They push you to be better, and they give you room to grow. I love that about them.” Above all, Harper believes that success only comes through being trustworthy. “When you say you’re going to do something, do it. And if you can’t do it, find someone who can,” Harper said. “When you’re reliable, when you’ve earned the trust of the people around you, that’s when you can really become successful.”
I started this job, everybody was talking about how the day would come that people could live wherever they wanted to live and do business anywhere in the world. That has come to pass because Continued from 5 of the leadership through STRATA. I think if I were to point to anything that I am so proud of, it would be their accomplishment of being able to put us on the map in that way.” Another of Hansen’s legacies has been a strong support for education. Her passion for education was embodied in a moment that she says was one of the most fulfilling of her career. “This year, I was fortunate enough to be the keynote speaker at the Applied Technology College graduation,” Hansen said. “I sat up there on the stage at the junior high as the room filled with 450 or 500 people, and over 400 students graduating. These students were graduating with certificates in a dozen different types of skills, and there were people out there from 16 to 75 years-old. As I looked out over that crowd, it literally took my breath away because you just saw hope. These are people that, even at 75-years-old, are going to get other skills. It was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had, just to look out and realize that these are Basin residents. They want to stay here. They are investing in themselves and in their talents in order to have a good life for their families.” Hansen attributes her success to great leaders and strong personal connections. “If I’ve had anything that I am grateful for, it’s the relationships I’ve had over the years with elected officials,” Hansen said. “I’ve just had amazing opportunities to work with great leaders. They do inspire you. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed that. It’s all about making great relationships with people.” The Basin has a unique business landscape, and Hansen says this makes it a great place for women to be successful. “Being a woman has not hindered me in any way,” Hansen said. “I think we live in an area in the Basin where, with the energy industry, we see women in every role. I think at the end of the day, it’s your character, your talent and your passion for what you’re doing. I believe that overcomes all odds.” Hansen says success is about not being afraid to do hard things. “It is always going to take work,” she said. “In my case, I volunteered for five years. Don’t be afraid to volunteer and get involved. I have also started at the bottom many times and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Don’t be afraid to start at the bottom and work your way up.” Above all, Hansen says it’s important to appreciate what you have. “Appreciate people. Appreciate our community. Look for the good,” Hansen said. “You end up with what you look for. If you look for the best in people, you’ll find it. That’s true in our community, and it’s true in business.”
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PERRY
Perry said her goal had always been to own her own agency, building and have three employees and when she had opened the Continued from 7 agency at 209 S. 500 W., all of her goals had been met and she had to create new goals for herself. Always striving to be better than she was before. Perry said that in reaching her goal she has been able to go back to what she loves, life insurance, and is also currently working on a way to supplement homeowner’s insurance to help insure items that are not covered by homeowner’s insurance.
BOWDEN
success is due to surrounding herself with powerful women that have focus and have a bigger mindset than what most people are Continued from 11 used to. “I’ve been a business owner since I was 24, it’s always been challenging because women in business are not men in business, they’re just, we’re totally different, I think we do set ourselves a part because we aren’t at home having babies necessarily, that doesn’t mean I don’t have babies,” she said. Bowden said it is a very delicate balancing act to balance wanting to spend time with her two children and still manage to keep a business going. “If you can’t roll with the punches, duck them.”
WHEELER
Wheeler said she would have no idea whatsoever how much she had influenced these students, now they are grown, and Continued from 15 thanking her for the impact she has had on them. She has spent years trying to teach kindness, first and foremost, saying she believes kindness is lacking in many areas in the world. She sees the studio as a family and creates an environment where everyone looks out for one another. “When you see little things you try to instill, really blossom in a person, it just comes back tenfold,” she said.
ZOBELL
patients have the best experience possible.” Statistically, healthcare is an industry that’s very femaledominated. Nationwide, the industry is made up of 73 percent Continued from 13 women. At Uintah Basin Healthcare, that number is even higher. Women make up 80 percent of the staff. However, at the highest management and administrative levels, those numbers drop significantly. “The percentage of women in healthcare management and administration is still significantly low,” Zobell said. “Even in an industry that rests so heavily on the backs of women, there still aren’t a lot of women calling the shots at the top. You have to make an effort to succeed.” In addition to confidence, Zobell says that success hinges on gratitude. As a toddler, I didn’t respond to noise. My mother was told that I might not ever regain my hearing,” Zobell said. “I spent two years at Con Amore, and then my hearing disability reversed. It’s not perfect, but I can hear. At age 12, I was diagnosed with Amblyopia. I’ve also struggled with migraines my entire life. I was just recently diagnosed with a condition where my body produces too much cerebral spinal fluid around my brain. I’m now on medication to control that to help with my migraines. I could choose to be upset about all these things. I could choose to see them as struggles to complain about, but instead, I see them as reasons to be grateful. I’m grateful that I have one eye that works. I’m grateful that I can hear. I’m grateful that modern medicine lets us control conditions that used to be untreatable. Whatever your personal struggles, you can choose to be upset, or you can choose to be grateful.” Above all, Zobell believes that attitude determines success. “Positivity is huge, in your personal life and in business. I learned positivity from my mom,” Zobell said. “I grew up watching my mom work harder than anyone I know. My father walked out literally the day I was born, leaving her with two little girls to raise as a single mother. But to this day, I’ve never heard a single negative word from my mom. She never complained. She worked extremely hard, but was crazy fun and my best friend. She still is.” This positive attitude has been the biggest factor in Zobell’s own success. “You have to be willing to work for what you get, and your attitude will determine how hard the work really is,” Zobell said. “There are people who can make the hardest jobs fun, and there are people who can make the easiest work seem miserable. You get to choose which type you’ll be.”
Congratulations Irene Hansen on winning the 2016 Women in Business Award! Your commitment to Duchesne County, and the county’s many businesses is unparalleled. You are truly one of the greatest assets that this county has to offer. With much appreciation,
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