Dr. Susan R. Madsen

What has been your involvement with UWR?

I’ve been a member of the UWR board for 11 years and have attended most of the meetings through the years. I’ve served on event committees through the years, but I feel my main contributions have been bringing a partnership to UWR with the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP). We have used our newsletter and social media platforms to bring in many new attendees to the events. I have helped provide strategic thinking to the group as well. I have also personally donated to UWR, which I believe is important for members of any board and demonstrates my belief in what UWR has been doing through the years.

Why is it important for you to be a member of UWR?

I think UWLP’s partnership has been important to UWR through the years to show support and help market the events through the years. To me, having more women serve in public office at all levels is incredibly foundational to important change that needs to happen in Utah. Having more women serving in political roles will impact nearly everything in a woman’s life, including her health, safety and security, opportunities to start businesses, and strengthening elements of workplace environments. I believe in the mission of UWR.

Do you have favorite memories from UWR/RWR

I have loved working with such amazing board members through the years. These have been women who have been committed to the cause and have shown up year after year to get the work done. I’ve also enjoyed being a keynote speaker at some of the events through the years to provide updates of data. I have loved feeling the energy in the room and talking to many college-aged young women to experienced professionals who have been excited about considering new ways to make a difference in their communities. It has been a joy to be involved in such important work for over a decade!

What do you think the impact of UWR has been during your years on the board or in your career?

UWR have trained 100s of women for public office and provided them with insights, tools, mentoring, and support. Women love feeling communities around what they are hoping to do, so I think this has been key for so many. I believe that UWR has a great deal of potential for helping 1000s more in the future as the board looks at new strategies and considers changing needs moving forward. It has truly been an honor to be involved as a board member of UWR through the years and the UWLP support to UWR has also been important as well.