Moderator: Sui Lang Panoke

Sui Lang L. Panoke is a visionary leader, social entrepreneur and international trainer with over 20 years experience training women, people of color and emerging young leaders in politics. She is Founder of Rethink International, a global social enterprise and home of the Rethink Tank for Women, a social think tank designed to challenge women to rethink how and what they think. Since 2009, Sui Lang has served as principal consultant for Women Politics Media training women leaders on both sides of the aisle. She currently serves on the advisory boards of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association, Real Women Run Utah and the Utah Women and Leadership Project. Sui Lang holds a BS in Political Science from the University of Utah and an MPA from American University’s Women & Politics Institute with a Certificate in Women, Policy, and Political Leadership.

Panelist: Rebecca Chavez-Houck, MPA

Rebecca holds a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication and a Master of Public Administration (MPA), both from the University of Utah (U of U). She represented Salt Lake City’s District 24 (Downtown, Capitol Hill, Guadalupe & the Avenues neighborhoods) in the Utah House of Representatives from 2008-18, focusing primarily on public policy related to health and human services as well as voter engagement and access. Her leadership appointments included: House Minority Whip (2014-16) and House Minority Assistant Whip (2012-14). She now provides leadership coaching and community engagement consulting through her public affairs firm, Aspira Public Affairs, LLC, and also serves as Executive Director for Utahns for Responsive Government/Better Boundaries.

During her time on Utah’s Capitol Hill, Rebecca served as a co-chair of the bipartisan legislative Clean Air Caucus and Utah’s Women in the Economy Commission. Other appointments that influenced her policy agenda include service on former Governor Jon Huntsman’s Commission to Strengthen Utah’s Democracy, Governor Gary Herbert’s Medicaid Working Group, and the legislative Health Reform Task Force. Her legislative committee assignments included the social services appropriations subcommittee, as well as, health & human services, government operations, and economic development & workforce services standing and interim committees. She is a 2012 Council of State Governments (CSG) Toll Fellows Graduate. Rebecca was a public affairs staffer for a number of local Utah nonprofits from 1985 to 2007. She continues to serve on myriad boards and initiatives and has been honored extensively for her efforts. Rebecca teaches non-profit administration classes as adjunct faculty for the U of U’s MPA program.

Panelist: Lynne Ward

Lynne Ward served as the Executive Director of my529, Utah’s official nonprofit 529 educational savings plan (formerly known as the Utah Educational Savings Plan) for 15 years. my529 assets under management grew from $950 million to $14 billion under her leadership and the number of accounts grew to 400,000 from 48,000. She is a board director of Merit Medical, Inc., a member of the Investment Advisory Committee at the University of Utah and is the Membership Engagement Chair of the Utah Chapter National Association of Corporate Directors. Lynne previously served as Governor Walker’s deputy chief of staff and Governor Leavitt’s director of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget; assistant director in the state’s Division of Finance and auditor in the State Auditor’s Office. She graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Science in accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Panelist: Sheryl Allen

Sheryl Allen served for 16 years in the Utah House of Representatives representing Bountiful, where she chaired economic development standing and appropriations committees for many years. Prior to her House service, she served 12 years on the Davis Board of Education including two terms as President. Sheryl loves KUED programs and is a member of the KUED Advisory Board, as well as a member of the U of U SLC Alumni Board.