For one evening, a room full of Utah women was simply seen.
At a recent “Icons of Influence” event hosted by the Women’s Democratic Club, women who helped shape Utah through public service, advocacy, education, healthcare and community leadership were honored for their contributions to this state. What resonated most that evening was not politics or fundraising, but recognition.
Researching the women being honored meant revisiting decades of barriers broken, communities strengthened and lives improved. Women like former Congresswoman Karen Shepherd, Reps. Sandra Hollins and Carol Spackman Moss, former Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen, Sheriff Rosie Rivera, state Sen. Jani Iwamoto, and former CEO of PPAU Karrie Galloway have spent decades strengthening Utah through public service, education, election integrity, healthcare advocacy and community leadership.
At the same time, leaders like Reps. Angela Romero, Verona Mauga, Hoang Nguyen, state Senator Karen Kwan, and Salt Lake County Treasurer Shelia Srivastava are continuing that legacy today — expanding representation in Utah politics, advocating for historically underrepresented communities, and helping shape what leadership in this state looks like for the next generation.
Perhaps the most striking part of the evening was hearing several honorees say they had never been recognized publicly in that way before. One became emotional simply from being acknowledged.
That should give Utahns pause.
Recognition is not trivial. Being seen matters. The stories a community chooses to celebrate help define its values. The women honored that evening represent only a fraction of those whose work has strengthened Utah over generations. In a political moment that often feels cynical and divisive, remembering those contributions offers something increasingly rare: perspective — and hope.
Elaine Lewis, South Jordan