Salt
Lake Community College President Deneece G. Huftalin received the 2017 ATHENA
Leadership Award from the Salt Lake Chamber, Utah’s largest and longest-standing
statewide business association, during its annual Women & Business
Conference in Salt Lake City.
The
ATHENA Leadership Award is a prestigious national award presented annually to
an active member of the Salt Lake Chamber who demonstrates excellence,
creativity and initiative in business. Each recipient must also provide
valuable service by devoting time and energy to improve the quality of life for
others in the community and assist women in reaching their full leadership
potential.
“It is
my business to help students succeed and find their passion,” Dr. Huftalin said
during her acceptance speech. “It is my business to keep the institution moving
forward and inventive. It is my business to call out injustices and concerns in
the higher education landscape. And it is my business to ensure that taxpayers
are getting a high return on their investment and that we are accountable for
the support they give us through their funding.”
Pictured: Lane Beattie, Salt Lake Chamber CEO
and president (l-r), SLCC President Deneece G. Huftalin and Lisa Grogan, Wells
Fargo regional marketing manager.
In her
remarks, Dr. Huftalin also echoed the conference theme, “Brave & Bold,” saying
that it is “an inclusive description of all who try, who take on a challenge,
who speak their minds, who go against the grain at times.” She singled out two
women in the room with SLCC connections, Kathleen Lopez and Alex Farmer, for
being brave and bold in pursuit of their own goals. Dr. Huftalin also praised Gail
Miller and Barbara Tanner for enhancing the community with their bold embrace
and support of education and social justice.
Dr. Huftalin
was named the eighth president of SLCC in September 2014. Prior to her current
role, Huftalin served as Salt Lake Community College’s Interim President, Vice
President of Student Services, Dean of Students, and Director of Academic and
Career Advising. In her tenure as president, Dr. Huftalin has launched a
College-wide strategic planning cycle that has produced a new vision, mission,
values, and strategic goals for the College. She is also leading efforts to
strengthen completion rates, transfer pathways, workforce responsiveness, and
equity in student access and completion.
Dr. Huftalin
also has taught in the Education, Leadership, and Policy program at the
University of Utah and serves on a number of community boards and committees
including the Salt Lake Chamber, Governor’s Education Excellence Commission,
EDCUtah, Envision Utah, and Utah Campus Compact. Nationally, Dr. Huftalin serves as
a Commissioner and Executive Committee member for the Northwest Commission on
Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), a trustee for LeaderShape, and a member CEO
for RC-2020, Inc.
President Huftalin (front row, second from left) and past ATHENA recipients.