First Lady & Friends

Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, joins news and broadcasting pioneer Stephen Cohen on the Responsibility Matter podcast this week to share her journey from growing up on a ranch in Mount Pleasant to becoming a champion for community connection and responsibility.

Abby then reflects on lessons from her childhood, the significance of modeling positive behavior, and the importance of fostering responsibility in the next generation. 

She also talks about disconnecting from social media, finding true happiness through service, and creating meaningful connections in a divided world.

Related links:

Responsibility Matters website: https://responsibilitymatters.buzzsprout.com/2326887

Responsibility Matters on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/42O8Wvnw1vTNWMkBdfNOoy

Dr. Tomicah Tillemann (President of Project Liberty) joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, to discuss the breakdown of institutions in our society, fears that the United States won’t be a trusted global partner due to conflicts within the country, and how Project Liberty is focused on helping people regain control of their digital lives.

We also dive into the root of society's dysfunction that stems from conflicts caused by social media, how Frank McCourt Jr.’s latest book, Our Biggest Fight, aims to combat corporate algorithms, and why the business model surrounding our data needs to change to create a better and safer internet.

Then, we discuss how Facebook has become a hub of anger, outrage, and misinformation targeting an older generation and realistic steps at the state level that can be taken to help us regain our personhood.

Related Links

Project Liberty: https://www.projectliberty.io/

Our Biggest Fight by Frank H. McCourt, Jr.: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/743398/our-biggest-fight-by-frank-h-mccourt-jr-with-michael-j-casey/

People’s Bid For TikTok: https://www.projectliberty.io/peoples-bid-for-tiktok/

Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, recently had the opportunity to appear on the Girls Talk Healthy Aging podcast with hosts Alli Kerr and Shawna Kaminski. We enjoyed the conversation so much that we wanted to share it here! 

We dove into the balance of taking care of family while making a meaningful impact across Utah and Abby's profound responsibility toward the children in Utah’s foster care system.

We also discuss how the "Disagree Better" initiative aims to alleviate the polarizing nature of modern politics and why empowering our communities through service can help combat the current outrage culture.

Follow the Girls Talk Healthy Aging podcast below:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/girls-talk-healthy-aging/id1700377806

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YJRwk644teudB0KoQIjKB

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWSMCjRb6jDIxykYt0FK_Jw

Rich and Gaye Christiansen join Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, to discuss Rich's new book, BlindSighted. The book documents Rich’s journey of identity, faith, and healing and his being shaken to his core at the age of 54 after he learned that he was one of the first donor-conceived children.

Then Rich opens up about meeting family members from the side of his biological father, the love story of his mother and father, who was a blind attorney, and what’s next for Rich and Gaye.

Blindsighted releases on October 8th, 2024.

Related Links

Rich Christiansen: https://richchristiansen.com/

BlindSighted: https://www.amazon.com/BlindSighted-Rich-Christiansen/dp/B0D9WXQMFJ

Tami Olsen (Recruiting and Foundation Director for the Young Automotive Group) joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, to discuss Young Caring For Our Young, the charitable group of the Young Automotive Group, and how the foundation is tackling issues related to clothing, hunger, literacy, and teen homelessness.

We also explore how the foundation is helping teachers obtain what they need to be successful in the classroom, the reality of teen homelessness in the state, and how teen drop-in centers are providing services such as laundry, showering, and hygiene kits for those who are struggling.

Lastly, Tami shares Dominic Elson’s inspirational story of overcoming hardship to become an exemplary employee of the Young Automotive Group.

You can donate directly by following the link here: https://thinkcaring.org/donate/

Related Links

Young Caring For Our Young: https://thinkcaring.org/

Vicki Bourns (Director of the Utah Division of Arts and Museums) joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, to remember Alice Merrill Horne, an innovative Utah artist and politician who helped establish a state arts organization and a state collection of artwork in 1899, and how the Utah Division of Arts and Museums helps care for art throughout the state. Then Vicki talks about a new state-of-the-art storage space that will protect Utah’s art for years. 

We are also joined by Ben Steele (Helper-based Artist), who opens up about finding his unique art style, how Helper’s booming art community has helped give the town new life, and his commissioned piece honoring Alice Merrill Horne. 

Lastly, in honor of the Utah Division of Arts and Museums’ 125th anniversary, we preview an upcoming exhibit set to open on December 10th at Utah Valley University’s Museum of Art.

Related Links

UA&M: https://artsandmuseums.utah.gov/

Alice Merrill Home Art Collection: https://artsandmuseums.utah.gov/alice-merrill-horne-art-collection/

UA&M 125th Anniversary: https://artsandmuseums.utah.gov/125th-anniversary/#:~:text=On%20March%209%2C%201899%2C%20the,makes%202024%20our%20125th%20anniversary!

Ben Steele: https://bensteeleart.com/

In this episode of our Educator Well-Being series, the hosts are joined by Milton Collins, principal of Lincoln Elementary in the Granite School District in the Salt Lake City region of Utah. Milton is having tremendous success in his school from students’ academic success to teacher happiness, thriving, and retention. He credits "leading from the heart" for this success, and in this episode, he shares his passion for the profession as a principal who is caring for the teachers – so the teachers can care for the students.

About Milton Collins

A native of Charleston, Miss., Milton attended Rust College in Holly Springs, Miss., on a four-year basketball scholarship and graduated with a degree in education. He then moved to Kankakee, Ill., where he started his teaching career as a third-grade teacher at Lorenzo Smith School in Hopkins Park, Ill. Milton went back to school and received a master’s degree in educational leadership from National Louis University in Evanston, Ill. He then held principal positions in school districts in Wisconsin and Arizona before relocating to Utah and serving as principal at Lincoln Elementary School in the Granite School District.

WGU Website: https://www.wgu.edu/about/governance/teachers-college/educator-well-being-from-principles-to-practice-podcast.html#

Youtube: https://youtu.be/0CV0CpicXYY?si=FzkE0kkFj9MGzM4Y

Ava Leavitt joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, to discuss how vital dancing has been throughout her life, how she’s navigated some of the most complex challenges she’s faced in high school, and her solution to how teenagers negatively engage with social media. 

Then, Ava shares how losing her identity inspired her to create Dancers Without Limits, a dance program designed for individuals with intellectual disabilities, and how the organization is helping connect everyone passionate about dance.

Colton Hyde also joins us to talk about how volunteering for Dancers Without Limits has taught him to be himself after working with the other dancers.

Tammy Leavitt then shares how Dancers Without Limits has changed those participating in the program.

Lastly, Ava discusses the program's future as she approaches high school graduation and college.

Dr. Jackie Jodl (Chief of Global Youth and Education of Global Youth and Education at Special Olympics) joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, to talk about how fundamental education has been throughout her life, how her education journey has shaped her career, and the impact that Legg–Calvé–Perthes disease had on her life growing up.

Then, we discuss the importance of education and sports in creating opportunities to climb the societal and economic ladder, how unified sports transform social inclusion in education, and why understanding unified sports’ place in the educational system is crucial to alleviating the concerns surrounding integrating unified sports.

We also discuss some contributing factors to behavioral issues and absenteeism in the classroom, how funding-based segregation can prevent children from successfully integrating into the community, and some of Dr. Jodl’s fondest memories in education.

Related Links

Special Olympics: https://www.specialolympics.org/

Special Olympics Utah: https://sout.org/

Unified sports in Utah: https://www.sout.org/programs/unified-sports

Sarah Allred (Director of First Lady Initiatives) joins Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, to talk about this year’s Teacher’s Conference, how the National Governors Association (NGA) is helping build relationships with fellow First Spouses throughout the country, and how those connections are used to share ideas and tackle issues collectively in each state.

Then, we are joined by Marlon Reis (First Gentleman of Colorado) to discuss the learning curves of being a first spouse, different ways to handle the criticism that comes with the position, and why Marlon is so passionate about interacting with Coloradans to understand what truly matters to them.

Related Links

National Governor’s Association: https://www.nga.org/