The Utah Women & Leadership Project invites you to join us for our third Spring Women’s Leadership Forum.

Utah is home to many prominent women leaders within a variety of faith traditions. This Forum will bring together four of these individuals to discuss their perspectives on women’s leadership and why, where, and how women today are needed to influence, impact, and lead in all settings. They will also discuss how girls, young women, and women can prepare now to become leaders themselves. Dr. Susan R. Madsen, founder of the Utah Women & Leadership Project, will moderate this engaging panel of community leaders. Come prepared to ask questions and to listen and learn from these influential women! This event is open to all girls/women and those who influence them (this includes men too).

Sponsors: Jon M. Huntsman School of Business and Extension at Utah State University & Utah Education Network (UEN)

Panelists

President Jean B. Bingham is the 17th General President of the Relief Society in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At the time of her call in April 2017, she was serving as First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency. She has served in many Latter-day Saint ward and stake Young Women, Primary, and Relief Society callings. She also taught early-morning seminary and served as an ordinance worker in the Chicago Illinois Temple. Returning to school as an adult, she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in teaching and taught English as a second language to immigrants and refugees of all ages. President Bingham married Bruce B. Bingham in the Provo, Utah temple. They raised their two daughters in the Chicago, Illinois area. They were also foster parents to several children, some of whom have become part of their family. Now they are thoroughly enjoying the grandchildren who have joined the family over the years.

Reverend Brigette Weier is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and currently serves the congregation of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Holladay, Utah. She holds a bachelor's degree in education and a Master of Divinity. Before her call into ordained ministry, Rev. Weier was an early childhood professional as well as a social worker. During these years she founded an early childhood educational program, a faith resource website, and a worshiping community for people with cognitive disabilities and their families. Rev. Weier has served on a variety of community boards and committees in various states, such as an interfaith community advocacy group in Colorado, Holliday Interfaith Council, Family Promise Salt Lake, United Today Stronger Tomorrow, to name a few. She also serves her denominational body on committees such as campus ministry and faith formation, in addition to being a keynote and workshop leader for conferences. Rev. Weier is an avid distance runner, loves hiking the gorgeous Utah terrain with her husband, Mike, and the challenge of puzzles. She and her spouse have two grown children who inspire her, teach her, and give her hope every day, and one deceased child who is loved and missed.

Luna Banuri, Executive Director of the Utah Muslim Civic League, is a seasoned consultant with 25 years’ experience in non-profit and for-profit sectors in both strategy, and community and organizational development. Banuri has been recognized for advocating and fostering social justice policies based on diversity and inclusion. Her legal education and expertise evolved into a distinguished consulting practice for organizations such as UNDP, UNICEF, ADB, and World Bank. She has held multiple leadership roles managing corporate multicultural/inclusion initiatives, and was appointed to the Mayor of Salt Lake City’s Human Rights Commission in 2018 and to the Governor of Utah’s MLK Commission on Human Rights in 2019. She is founder and director of TeleTaleem, a nonprofit enterprise that utilizes technology, innovative approaches, and partnerships to solve the toughest global development challenges in education in her native country of Pakistan. Luna is a fellow of the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce “Leadership Utah” program and is a graduate/fellow of the American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute at USC. Her greatest passion, though, remains her three children who are currently pursuing college degrees outside of Utah.

The Reverend Lynn Miller Jackson has been in ministry with the Mountain Sky Conference of the United Methodist Church since 2014. In her initial appointment, Pastor Lynn became the first female Senior Pastor of Scott United Methodist Church in Denver, Colorado. In 2019, Pastor Lynn became the first African American and first female Senior Pastor of Hilltop United Methodist Church in Sandy, Utah. She continues to seek and support many partnerships and serves on many boards, coalitions, and committees locally and nationally. For example, Pastor Lynn serves on the Mountain Sky Conference Leadership Development Team, the Racial Justice Ministries and Movement Taskforce, the Board of Ordained Ministry as liaison, and she Co-Chairs the Residency in Ministry Team. Prior to ministry, Pastor Lynn had a successful career in commercial property management. Pastor Lynn is married to Mark Jackson and share a blended family of five adult children, four grandchildren, and a dog named Griffon. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Mathematics and a Master of Divinity degree with concentrations in Peace, Justice and Conflict Transformation, Christian Education, and Women, Theology and Ministry.