(gentle pop music) - YWCA Utah is holding its annual leader luncheon event, celebrating women leading the way in our community.

PBS Utah is a media sponsor at this year's event as well.

CEO Liz Owens is here with details.

Hi Liz.

Thanks so much for being here.

This is always an event I know that is so packed because people love it.

- Mm hm.

- Talk about the women you're honoring this year.

- Well we are honoring women who have had outstanding achievements in different categories.

In business, it's Jennifer Smith, in community building and a community champion it's Senator Luz Escamilla, for race equity and social justice Nubia Peña, and for leader of tomorrow it's Beth Coleman and we have a special award we're also giving this year called the YWCA Utah Heart and Soul Award.

And that will be going to Lori Teske Hudson.

- Wonderful, wonderful.

And I know you're bringing Dr. Bernice King, CEO of the King Center for conversations.

So tell us a little more about her.

- Well, she is the youngest daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King and currently serves as CEO for the King Center for Nonviolence.

And that is the memorial that her mother created in honor of her father to keep his work going in our society.

And so we're super excited to have her for a conversation.

So it's a bit of a different format, rather than a keynote we'll be sitting like this having a conversation about her work and the work of YWCA Utah.

- Wow, wonderful.

And as we know, this helps fund YWCA Utah and we can call it the lifesaving work they do.

So talk a little about some of the work that you do here in Utah.

- Yes, I would absolutely say it's lifesaving and critical work.

We serve women and children and men who have experienced family violence through our emergency shelter, our transitional housing, early education center and children's services, walk-in services, and our race and gender equity programming and what that looks like is about 75,000 domestic violence shelter nights over the last three years so we definitely have a huge impact.

- Ah, you really do and thank you so much for all the work you do.

- Thank you.

- Thanks for being here.

And if you'd like to know more about that upcoming fundraiser, it's the YWCA Utah's 2023 LeaderLuncheon, May 12th from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM at the Grand America Hotel.

Just go to ywcautah.org.

That's ywcautah.org.

I'm Mary Dickson, thanks for watching Contact.

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Hi, I'm Mary Dickson.

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