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SALT LAKE CITY — The nine-month search for a new CEO for the YWCA Utah is over as Provo native and social justice advocate Liz Owens has been named to the post.
Owens is the current executive director of the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault. The announcement was posted to YWCA Utah’s website Thursday.
“YWCA Utah has been fortunate to have had Anne Burkholder guiding its important work for the last 20 years,” said Katherine Venti, chairwoman of the transition committee. “In Liz Owens, we found an exceptional leader whose prior experience aligns seamlessly with YWCA Utah’s mission, who understands the challenging work YWCA Utah continues to do, and who will collaboratively lead YWCA Utah into its next important phase.”
Owens’ selection was lauded by those who work with the same populations served by the YWCA, but especially those who have been critical of the organization’s ability to fully embrace its stated mission of “eliminating racism.”
The Deseret News outlined those concerns about the YWCA and spoke with more than a dozen former board members and employees who hoped leadership changes would lead to an enhanced role for the state’s flagship organization in fighting violence against women, specifically when it came to women of color.
“I burst into tears when I heard,” said Shannon Cox, founder and CEO of Journey of Hope, an organization that had been working with the YWCA to address the needs of previously incarcerated women, including those who were sex trafficking victims.
Cox wrote a letter to the YWCA board criticizing the organization’s leadership for the way it handled interactions with her staff and the women they served, something they felt put vulnerable women in great peril.
“I was hoping they would bring in someone from the outside, someone who wasn’t connected to the politics, who could see things through a completely third-party lens,” said Cox. “But I think somebody coming in from the outside wouldn’t understand the dynamics of Utah. Racism isn’t overt here.”
After Cox spoke out about her experience, three of six board members who had resigned over the issues in 2017 spoke out to the Deseret News about the need for more attention and awareness to understanding racism and racial bias, especially that which is more subtle and easily dismissed by those not experiencing it. Those interviewed said they felt that employees of color were more likely to be targeted with hostility and punishment when they brought issues to managers.
Among those was Carol Shifflett, a former employee who said her experience was so emotionally draining it still impacts her years later. She was thrilled with the announcement that Owens will now lead an organization that she sees as vital to the state.
“I think it’s the best decision the YWCA has made in ages,” said Shifflett, now the CEO of Sojourner Group. “She is perfect for that position. She’s highly qualified. This is what she studied, this is what she does.”
She lauded the decision not just for the community, but also for those employees who are so dedicated to the YWCA’s stated mission of “empowering women and eliminating racism.”
“She will definitely make sure they meet the mission, and she’ll do it in a professional manner,” said Shifflett, who spoke with Owens just before the decision was announced. “I think she’ll change the culture for those working there, where it’s inclusive of everybody. That’s just the kind of work she does. ... I almost didn’t sleep last night I was so happy.”
Emma Houston, who resigned her position as YWCA board secretary over leadership concerns, said there was a lot of “exciting buzz around the selection of Ms. Elizabeth Owens.” She pointed out she was one of the “30 Women to Watch in 2019.”
“Ms. Owens has the credentials and experience to lead the YWCA Utah to the next level in Utah to fulfill its mission,” Houston said.
Added Shifflett, “I think Liz is going to be the model for YWCAs across the United States. I believe in her work.”
Owens is a Provo native who earned her Bachelor of Science at Utah Valley University and her Master of Arts in theory and practice of human rights from the University of Essex in the United Kingdom. Cox said her thesis was on working with incarcerated women and the issues they face.
“I am honored to become part of the YWCA and look forward to leading this wonderful organization in its next chapter,” Owens said on the organization's website. “I am joining an organization with a long legacy of good work in our community and have deep respect for all of those who have made YWCA Utah what it is today. I look to the future with excitement; a commitment to positive, collaborative change; and a sincere love for this work.”
