Chamber names Gochnour 2021 ATHENA winner

The Salt Lake Chamber has announced that Natalie Gochnour, associate dean at the David Eccles School of Business and director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah, will receive its 2021 ATHENA Leadership Award at the 45th Annual Women & Business Conference and ATHENA Awards Luncheon, to be held Nov. 19 at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City.

The organization’s highest recognition for women in business, the national ATHENA Leadership Award, is presented annually to an active member of the Salt Lake Chamber who demonstrates excellence, creativity and initiative in business, a chamber release said. 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.

“Our community and state owe a debt of gratitude to Natalie Gochnour,” said Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance, in announcing the award. “From her time in public service at the state and federal level to her dedication to future generations through her work at the University of Utah, Natalie’s influence will be felt for decades to come. Not only that, her leadership and guidance have been pivotal to Utah’s economic strength and well-being during the pandemic. No one is more deserving than Natalie, and we are elated to present her with the ATHENA Leadership Award.”

In addition to the ATHENA Leadership Award, six women will receive Pathfinder Awards at the conference. The Pathfinder Awards are presented annually to community leaders who create new paths promoting the development and recognition of women in business.

The six Pathfinder recipients this year are:

• Beth Colosimo, executive director, The Mill & Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses at Salt Lake Community College.

• Ibi Guevara, vice president of business development and marketing, Hunt Electric.

• Sandra Hollins, Utah House of Representatives, Democrat, District 23.

• Aubriana Martindale, Division of Corporate Affairs manager, Smith’s Food & Drug.

• Lori Bonham Williams, associate director of marketing, University of Utah Health.

• Brittany Westover, market executive, JPMorgan Chase.

In additional to her position at the University of Utah, Gochnour also serves as the chief economist for the Salt Lake Chamber. In this role, she provides policy leadership for the organization.

Gochnour’s experience includes a diverse mix of public service and business experience. During her public service, she advised Utah Govs. Norm Bangerter, Mike Leavitt and Olene Walker. She also served as a political appointee in the George W. Bush administration, serving as an associate administrator at the EPA and counselor to the secretary at Health and Human Services. For seven years she led the public policy business priorities of the Salt Lake Chamber.

Gochnour has authored over 250 published columns in Utah Business and the Deseret News and co-hosts the weekly public radio program “Both Sides of the Aisle” on KCPW.

She has been recognized by the Downtown Alliance, YWCA of Salt Lake City, South Valley Chamber, Friends for Sight, Girl Scouts of Utah and other community-focused organizations for her service in the community.  Gochnour also serves on the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, Utah Transportation Commission, O.C. Tanner, Altabank and Primary Children’s Hospital boards. She is also vice chair of Envision Utah and World Trade Center Utah.

She has an undergraduate and master’s degree in economics from the University of Utah and specializes in and teaches public finance.