The Salt Lake Chamber has named Salt Lake Community College president Deneece Huftalin as its 2017 Athena Leadership Award recipient. According to a release from the organization, the Athena Leadership Award is a national award presented annually to an active member of the Salt Lake Chamber who demonstrates excellence, creativity and initiative in business. Each recipient must also devote time and energy to improving the quality of life for others in the community and assist women in reaching their full leadership potential.
“Deneece is a collaborator, a leader, and she inspires everyone around her. She is one of those rare individuals who go beyond the call of duty,” said Lane Beattie, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber. “She is bright, articulate, caring and helps not only her students, but her community at every opportunity. What she has done with Salt Lake Community College has been phenomenal. She’s not only helping create the workforce of today, but she’s helping shape the workforce of tomorrow.”
Huftalin was named the eighth president of Salt Lake Community College in September 2014. Prior to her current role, she served as the college’s interim president, vice president of student services, dean of students and director of academic and career advising. In her tenure as president, Huftalin has launched a college-wide strategic planning cycle that has produced a new vision, mission, values and strategic goals for the college. She is also leading efforts to strengthen completion rates, transfer pathways, workforce responsiveness and equity in student access and completion.
Huftalin also taught in the Education, Leadership and Policy program at the University of Utah and serves on a number of community boards and committees, including the Salt Lake Chamber, Governor’s Education Excellence Commission, EDCUtah, Envision Utah and Utah Campus Compact. Nationally, Huftalin serves as a commissioner and executive committee member for the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU); a trustee for LeaderShape; and a member CEO for RC-2020 Inc., an association of urban community colleges.
“What an honor it is to be recognized by the Salt Lake Chamber as an Athena Leadership Award recipient,” said Huftalin. “I’m proud to be associated with such a remarkable group of women who have been honored before me.”
In addition to recognition as the Athena recipient, Huftalin was awarded the 2017 Leadership in Education Award from the Utah Women’s Leadership Celebration, the 2016 Distinguished Alumna Award from the University of Utah and the Distinguished Woman of the Year Award from the American Association of University Women Salt Lake City branch in 2015.
The award will be presented to Huftalin at the 41st annual Salt Lake Chamber Women & Business Conference and Athena Awards Luncheon on Nov. 15 at the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City.
In addition to the Athena presentation, 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 are: Amanda Covington, senior vice president for communications and government relations for Vista Outdoor; Mary Crafts-Homer, CEO and owner of Culinary Crafts; Lavanya Mahate, owner of Saffron Valley East India Café; Heidi Prokop, senior vice president and communications director at Zions Bank; Maureen Riley, executive director of the Salt Lake City Department of Airports; and Vicki Varela, managing director of the Utah Office of Tourism.