Jenny Wilson (Utah)

Jenny Wilson
County Councilwoman At Large and Salt Lake City Mayoral Candidate
Personal details
Born November 1, 1965 (1965-11-01) (age 46)
Salt Lake City
Political party Democratic Party
Residence Salt Lake City, UT
Website 2007 archive of campaign site

Jenny Wilson (born November 1, 1965) is a member of the Salt Lake County Council. In September 2006, Wilson announced her candidacy for the 2007 race for Salt Lake City Mayor.[1] In the September 2007 primary she did not receive the Democratic nomination.

Council member Wilson was elected to the Council in 2004 after vowing to enact stronger ethics laws and bring about needed reform to Salt Lake County.

Career

Wilson's father, Ted Wilson, was the Administrative Assistant to U.S. Congressman Wayne Owens (D-UT), and in 1976 was elected Mayor of Salt Lake City, serving until 1985.[2] Wilson graduated from East High School in 1983.

Wilson received a degree in Mass Communication from the University of Utah in 1988. Throughout college, Wilson worked for the Sundance Institute as an office assistant, where she helped with the first Sundance Film Festival. After ten years in the workforce, Wilson entered a mid-career program at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and received her Masters in Public Administration in 1998.

After working as the press secretary on her father's 1988 Governor's race, Wilson worked for the National Association of Counties, the National Cable Television Association and on Capitol Hill for Congressman Les AuCoin of Oregon. She returned to her college employer, the Sundance organization from 1990-1992. She returned to the Oregon U.S. Senate campaign of her former employer, Congressman Les AuCoin. Following that campaign, she returned to Washington D.C. where she was hired by Congressman Bill Orton from Utah. She later became his Chief of Staff and served in that capacity until he left Congress in 1996.

Wilson joined the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in 1999. She served as a Director of Volunteers where her specific duties included retention, communication and special events.

Following the completion of her work for the Olympic Organizing Committee, Wilson joined the staff of "Cover The Uninsured Week," a national campaign to draw attention to the large number of Americans who go without health insurance.[3] She was later hired by "Voices for Utah Children" to direct the "Covering Kids," campaign, dedicated to decreasing the number of Utah children who go without health coverage.

References

  1. ^ Dethman, Leigh (September 6, 2006). "Wilson is hoping to follow in her father's footsteps". Deseret News (Salt Lake City). "Jenny Wilson and Rocky Anderson are Democrats. One is mayor, and the other wants to be -- but the similarities end there. Wilson, who currently serves on the Salt Lake County Council, announced her plans Tuesday to follow her father's footsteps all the way to the mayor's office. Her father, Ted Wilson, served as mayor from 1976-85." 
  2. ^ "Mullen to run for Salt Lake County Council". Salt Lake Tribune. 01/07/2010. http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14139011. Retrieved 2010-01-16. "If she wins, she will be taking over the seat from her stepdaughter, Jenny Wilson, who isn't seeking re-election. Mullen is married to Wilson's father, former Salt Lake City Mayor Ted Wilson." 
  3. ^ Stettler, Jeremiah (February 17, 2009 Tuesday). "Gay rights issue: S.L. County OKs adult-designees' benefits". The Salt Lake Tribune. "For nearly two decades, David Turner has watched his colleagues provide their families with health insurance. But he couldn't do the same -- not even when his partner battled prostate cancer. Why? Because his employer, Salt Lake County, wouldn't offer benefits to same-sex partners. That's about to change. The County Council voted 6-3 on Tuesday to extend health insurance, dental coverage, extended funeral leave, life insurance and a variety of other protections to unmarried partners or other "adult designees" of county employees. The vote is a political triumph for Democratic Councilwoman Jenny Wilson, who has fought feverishly for same-sex-couple benefits since taking office in 2005. She has argued that a more-progressive approach to health care and other job perks would reduce turnover, increase productivity and save long-term medical expenses by offering more expansive preventive care." 

External links