World Affairs Symposium SeriesiCAL Export

Utah First Lady Abby Cox

First Lady Abby Palmer Cox has been married to Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox for the past 25 years.

Born in Mt. Pleasant, Utah, Abby grew up on a family farm — the fifth of eight daughters and two sons of Ken and Charlene Palmer — where she learned the values of hard work and collaboration. Both she and Spencer graduated from North Sanpete High School, Snow College and Utah State University. Abby earned her degree in Special Education with a dual emphasis in Early Childhood and Severe Disabilities, and she is a dedicated advocate for children with special needs.

Throughout his time as lieutenant governor and until his election as governor in 2020, Gov. Cox and Abby lived in Fairview, a small town of about 1,200 residents located about two hours south of Salt Lake City in the middle of the state. Abby has always been active in her community through involvement in PTA, church youth groups and service to the homeless. In addition, she has supported her husband as he served as a city councilman and mayor of Fairview, as a Sanpete County Commissioner, as a state House Representative and as lieutenant governor.

Gov. Cox and Abby are proud parents of four children — three sons, Gavin, Kaleb and Adam; and daughter, EmmaKate. Abby enjoys horses, reading, music, hiking, running and being active in the great outdoors with her family.

Adam Miles, Founder and Executive Director of Refugee Soccer

In 2017 Adam Miles left the soul-sucking environment of Wall Street after nearly 20 years of working as a successful financial advisor serving venture capitalists, corporations, and high net worth individuals. Prior to his career as a financial professional Adam worked for global powerhouse, Honda Motor Co. in both the USA and Japan in various capacities including new model cost control and government relations. While staying very busy as an advisor, Adam founded Bridges To America, Inc. (the entity behind Refugee Soccer) in 2005 and has loved the extreme challenges of building and growing the mission of creating moments of hope and happiness for refugees. After 25 years helping others make money, Adam is now solely and happily focused on growing Refugee Soccer into a sustainable venture maximizing positive impact around the world.

Adam has lived numerous years outside the USA on several expatriate assignments, and is fluent in spoken and written Japanese. His home base is Utah but he travels extensively. He has four amazing children, and two great sons-in-law. He also has 5 beautiful, shining grandkids whom he loves dearly. He loves being active including mountain biking in nearby Park City. He is a published author and loves to write and speak publicly as he did with a TEDx Salt Lake City talk about refugees in 2022. Adam loves to say about this work: “It takes so little to do so much.” It is this view that provides him and his team the most extraordinary and fulfilling return on investment of time, capital, and heart.

Andy Chesnut, General Manager & Chief Commercial Officer Warriors Rugby

Andy Chesnut brings a wealth of corporate marketing and business development experience to the organization, with years of growth strategy and marketing leadership on his resume with successful high tech companies like DSCO, Lease End, QZZR and Expedia.

“Andy’s skillset is 100% that of a disruptor and strategy expert,” said Kjar. “He’s been a thought leader in just about every industry and company he’s worked in and he’s going to not only help the Utah Warriors lead the MLR in fan experience and commercial growth, but Andy’s got the innovative DNA to grow something special inside of America’s most competitive sports and entertainment landscape.” Chesnut oversees the Warriors’ brand, community, ticketing, marketing and sponsorship teams while also leading the Warriors’ long and short term commercial strategies including fan experience, game operations and partnership development efforts.

“Rugby is exactly what humanity needs right now,” Chesnut said, “Modern life is relentless. Rugby teaches us how to overcome again and again. I’m beyond excited to be a part of the explosion of rugby in Utah. You step into the stadium on gameday and you can feel the thunder. You can feel the Warrior spirit come alive. There’s no better atmosphere than what we’re creating here at the Utah Warriors.”

Catherine Raney Norman, Olympian and Chair, Salt Lake City - Utah Committee for the Games

Catherine Raney Norman is a four-time Olympic speed skater from Elm Grove, Wisconsin who competed in the 1998 Winter Olympics, 2002 Winter Olympics, 2006 Winter Olympics and 2010 Winter Olympics. She serves as chair of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, which is seeking to bring the Olympics and Paralympics back to Utah in 2030 or 2034.

Raney Norman won the U.S. All round Championship six times and held three U.S. records. She was the silver medalist in the 1999 World Junior Championships in all around. She was inducted into the U.S. Speed Skating Hall of Fame in 2018.

Since retiring from speed skating, she has focused on service to Olympic and Paralympic sport. In 2012, she was appointed by Utah Governor Gary Herbert as an athlete member of an exploratory committee to investigate a future Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games for the state. In February, 2020, she was named to the inaugural Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games as an athlete board member and co-chair of the Athletes' Advisory Committee with Paralympian Chris Waddell. She is vice chair of the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation (formerly known as Utah Athletic Foundation), where she joined as a board member in 2011. She was named to chair the committee on June 9, 2021.

Danelle Umstead, Sisters in Sports Foundation

Danelle Umstead is a Paralympian ski racing champion and motivational speaker. At the age of thirteen, she was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic eye condition that results in total blindness. At the age of twenty-nine, nearly blind, her father offered to take her skiing for the first time. Standing atop a mountain in Northern New Mexico, her father was a silhouette in front of her, wearing a bright orange ski bib. She took a deep breath. And off they went down the slope.

In the three minutes it took to ski down that mountain, she found her passion. A few years later, she met her husband, Rob Umstead, and with him as her guide, they became the Paralympic ski racing Team Vision4Gold. Rob and Danelle won two bronze medals at the 2010 Vancouver Paralympic Winter Games. By year-end, she was awarded the 2010 Athlete of the Year by the National Sports Center for the Disabled .She was on top of the world.

Then she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a nerve disease that paralyzed half her body. She first had to relearn how to walk and then how to ski again. In spite of this, Rob and Danelle continued competing in Alpine Skiing World Cup races …and winning! In 2011, she was named Adaptive Athlete of the Year by the United States Ski and Snowboard Association.

In 2014, they earned a spot in the Sochi Winter Paralympic Games where they earned a bronze medal. Rob and Danelle took the bronze again in the 2017 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships in Tarvisio, Italy, in the Super-G and with a 4th place finish in downhill.

Dr. Neftalie Williams, Sociologist and Assistant Professor at San Diego State University

Dr. Neftalie Williams is a sociologist and assistant professor at San Diego State University. His previous positions include USC Provost’s Post-Doctoral Scholar at the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism and Yale Schwarzman Center Visiting Fellow in Race, Culture & Community. He investigates global issues of race, diversity, identity, and youth empowerment, using the lens of action sports culture. Williams holds a Ph.D. from the University of Waikato and has upcoming books with Hatchette Books and UC Press focused on skateboarding culture.

Williams is featured in multiple media outlets and provides commentary on the intersection of skateboarding, diversity, equity and inclusion, regarding the Olympics for the New York Times, CNN, ABC, and other outlets. His research on race with the 2019-2020 USC x Tony Hawk Foundation project was also featured in the New York Times. It is the first national study to assess the impact skateboarding has on young people and their educational and career trajectories. The full Beyond the Board Report is now available.

The first ‘Ambassador of Skateboarding,’ and envoy for the US Department of State, he introduced the concept of skateboarding as a tool for cultural diplomacy in both theory and practice. Utilizing ‘skate diplomacy,’ he aided the US Embassy in the Netherlands in integrating young Syrian refugees into Holland. In Cambodia, his skate diplomacy efforts created new engagement between the U.S. embassy, Cambodian youth, and academic and cultural institutions. Former Chairman of Cuba Skate, Neftalie and the Cuba Skate team created fruitful cultural exchanges between Cuban youth and American professionals in Havana.

Expanding the public dialogue around diversity and inclusion, Neftalie founded "The Nation Skate," a series of public panels, lectures, skateboarding demonstrations, and media that explores the relationship between race, diversity, and diplomacy through skateboarding, academia, and popular culture. He co-founded the College Skateboarding Educational Foundation (CSEF), a non-profit dedicated to creating scholarships for young skateboarders to pursue higher education, and serves on the Boards for the Tony Hawk Foundation, Skateistan, McKinnon Center for Global Affairs, and chairs the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for USA Skateboarding. 

Tiffany Schwartz, USAT Off-Road Duathlon National Champion & Ice Age 50-mile Trail Run Champion

Tiffany Schwartz, a technologist at ARUP Laboratories, is a dedicated athlete who balances her passion for the outdoors with a full-time career. She's the reigning USAT Off-Road Duathlon National Champion and the Ice Age 50-mile trail run champion. With a running journey that began in 7th grade and a decade of experience in biking, Tiffany has transitioned from marathons to ultra marathons and discovered her love for duathlons. She's represented Team USA at the World Championships three times, showcasing her exceptional skills. In 2019, she achieved a remarkable 3rd place at the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships. Tiffany's professional background with Altra Running has deepened her connection to both athletes and nature, amplifying her love for the mountains and the desert. She's an active participant in local events, from cyclocross races to group runs, and you'll often find her exploring the foothills with her trusty companion, MoosePants.

If you are interested in sharing information about your organization and would like to table at this event, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Number of tables is limited.

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