Utah’s first female sheriff, Rosie Rivera, got some good advice when she became an officer: “Don’t try to be a man.” More than a century earlier, Utah’s first female deputy sheriff, Claire Ferguson, said to those who doubted her ability to handle danger, “Why should I fear more than the men?” Today we’ll broadcast a full episode from This Is Her Place, a podcast that tells the remarkable stories of Utah women past and present, in all their diversity. Podcast co-host Naomi Watkins will also join us.
Naomi Watkins is an educational leader, women's advocate, and community builder who believes that diverse representation plays a vital role in the empowerment of young people. She authored Champions of Change: 25 Women Who Made History, a book written with Katherine Kitterman and illustrated by Brooke Smart as part of her work for Better Days 2020, a non-profit dedicated to popularizing Utah women’s history through art, education, and legislation. An expert in teacher education and literacy pedagogy, Naomi earned her Ph.D. from the University of Utah and resides and hikes in the mountains of Salt Lake City.
