First Lady & Friends

Utah's First Lady,  Abby Cox , is joined by Karin Brown   (@The. AwesomeProject on Instagram) to talk about Karin's work with raising awareness of weekly volunteer/service opportunities within the state, how communities are hungry to help others following the peak of the pandemic, and why service projects to provide students with school supplies and backpacks is essential for preparing them for th...

Utah's First Lady,  Abby Cox , is joined by Marianna “Marni” Allred (Media Specialist for Robert Frost Elementary)  to talk about Marni's passion for reading while living on a 50-acre farm, some of Marni's favorite childhood books and authors growing up that helped her imagination flourish, and some of the trends that Marni is seeing when it comes to children adapting to an ever-evolving way to co...

Utah's First Lady,  Abby Cox , is joined by Neil Abercrombie (Senior Advisor for Legislative Affairs & Policy)  who talks about how growing up in Aberdeen, Idaho helped introduced him to the idea of community, why he's so passionate about Utah State University and his time there, as well as his decision to pursue working with Governor Cox's administration. We also talk about some of the issues...

Utah's First Lady,  Abby Cox , is joined by Milton Collins (Principal - Lincoln Elementary School)  to talk about Milton's upbringing in Charleston, Mississippi, getting recruited to play college basketball at Rust College, and some life-changing lessons that he learned from his late mother throughout the years. Milton also shares the story of earning his first job in education as a third-grade te...

Utah's First Lady,  Abby Cox , is joined by Alexa Lou Olson   (Teacher at Bountiful High School) to talk about Alexa's passion for education, how feeling excluded in PE growing up led her to pursue an education in kinesiology, and the people in her life who helped her find success during her collegiate years. We also dive into Alexa being honored as a Utah Jazz "Most Valuable Educator" through Ins...

Utah's First Lady,  Abby Cox , is joined by  Dr. Anthony Godfrey   (12th superintendent of Jordan School District) to talk about Dr. Godfrey's passion for education, the benefits of the dual immersion program within the state, and why recent emergencies have led to the rise of virtual learning. We also talk about how the past year has been such a difficult year for our educators, what we can do in...

Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , is joined by Elizabeth Smart (Advocate & Founder of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation) to talk about Elizabeth's foundation, her work in prevention, recovery, and advocacy for the end of victimization of sexual assault and abuse, and joining the Malouf Foundation to make a bigger impact in the world of prevention and advocacy. Elizabeth also opens up about how the su...

In this week's episode of First Lady and Friends, Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, is joined by Nicole Tanner (Founder of Swig) to talk about how growing up on a farm in Teton Valley, Idaho, helped her develop the skills to be effective in the restaurant business, how Nicole and her husband found the inspiration for Swig, and why you need to trust your heart if you feel that you have a great idea for...

In this week's episode of First Lady and Friends, Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, is joined by Tyler Bastian (Principal/Director and Founder of Roots Charter High School) and Dan Caffee (Governing Board Chair of Roots Charter High School)  to talk about the inspiration behind Roots Charter High School, Utah's first farm-based charter high school, the moment they realized that the farm could beco...

In this week's episode of First Lady and Friends, Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, speaks with Kirsten Rappleye (Director of the First Lady’s Initiatives)  to recap the past year of the First Lady's “Show Up” Initiatives, building deep connections with communities in need throughout Utah, and how "Care Communities" can make a significant impact in the foster care community. We a...

May is National Foster Care Awareness Month and in this week's episode, Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , is joined by Nikki MacKay (Director of Retention Services) & Amanda Walker (Brand & Marketing Manager)  with Utah Foster Care to talk about what influenced them to work in foster care, some of the challenges that they face on any given day, and the various considerations that determin...

Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , is joined by Chris Yadon  (Executive Director) and Lisa Clark  (The Lisa Show podcast, writer, actor, producer) to talk about what inspired her to pursue improv comedy, the origins of Studio C and Divine Comedy at BYU, and how she met her late husband, Chris, at BYU. Then Lisa opens up about how becoming a parent helped bring structure to following her passi...

April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Child Abuse Prevention month and in today's episode, Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , is joined by Chris Yadon  (Executive Director) and Betsy Kanorawsk i   (Chief Program Officer) from Saprea to talk about their Utah roots, the origins of Saprea, and different ways that we can all fight against child sexual abuse. We also dive into the importance...

In this week's episode of First Lady and Friends, Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , is joined by Mike Mower (Senior Advisor of Community Outreach and Intergovernmental Relations) and  Liz Mower (Community Activist) to talk about the beginnings of their relationship, what life was like raising a blended family, and some great tips when it comes to blending families together. Then we dive into thei...

Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , is joined by Mindy Benson (Interim President of Southern Utah University) to talk about growing up in Cedar City, the ways her family's legacy is intertwined with SUU, and how planning high-profile events helped her prepare for her current position at SUU. We also dive into the various ways that SUU is addressing students' mental health, how digital personas and relat...

Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , is joined by Liz Owens (CEO of YWCA Utah) to talk about her childhood growing up in Provo, UT as a young girl of color, how she's used many of the lessons she learned in her childhood to help guide the work she's doing today, and the events that led her to pursue an education and career that emphasized human rights. Liz also opens up about promoting awareness surround...

Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , is joined by Irina Pierpont to talk about what her childhood looked like growing up in Ukraine, the events that led her family to migrate out of Donbas, Ukraine, and the devastating reality of the Ukrainian people fighting the Russian army. Then we are joined by Owen Fuller (CEO - Lucidpress)  to talk about his history with the Czech Republic region, various ways...

In this week's episode of First Lady and Friends, Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , is joined by Rebecca Ford  (Severe Special Education Teacher & Department Head at Tooele High School) to talk about her passion for teaching and her inspiration to become a special education teacher. Then we dive into where the idea for the Mr. and Miss Super Amazing Pageant originated, the impact that it has...

In this week's episode of First Lady and Friends, Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , is joined by Bettina Smith Edmondson  (Layton City Counc ilwoman)  to talk about growing up in Layton, UT, how faith and education helped her create a bond with other children in the area, and her parents' experience moving to Layton from Mississippi during the 1960s. Then we dive into the need to recognize a...

In this week's episode of First Lady and Friends, Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , is joined by Michelle Suzuki (SVP Marketing of Instructure)  to talk about some of the hardships that many teachers in Utah have had to overcome during the pandemic, how we can help ease some of the stress for our teachers, and some of the ways that Instructure is honoring teachers throughout the state.  We a...

In this week's episode of First Lady and Friends, Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , is joined by Amanda Millerberg and Sarah Allred to talk about the launch of the Show Up service committee, how it has highlighted and pushed forward various acts of service within the state, and Utah's passion for charitable giving and volunteerism. Then we dive into the goal of accomplishing one million acts of servic...

In this week's episode of First Lady and Friends, Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , is joined by Rich Christiansen (Owner & Founder of Hoodoo Holdings, Author of The Zig Zag Principle, and Founder of Legado Family)  to talk about his childhood growing up in Beaver, UT, his amazing father John Christiansen, and how his father's approval guided many decisions in his life. Rich also dives into t...

In this week's episode of First Lady and Friends, Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , is joined by Utah Governor, Spencer Cox ,   to celebrate the First Lady's birthday! We dive into some of Abby's favorite things to do for her birthday, what birthdays used to look like when she was growing up, and what her ideal birthday present is. Then Abby and Spencer talk about their first date, falling in lov...

In this week's episode of First Lady and Friends, Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox , is joined by Pat Jones (CEO of Women's Leadership Institute, Co-founder and owner of Dan Jones & Associates, and former Utah senator) to talk about understanding the need for equality at a very young age, the impact that sports can have on business, and how her entrepreneurship helped her succeed during college. Pa...

In this week's episode, we've got a reunion episode with all of the old "Cox and Friends" friends! Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox is joined by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Jon Cox, Owen Fuller, Kirsten Rappleye, and Spencer Ryan Hall to talk about what everyone has been up to since the pandemic started, NFTs and crypto, our latest favorite restaurant spots, and former Boston Celtics' president of basketbal...