FEMALE PRESIDENTS: Meet the women leading Utah's high education institutions.

• Author: Francom, Sarah Ryther

Three of Utah's higher education institutions have named new presidents this year. And while new leaders always usher in changes, there's been one big change that the three institutions have in common: Utah Valley University, the University of Utah, and Westminster College named women to lead their institutions. They join the female presidents of Utah State University and Salt Lake Community College to make a group of five female higher education presidents in Utah. It's an unprecedented leadership change in a state that lacks executive-level gender diversity. Here, we profile four presidents who are proudly leading their higher education institutions.

DENEECE HUFTALIN, PHD

SALT LAKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) President Deneece Huftalin recognized early in her career that she belonged in higher education. After receiving her undergraduate degree from the University of Utah, she took a job at Stanford University in the admissions office. The university's energetic environment was captivating, and when she realized she could devote her life to higher education, she never looked back.

Ms. Huftalin spent the next several years working in higher education, while also earning her own graduate degrees. She worked at public and private universities across the country until moving back to Utah in 1992 and joining SLCC as its Director of Academic and Career Advising. Her passion for students and the Utah community helped fuel her rise to the top. In 2014, Ms. Huftalin was named SLCC's eighth president.

Today, she is proud to be leading an institution that has a strong legacy of welcoming all students. It's a legacy she plans to strengthen. "What I love most about the college is how diverse our student body is. It's diverse in terms of age--this year's graduating class was 16 to 69. We have remarkable racial and ethnic diversity. And we are very diverse in socioeconomic status," she says. "When that diversity shows up in a classroom of 30 and everyone brings different perspectives--that learning is unmatched. You cannot learn like that in a homogenous environment. Our diversity is our largest asset."

As SLCC's leader-in-chief, Ms. Huftalin's goals include strengthening student completion numbers and improving workforce responsiveness, as well as closing minority achievement gaps. She also strives to continue SLCC's tradition of community partnership, specifically by developing students that have the necessary skills to be successful in today's economy.

"A lot of folks focus on teaching, which is critical, but what I enjoy about the president's role is it widens the...