THE UTAH AMICUS

Emily Hollingshead ~ Candidate, Senate District 28

Emily Bingham Hollingshead was born in Ogden, Utah. Although she was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, her Utah roots ran deep. As a 5th generation Utahn, Emily spent summers and holidays with her many extended cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents in Weber County. In California, she worked with her parents Paul and Susan Bingham in the family art gallery business, and was active in musical groups, community theatre, and her church. As Emily graduated from high school, she could not stay away from her Utah roots for long. She attended Ricks College and Utah State University where she majored in theatre arts and liberal studies. She met and married her husband, Mark Hollingshead while at Utah State, and they co-chaired the USU College Democrats, and were the student campaign managers for the Frank Prante for Legislature campaign in 1988.

Upon graduation, Emily and Mark moved back to the Bay Area, where Mark pursued a Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. Emily began working in the high-tech industry, first as a technical support consultant and then as a stand-up trainer and marketing presenter. Her love of technology and the arts soon merged when her job responsibilities transitioned to web site design and internet marketing. At the same time she continued to work in her family's art gallery and helped them to establish the Thunderbird Foundation for the Arts, a nonprofit organization that oversees the Maynard Dixon Summer Home and Studio in Mt. Carmel, Utah.

In 1999, Emily, Mark and their two sons, Chas and Sam, returned to Utah, making Cedar City their home. Emily set up shop as an independent web site designer, and was named Vice President of the Thunderbird Foundation for the Arts. Every summer she oversees a major art show, featuring some of America's most prominent artists. She has worked on the Jim Matheson for Congress Campaign, and has been involved in the Utah Democratic Party as the Iron County Democrats Vice Chairman. She has held many church callings and responsibilities, her favorite being the choir director, which she has done consistently for the last 12 years. As an advocate for children and families, she is a member of the Iron County Child Protective Services Citizen Review Board, and volunteers for Utah's Division of Child and Family Services. Mark and Emily were were the inspiration for 2006 House Bill HB407, which provides counseling services for veterans and their families. As they thought about how Utah's military families are affected by the Iraqi War, they thought of ways that the state could reach out to their families and the servicemen. The result was HB407, sponsored by Representative Tim Cosgrove, which passed unanimously in the State House of Representatives and Senate.

Emily is running for Senate District 28 and says "Southern Utah is a an area blessed with fabulous natural resources and a community spirit that is second to none. Southern Utah is also brimming with good people who believe in a vision for Utah, and who believe they can make, and are making, a difference. Southern Utah citizens have a right to be heard in the Utah Legislature, and I will be that voice."

The Hollingshead family enjoys exploring Southern Utah's national parks, camping, gardening, and taking family vacations together. Their most cherished time together, however, is around the dinner table, where they laugh and talk about the days events.

Emily's Web Site: http://www.emilyhollingshead.com/

To listen to Emily's opponent CLICK HERE!