ANNA BREWER – NEBRASKA
Anna Brewer was selected as an Honors Intern at the FBI in Washington DC in 1990, and joined the FBI’s staff full time in 1992. Upon graduating the FBI Academy at Quantico, VA, Anna was promoted to a Special Agent (SA). Anna served as an FBI SA from 1995 until 2015. As a SA assigned in Reno, NV, Anna established & managed an Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (TF), and a Child Exploitation TF to combat child sex trafficking. Anna was a member of the FBI’s Child Abduction Team and traveled throughout the US to investigate child abductions. In Jan of 2010, Anna initiated & led the effort to establish and operate the Omaha Child Exploitation TF, which deals with sex trafficking & exploitation of children in NE. Anna is married to her best friend, Michael, an FBI SA, and has 2 children, ages 7 & 9. They enjoy travel and sports. Her children are learning Swedish & are active in their town. Anna is currently a Training Consultant. She travels the US educating citizens on sex trafficking.
LISE GATES – VERMONT
Lise Gates is a graduate of Enosburg High School and attended Community College of Vermont. Lise purchased Dairy Center Enterprises, a complex of eating, lodging, recreation and meeting space facilities, from her father in 1986. Lise is the first female member of the Enosburg Lion’s Club, chairperson of the Dairy Day Scholarship Pageant and Dairy Day Parade, former executive producer of the Miss Vermont Scholarship Pageant, former member of the Enosburg Ambulance Service and long time Enosburg Human Service Secretary for the Salvation Army. Lise founded the Luc Gates Foundation which has provided nearly $400,000 to area sports programs, Make-A-Wish Foundation and Camp Ta-Kum-Ta summer camp scholarships for children with cancer. She has assisted countless low income families with housing, donated her time and services to untold charities and events, and created a welcoming place for place for people of all ages to gather, socialize and recreate.
SHARON LAY – UTAH
Sharon K. Lay was born in the small coal mining town of Chelyan, West Virginia. She was the seventh of thirteen children born to George and Mary Fowler. She attended elementary, junior high and high school in South Charleston, West Virginia. Upon graduation she received a scholarship to Central Business College and Brigham Young University. Sharon was the first in generations of her family to attend college. She met and married David Lay while attending Brigham Young University. Her college studies were interrupted when her husband graduated, joined the Marine Corps and was sent to Vietnam. Upon returning to college 10 years later, she obtained a BS Degree from Texas A&M, a MS from Texas Woman’s University and a PHD from Arizona State while raising four children. She taught elementary, junior high, high school and college for 30 years. She is currently retired and lives in Highland, Utah with her husband surrounded by her four children, 15 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.
SHAWNA WALZ – IDAHO
Shawna Walz is a fourth-generation Idahoan. She attended Boise State University and played on the first women’s golf team. She then earned her MBA from George Washington University and went on to hold senior roles at Nike. Walz is proud of the accomplishments at Nike including making significant strides to launch a Global Women’s Leadership Council which impacted women around the world via mentoring, reverse mentoring, intergenerational dialogues, and opportunities to lead from the inside out. Today, Walz focuses her efforts on Idaho babies living in poverty or low-income families to ensure they have access to reliable supplies of clean and dry diapers. She established Idaho’s first and only statewide diaper bank and works with her board of directors and community leaders, agencies and organizations to distribute diapers to babies in need. Shawna recognizes that Diaper Need is a silent crisis and that together we can and must work to ensure no baby goes without the very basic necessities, which includes food, shelter and hygiene. Shawna and her husband have two young sons, Drew – 4 and Devin – 5 yrs old. They keep her active, real, and in a state of awe …every single day.
