Spanish Fork Salem Area Chamber | President + CEO | Spanish Fork | 36
Meet the face of the Spanish Fork Salem Area Chamber of Commerce, Kathleen Leavitt. Since 2022, Kathleen’s passionate, inviting and positive energy has strengthened the business community of South Utah County. Under her leadership, events have nearly tripled in size and membership continues to increase. Kathleen has also taken proactive steps in fostering unity and collaboration amongst chambers by founding the Central Utah Chamber Coalition. Her deep-rooted belief? “We are much stronger together than separate.” When the businesses of Spanish Fork and Salem are thriving, Kathleen is thriving.
MAIN MOTIVATION Entrepreneurs and business owners are the most passionate people of all time. I work as hard as I do for them. Because they put their all into what they are creating, I give my all to ensuring that they are as successful as they can be. SHARPER SKILLS Conflict resolution. I am one who thrives on unity and collaboration, but I used to achieve that end by never rocking the boat. The truth is, life rocks the boat for us; if you don’t learn how to navigate rocky waters with poise and purpose, you’re going to tip over. CAREER DREAM Coming from being a waitress for 13 years, I am living my ultimate career dream right now! Ultimately, I see my career developing into politics in the future. I’d love to help in the House of Representatives or a similar role. I think I could make a big impact there with my collaborative spirit and passion for unity. The sky really is the limit for me, and I’m still learning to embrace that. GOOD BIZ ADVICE Your time and energy are your most valuable assets. No one can do everything, and there are endless options for how you can spend your time. Learning the practice of pinpointing your “highest and best” uses for time and energy was career-changing for me. MENTOR WINS I highly admire our Spanish Fork mayor, Mike Mendenhall. He has taught me so much about being a prominent leader while remaining authentic and true. LIVING LEGACY Always leave things better than I found them. That is what I intend with the Chamber — I want people to remember the work that I have done, and say, “It’s so much better because Kathleen was our leader.” CAUTIONARY TALES I have never been a big fan of “fake it till you make it.” If I don’t know what I’m doing, or I am unsure of a decision, I am honest about that. I lean on my team, experts or people with experience in the realm that I’m unsure about before moving forward. And people have respected me more for being confident enough to just say “I don’t know.”