Articles
8 February 2012

Alyson Willerton

Connecting Utah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Business Women

by Heather L. King

08 February 2012—

 For the past five months, Alyson Willerton’s life has been a whirlwind. She’s gotten married, become a step-mom to four children and was named president for the Utah chapter of the international organization Executive Women Inter-
national (EWI).

At 39, the Bountiful resident has adopted an attitude built around being, “happy just to live in the moment and enjoy what I’m doing and be happy to get out of bed in the morning,” she says.

By nature, Willerton is a positive, outgoing person who gives her best to everything she does. Her personality is a great fit for her professional career in the hospitality industry where she started at Little America Hotel before moving to a position at the Salt Lake Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. From there, she joined Ogden Eccles Conference Center in 2007 and now manages the corporate and social group segments of the market. 

It was through her work that Willerton was introduced to EWI in 2005. Her passion for the organization grew quickly and she almost immediately began serving on the board in various positions. 

Her tenure as EWI president this year was a natural fit. Her passion for EWI is evident even in casual conversation. “You get out of it what you put into it,” she says, adding that this year she hopes to encourage current members to become more actively involved in the organization.

“The three-prong mission of EWI is careers, connection and community,” Willerton says. “My goal this year is to focus on the mission of EWI—increase our member’s personal and professional development, increase membership and help the community.” 

  One of the primary focuses of the Utah chapter of EWI is the ASIST (Adult Students in Scholastic Transition) scholarship program. Last year the local branch raised more than $11,000 for student scholarships. As president, Willerton hopes to double the scholarship money available to deserving adults. The chapter will also offer philanthropic support to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salt Lake throughout the year.

It’s fitting that Willerton has taken the helm of the local chapter during an economically challenging time, she feels, because, “EWI is what keeps me going in the downtimes. It’s the relationships and the connections and the friends that you can call when you need them.” And she hopes, through EWI, to offer that same type of support to professional women in Utah looking to make connections locally and nationally.

Willerton’s work in the hospitality industry, which is often chaotic and hectic, and her roles with EWI have helped her learn how to manage her time and resources. “I’m learning how to delegate better,” Willerton asserts. “If you do it for them, they are never going to grow.” These lessons learned will likely be useful as she settles into her new roles as wife, step-mom and president. 

In the meantime, Willerton is living each day to its fullest. When she’s not facilitating weddings and conventions or presiding over monthly meetings, Willerton enjoys cooking, going to dinner with her husband and friends and traveling and crocheting baby blankets to relieve stress.    

 


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