SVP, Public Relations & Organizational Communications | Mountain America Credit Union

Sharlene Wells was the third woman to sign with ESPN on-air, was a key player in the maintenance of military veteran records, and is now the SVP of public relations and organizational communications at Mountain America Credit Union. Her diverse career spans even further—she’s also won Miss America and worked with the Pentagon. The underlying connection? Communication.

Wells covered sports for nearly 20 years at ESPN while raising her children. She describes her career as a sports broadcaster as fun and exciting, but she had a shift later in her life. “I had the realization that I need to be doing things where I have passion, where I know I’m making a difference,” she says. “That really changed my career trajectory.” 

Wells then spent 15 years with StoryRock, where she worked with veterans and the Pentagon to document the stories and service of military veterans through documentaries and commemorative books. 

Fast-forward to today, and Wells’ career at Mountain America Credit Union has made a difference in Utah through both the credit union itself and the Mountain America Foundation. Under her leadership, the Mountain America Foundation went from giving away three scholarships to 125 scholarships to deserving recipients. “A job shouldn’t be just a job. It should also help you define your purpose and passion in life,” Wells says. “Financial well-being is important for everybody. If you don’t have financial well-being, it is a major stressor in your life. If we can help the community, that makes a difference in a big way.”

In advising the next generation of business leaders, Wells emphasizes the importance of taking a chance. “If you have a plan and an opportunity, I’d go with the opportunity,” she says. “You can always come back to your plan, but if you let an opportunity go by because it doesn’t fit the plan, you’re going to miss out on so much. Be bold and fearless because you are going to make mistakes. Leaders that succeed are ones that can find the second, third and fourth options when something goes wrong.”

Connect with Sharlene on LinkedIn.