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elan
woman Magazine Announces New Spokeswoman:
Continuing to grow in popularity and readership, elan woman
magazine is advancing its involvement in southwest communities,
charities, arts, and causes. Along with the exciting growth,
elan woman is pleased to announce its official spokeswoman for
the magazine, Tracy Rodgers.
Tracy, a southern Utah native, resides in Logandale, Nevada.
She works as an Independent Legal Nurse Consultant assisting
attorneys with medical/legal issues. Tracy also is an expert
witness in nursing home, medical/surgical, and home heath cases.
She also works part-time at Mesa View Regional Hospital on the
Medical/Surgical and OB Floors.
Tracy’s passion is her family. She and husband, Ken, have three
boys who keep them busy. Tracy has been a member of Dr. Dave’s
Running Team for 17 years at the St. George Relay for Life.
"Receiving elan woman magazine in the mail becomes one of the
highlights of that day. I usually read it cover to cover the day
it arrives as it offers me an abundance of laughs, thoughtful
inspiration, reflection, and an overall positive feeling. With
everything going on in the world today, it becomes my time to
relax and reflect on truly important things. I love reading what
new adventures other women experience, and sharing in others
successes and joys is always rewarding. I am honored to
represent a publication that I feel so connected to. I look
forward to the opportunities to represent elan woman in a
variety of venues and events, assisting in moving forward
their desire to support good-willed efforts across the region,"
said Tracy at a recent television taping where she will
represent the magazine.
Networking Tips
January 5, 2009
Community feels loss after all 10 aboard the small plane died
in fiery accident near Moab
By Mark Havnes
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 08/26/2008 05:11:17 PM MDT
CEDAR CITY - Mourning washed over this southern Utah community
Saturday that lost 10 of its own in a fiery Moab-area plane
crash.
Federal investigators removed bodies and searched for clues
among wreckage of the Beechcraft King Air A-100 that crashed
Friday evening about 2 miles from Canyonlands Field airport.
Those aboard were Cedar City residents. Nine were employees of
Southwest Skin and Cancer/Red Canyon Aesthetics & Medical Spa, a
dermatological clinic. The pilot was also killed.
"For so many individuals to die like this is tragic," said
Brett Smith, a St. George dermatologist who worked with clinic
director and physician Lansing Ellsworth, 50, killed in the
crash. "I don't think something like this has happened for a
long time in southern Utah."
Crews on Saturday sifted through scattered wreckage and placed
the victims in body bags. National Transportation Safety Board
investigator Tealeye Cornejo said she didn't believe anyone
could have survived the crash.
Investigators will try to determine if the plane caught fire
before or after it hit the ground. The investigation will be
more difficult because much of the plane burned. ''The fire was
so intense, there's not a lot of it left,'' Cornejo said.
The wreckage was little more than a pile of twisted, blackened
shards of metal. Most of the debris on the otherwise barren
stretch of land was closely clustered and marked by yellow tape.
One propeller was thrown about 20 feet from its engine.
"I'm assuming whatever happened, happened quickly," said Grand
County Sheriff James Nyland. The twin-engine plane was engulfed
in flames when emergency responders arrived at the site late
Friday, he said.
The group was returning from Moab after spending the day
screening for skin cancer and performing dermatology work.
Ellsworth recently began a monthly skin clinic in Moab, Nyland
said.
"They were on a mission of service, and this tragedy will leave
a huge hole in the hearts of family and friends and communities
they served," said Dane Leavitt, chief executive officer of
Cedar City-based insurance brokerage Leavitt Group. The company
was founded by his father, former state Sen. Dixie Leavitt. Dane
is brother of U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and
former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt.
"Everybody's having a hard time. It's hard to put into words
how devastating this is," said physician Rand Colbert, a
colleague of Ellsworth at the clinic.
The atmosphere was somber Saturday morning at Ellsworth's Cedar
City home where family members had gathered after the tragedy.
Ellsworth was a former veterinarian who had returned to school
to earn a medical degree, after which he did a residency in
pathology and moved to Cedar City after completing another
residency in dermatology. He had worked there for nine years.
Smith said Ellsworth would be sorely missed. "When he came to
Cedar City, he had a vision he wanted to accomplish and that was
to take his specialty care to rural areas." Ellsworth's clinic
offers cancer prevention and treatment expertise to eight
communities in southern and central Utah, northern Arizona and
Nevada.
"Bright and able"
White had moved to Cedar City with his wife Andrea and four
children six years ago.
"He was one of the most accommodating, service-oriented people
I've ever known," Leavitt said. "He was an athlete, musical, and
a bright, able pilot. Someone you wanted to spend time with."
Leavitt also knew Mandy Johnson, 20, who was on the flight and
working in Ellsworth's office as a medical technician.
A Hurricane native, Johnson was a recent Southern Utah
University graduate who had become engaged Thursday, Leavitt
said.
"She was a beautiful, good young woman," he said.
In the Ellsworth family's prepared statement, they thanked
friends and neighbors for its "outpouring of love."
"Your prayers and faith are sustaining us," the statement said.
Families shattered:
Marci Tillery, 29, a laboratory worker in Ellsworth's office,
will be missed in her community, said her husband, Matthew.
"She was a very good, loving person who would give anyone the
shirt off of her back if they needed it," he said of the late
mother of two sons, 6-year-old Matthew and 2-year-old Mason.
Valerie Imlay, 52, was remembered by her husband as a people
person.
"It's a great loss," said Mark Imlay. "Valerie was a caring,
happy person who left an impression on everyone she met.
Everything she did was first-class; she was a neat lady. It's
just not fair."
Imlay said his former high-school sweetheart, wife of 33 years
and mother to their three grown sons, was a medical assistant
for Ellsworth and an aesthetician. She was also a former youth
soccer and Little League baseball coach.
Darci Hansen, editor of Elan Woman magazine, said Imlay was
featured on the cover of the publication's May-June issue that
focused on women in the Southwest.
David Goddard, 60, a physician's assistant, was a fun-loving
person who produced biodiesel for his vehicles in his garage,
said former wife Ann Goddard.
"He was a fun, outgoing guy and just a wonderful person," she
said. Her daughter, Cecilee Goddard, 31, a medical assistant,
was also killed in the crash.
Cecilee, mother of a 2-year-old daughter, Zoe, was a trained
aesthetician and had a spa where she did facial massages,
chemical peels and other skin treatments, her mother said.
"She was a beautiful girl who was fun, outgoing and artistic,"
she added.
Tight-knit community Cedar City Mayor Gerald Sherratt said
Saturday that he cannot recall a greater tragedy than this in
the region. He said the victims were well-known and well-liked.
"They were all exceptional and classy people," he said.
élan
woman professional of the year
Mary Ronnow loves making things happen in a beautiful way! Six
years ago she put her entrepreneurial talents to the test and
opened The Skin Institute School of Esthetics, St. George, Utah.
TSI is an educational facility that trains individuals in the
skills they need to obtain careers in the exploding spa and
wellness industry. She sets the standard for producing
highly-prized employees who are well-trained, well-spoken,
sophisticated, and who focus on the lost art of extraordinary
customer service(imagine that).
Mary and her staff are dedicated to
the complete success of the students. That success is evident by
TSI’s impressive 2007 statistics-100% completion rate of all
students enrolled, 100% passing rate on state boards, and 80%
employment rate. Mary shares the accolades with her staff. “We
work as a fine tuned team dedicated to the success of our
students. These statistics are phenomenal!“ states Ronnow. “Our
graduates are hired by the finest spas and medi-spas across the
country.”
Mary continues to sharpen her entrepreneurial skills. In April
of this year she, along with colleague, Carol Leavitt, opened
Skinvincible Medi-Day Spa in Mesquite, Nevada. “I am so
dedicated to the esthetics industry; I am literally creating new
jobs for my graduates.”
élan woman congratulates Mary for her success and courage to
create the life she designed and it’s impact on developing
skills and careers for others.
élan
woman volunteer of the year
Julie Hullinger is one of those selfless individuals whose
vibrant radiance is quickly noticed. As a mother of three, she
began her service as a “room mother” in the public schools. From
there flourished her commitment to Utah PTA serving as a local
PTA President, Secondary Council PTSA President, and many other
volunteer positions throughout the public education system.
Julie and husband, Clayton, own their own business while
Clayton also
In August of 2005, the Hullinger’s family was devastated with
the loss of their youngest son, Braison, 10, in a tragic
automobile accident. The location of their son’s death was
located on a vital roadway unsafe for foot traffic and children
residing in the area. Through Julie’s perseverance, Mall Drive
has been beautifully renovated to implement the much needed
safety features. This effort inspired the St. George City
Council to place Julie on the Planning and Zoning Commission
where today she continues her dedication to being a voice for
others.
élan woman honors Julie for her awareness and commitment to
continual selfless giving.
Enriching
the Lives of
Southwest Women
By Cami Cox - Staff Writer
A special birthday was celebrated on Feb.
26 as èlan woman magazine, a local publication for women, hit
its one-year mark.
“It's been a phenomenal year,” creator and
editor-in-chief Darci Hansen said. “We have been so fortunate.
We've learned a lot. We've been surrounded by people who, for
whatever reasons, found the same passion that we did for this
endeavor, and the way that it's all come to fruition was really
unimaginable.”
Co-founded by Hansen and her friend Debbie
Herzog, now èlan's publisher, èlan woman grew out of a simple
idea that Hansen had for enriching the lives of women in the
Southwest.“ I wanted a place to work with women and be
able to move them into a space of contentment and happiness, as
I have found in my life, and also tell women that it's okay to
pursue their passions,” Hansen said. “èlan woman is
designed specifically for women that reach that point in life
when life is changing. They've moved beyond that divine role of
motherhood, so to speak, and a lot of times, women seem to get
lost in 'What's next?' and overwhelmed at not knowing what is
next.”
So the concept for èlan was born specifically with women at
that middle-age-and-beyond stage of life in mind. Hansen
envisioned a magazine that would have pages filled with stories,
photos and other content to uplift and inspire women and
encourage them in the pursuit of their dreams.
“When it all started, I didn't actually have enough confidence
to think I could do this alone – it was just an idea,” Hansen
said.
But sinking their own funds into the magazine, she and Herzog
embarked on the adventure of starting their own publication, and
even Hansen said she is surprised at the success the yearling
magazine has already seen.
“I am a survivor, so I knew at some point the magazine would
succeed, I just didn't realize how quickly,” she said. “All the
credit goes to the people who have completely embraced èlan
woman.”
Though it hasn't been a completely smooth road, Hansen has seen
èlan's readership grow as she, Herzog and others have carefully
nurtured their magazine, focusing on growing slowly despite
outside pressures to get big fast.
“Our first and foremost concern is, 'What is best for our
readers?'” Hansen said.
Having that as a top priority has paid off for the magazine, it
seems, and Hansen was recently named “Entrepreneur of the Year”
by the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce for her efforts as
the creator and editor-in-chief of èlan.
èlan woman also continues to grow slowly and steadily, and the
magazine now has subscribers from New York to San Francisco, as
well as its readers in the Southern Utah region.
Hansen believes the magazine is drawing outside readership, in
part, because many people are intrigued by the unique lifestyle
of this area.
“People are fascinated with life in the Southwest,” she said.
“Here we have this gorgeous weather and the beautiful, serene
desert, which allows us so many new adventures. I mean, we could
be outside all year if we really wanted to, and they're just
fascinated.
“We're so youthful back here, and we're outdoors and we're
active and we're passionate about what we do and we believe in
volunteerism. I have friends that don't even know what it's like
to volunteer in a classroom or do anything because they're so
career-driven. Here, we get to live life to its fullest. I
believe women in the Southwest really live life to its fullest,
or at least we have the opportunity to – whether we choose to or
not is the big question, which is the purpose of èlan woman.”
As èlan woman embarks on its second year in Southern Utah,
Hansen and those she works with continue with their mission to
encourage and inspire women. They are piloting a new effort this
year to host weekend retreats, reaching out specifically to
women who live in rural areas of the Southwest region.
“I'm hoping to take some of the big city to the little town
without altering the lifestyle of the little town,” Hansen said.
Offered at a low cost to participants, èlan's retreats will
feature enriching classes, opportunities to network with other
women and a chance for relaxing weekend getaways – all part of
the èlan mission and Hansen's desire to enrich the lives of
women in the Southwest.
Prior to launching èlan woman, Hansen served the community in a
variety of capacities, including as a member of the St. George
Arts Commission and as chairperson of the Foundation for
Students of Washington County. She has additionally served for
eight years as a member of the state PTA and was part of the
education commission for the 2002 Winter Olympics committee.
“All of these things prepared me for this moment,” she said.
èlan woman is a bi-monthly publication. For more information
about the magazine or any of the upcoming èlan woman retreats,
visit www.elanwoman.com or call 627-9662.
St.
George Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards and Installation
Banquet
The ‘Choice’ of St. George
...a diamond in the desert...
Honoring Outstanding Business Leaders and Citizens Installation
of Officers and Board of Directors
...a diamond in the desert...
Entrepreneur of the Year
"I learned at that time that I had survival skills. […] I was
empowered with courage… Strutting across a stage in a swimsuit
is not my comfort zone by any means, but that aside, I learned
survival skills." -- Darci Hansen
élan woman:
1. Distinctive and stylish elegance.
2. Inspired by passion.
3. A vital force of life.
A woman who illuminates the Southwest.
Darcy Hansen - Bonnie Bracken Photography
by
Susi Lafaele
This year’s Entrepreneur of the Year, Darci Hansen, has created
a venue for women to share their experiences, tell their
stories, and live their adventures. Using a paper medium, Darci
and her staff of writers, photographers, and contributors
celebrate southwest lifestyles throughout the colorful pages of
the élan Woman Magazine. Born and raised in the Rancho Cucamonga
area of California, her family relocated to the small town of
Parker, Arizona on the Colorado River Indian Tribes Reservation,
and says it was a “real treat to grow up on the reservation,”
opening her eyes to diversity and great experiences. Wanting to
go to college, but not having the finances, Darci entered a Miss
America affiliate pageant and won. At the time it was the
largest scholarship fund available, and after becoming a
finalist in the Miss Arizona Pageant, Darci’s struggle for
higher education became a reality. “I learned at that time that
I had survival skills. … I was empowered with courage…strutting
across a stage in a swimsuit is not my comfort zone by any
means, but that aside, I learned survival skills.”
Darci says her pageant days “were a blessing” and “opened doors
and opportunities” for her she would have otherwise missed.
Darci was able to attend Northern Arizona University, where she
graduated with a degree in communications. After moving with her
husband and family to the St. George area in 1989, Darci and her
husband Steve developed a full-service landscape company,
Hansen’s Landscape Services, Inc. Working side by side with her
husband, Darci “worked the fields,” learning everything she
could about the landscaping business, including the finances.
She attributes her work ethic and confidence to her husband, who
“has taught me not to quit, to work through things, and work
through it all.” Throughout the years, Darci’s work ethic has
been seen in everything she has done: from the local and state
PTA, to the 2002 Olympics, the Para-Olympics, to announcing high
school wrestling matches.
A couple of years ago, Darci says she had a “wild” idea, that
there needed to be something more to “broadcast all of the good
in the community.” After much encouragement from good friends
and family, Darci and her best friend and now publisher, Deborah
Herzog, were persuaded to start élan woman Magazine. And now,
nearly one year later, élan woman has become a regional
publication with a mission to “encircle our readers, embrace
their evolution, and enrich their souls with a multitude of
options that speak to their passions.”
Darci believes that “Every woman is an élan woman. An élan
woman is dressed and shaped and colored in an array of looks and
we’re all them.” She fondly remembers her grandmother Bernie, an
élan woman, taking the time to play house or store with her and
taught her that “no matter what economic status you were at,
there was always a place for you to fit in anywhere.” Darci
maintains that she is on a continuous path towards an élan woman
and that her inspiration to become that vital force of life is
based on the love she has for her family. “They inspire me to be
successful, not in the business realm, but as a person. They
keep me grounded.” Through all her experiences, Darci spreads
her optimism and positive affirmations with the people she meets
and in the pages of élan woman magazine. “I see women as a vital
force of life. Whether it’s on the home front or at the office
or in the community, women tend to be very passionate…and
passion is what inspires people to move and to do. And an élan
woman is that: a vital force of life.”
