Feed your ELK Conference Schedule

Friday August 2nd
5:30 PM Registration – Lobby Social Hour – Gym
6:30 PM Banquet – Gym
7:00 PM Murder Mystery (1.0 CEH) – Gym
Saturday August 3rd
8:30 AM Registration – Lobby
8:45 AM Welcome – Gym
9:00 AM Morning Session 1 (1.5 CEHs)
Gym Lounge Classroom C Classroom B
History of Utah Association of the Deaf How to train a hearing dog Personal Finance Competency Evaluations, Language/Communication Evaluations and Mental Health Evaluations
Pamela Mower Katie Cook-Christensen Ben Daniel Jared Allebest
10:45 AM Morning Session 2 (1.5 CEHs)
History of Utah Association of the Deaf How to train a hearing dog Personal Finance Competency Evaluations, Language/Communication Evaluations and Mental Health Evaluations
Pamela Mower Katie Cook-Christensen Ben Daniel Jared Allebest
12:30 PM Business Lunch – Gym
1:45 PM Afternoon Session 1 (1.5 CEHs)
Gym Classroom B/C Lounge
Technology for our Children and Leadership in Deaf Community How to get a Job and Make Good Money Why I Fly Fish
Brook Grossinger Greg Rathbun Bruce Johnson
3:30 PM Afternoon Session 2 (1.5 CEHs)
Technology for our Children and Leadership in Deaf Community How to get a Job and Make Good Money Why I Fly Fish
Brook Grossinger Greg Rathbun Bruce Johnson
See you Next Year! Mark your Calendars:

August 2020, UTRID Conference

Theme: VISION

Volunteer Call UTRID Conference

Hello all!
The UTRID 2019 “Feed Your ELK” Conference is just around the corner, and we are looking for volunteers from all corners of the community to help out! The conference will run Friday evening (8/2) and all day Saturday (8/3).
If you are interested in volunteering, please take a moment to sign up using this link:
It will ask you which area you are interested in helping out with (registration table, workshop floater, kitchen crew, etc.) and which dates and times you are available.
We will also be having a volunteer meet and greet the week before the conference. Stay tuned for further details about this event!
If you have any other questions about volunteering, please don’t hesitate to let me know:
Thank you!
Anne Louise
UTRID Conference Volunteer Coordinator

Pamela Mower

Born deaf, Pamela Mower grew up in Salt Lake City. She earned her degrees (Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies) and (Master of Science in Administration and Supervision) from Gallaudet University. She worked at Gallaudet University for over 10 years as an Employer Specialist in the Career Center before moving back to Salt Lake City and worked at Sorenson Communications in the Marketing Department as a studio producer. After four years, in May 2013, Pamela started as a statewide employment specialist at Sanderson Community Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. She is a board member for Utah Association of the Deaf, Secretary for Beehive Chapter of Gallaudet University Alumni Association, Board member for Wheeler Scholarship Foundation and more

Brooke Grossinger

Brooke Grossinger was born Deaf into a Deaf family and grew up near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 2004, Brooke graduated from Gallaudet University with a bachelor’s degree in Deaf studies. In 2008, she earned a master’s degree in AmericanSign Language (ASL) education. Brooke’s husband is Deaf. They have two children, one of whom is Deaf. Her depth of knowledge about ASL and Deaf culture is rich, something she passionately shares and discusses daily.

Currently, Brooke is in her ninth year of working with Sorenson Communications. She currently serves as community engagement manager in Sorenson’s marketing department, a place she describes as “a blended family” comprised of Deaf andhearing coworkers.

Brooke’s ambition is to ensure all people gain a deep understanding of ASL and of the values and history of Deaf culture.

Katie Cook-Christensen

Hello! My name is Katie Cook!

I am a Deaf woman native of northern Utah. I am currently attending college majoring in education. I currently work at USDB/JMS as a teacher’s aide, and I absolutely love what I do. I am happily married to a hearing man and we have two hearing dogs in an apartment complex that can also very much hear us. My dog is currently an emotional support dog in the training process of becoming a service dog. My topic will be, of course, about my dogs. I am excited to share about my relationship with animals and why my dog is so incredibly important to me!

Greg Rathbun

Greg was born in San Bernardino, CA where he lived till age 9. His family then moved to Utah where he attended USDB. When he was young, he worked for his father as a cabinet painter. He changes his career hoping for more opportunities and became diesel mechanic. That is what he worked as for the US Postal Service for 31 years till his retirement. Greg is Married to Rosa Rathbun and they have 3 children, and 7 grandchildren. He is enjoying retirement getting in as much fishing as he can. In the winter you will find him on his snowmobile ice fishing on Strawberry Reservoir.

Bruce Johnson

Bruce Johnson is currently working for Sorenson Communications as a test engineer where he earned his success with ntouch VP2 project. When he isn’t glued yo his workplace, he spends time up in Utah and Idaho mountain streams to fish. Bruce currently resides in South Jordan with his wife, Patricia Lowry along with two deaf boxers, and an interpreter boxer. You can reach him at [email protected]

 

Jared Allebest

Jared Allebest is the founder of Allebest Law Group.

He was born and raised in Southern California. He attended Brigham Young University and graduated with a BA in English. He attended law school at Thomas Jefferson of School of Law in San Diego, California. He graduated in 2009 with a J.D. and moved to Utah to practice law.

In 2011, he opened Allebest Law Group and began representing both hearing and deaf clients. He specializes in the following areas of law: advocacy, estate planning, business law, discrimination law and Deaf Rights.

Jared Allebest is the former Chairman for Loop Utah. Loop Utah is an ongoing advocacy campaign dedicated to educating Utah venues about the benefits of hearing loop technology, which provides the Hard of Hearing (HoH) community in Utah the enriched experience they deserve.

He also sits as a community representative on the Advisory Council to the Utah Division of Services to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (USDB Advisory Council). This organization includes administrators, educators, community leaders and parents of Deaf and Hard of Hearing children. Together, they meet to advise and make recommendations to the Utah State Board of Education and the USDB Superintendent regarding staff positions, policy, budgets, and operations, appropriate programs and services that will be beneficial to the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind. The goal of USDB is to provide the best educational opportunities for Deaf and Blind students.

His passion and interests are Crossfit, Ultimate Frisbee, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, reading, attending concerts and traveling around the world. So far he has visited 30 countries around the world.

Ben Daniel

Ben Daniel is from Southern California has been part of the Utah Deaf Community since 2012. He graduated from BYU with a Bachelor’s degree in Facility and Property Management and currently works as a Financial Analyst with Communication Service for the Deaf, Inc. He also co-founded and co-operates 5 Star Interpreting, currently overseeing the financial aspects. Additionally, he is the only Deaf licensed Realtor in the state and has been working with the Deaf community to buy and sell real estate since 2016. He also currently serves on the UT-RID board as the Treasurer and formerly served as the Finance Chair for the ASLTA conference in SLC in 2017. Ben enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids, playing in local city slow pitch softball and basketball leagues, and geeking out over Excel spreadsheets.