Amanda McIntosh is the Woman of the Year

At the annual Eastern Utah Women’s Conference, a Woman of the Year is traditionally announced. For 2023, Amanda McIntosh was given the honor.

McIntosh is well-known in the community as an advocate of all things hope. McIntosh and her daughter, Abbigale, lost their husband and father to suicide, and McIntosh now acts as an advocate for suicide prevention in many ways.

McIntosh works to bring awareness through her position at the Southeast Utah Health Department, as the Vice President of the HOPE Squad of Carbon, Emery and Grand Counties, and through her position on the Utah Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Dr. Rachel Johnson, who was part of the planning committee for the conference, made sure to keep this honor a surprise to McIntosh while also being sure to include her closest friends, Vikki Madsen, Tabby Peterson, Deena Carmack and Morgan Davis, as well as her daughter, knowing it was important to McIntosh.

“I can’t find the words to express how genuinely shocked I am at receiving such a prestigious award,” McIntosh shared. “I had no idea a work event would end with me in tears.”

She stated that working in suicide prevention and awareness can be difficult, as they seldom hear about the lives that they have potentially saved and usually only see the data on where they are failing. McIntosh said that she is honored to be the “shrill voice” in the room advocating and demanding more for mental health.

“Thank you to all who have supported me and continue to support Abbi and me,” McIntosh concluded.