Executive Board

Tina Jensen

President

Tina Jensen has spent the last 19 years teaching in the International Pathways Program in the Salt Lake City School District. This is a gifted dual immersion Spanish program. She currently teaches 5^th and 6^th graders and is passionate about advocating for diverse learners. She has spent the past 24 years teaching gifted and talented students and has served on the UAGC board for the past 8 years. She received her BA in Elementary Education from Utah State University and has worked to earn endorsements in Gifted and Talented Education, ESL, and Spanish. This is her third year serving as president. She enjoys serving others and considers herself a lifelong learner. She lives in South Jordan with her husband Matt, and they have 6 children. She spends a lot of her free time cheering on the sidelines as she has 4 boys that play competitive soccer and a daughter who plays tackle football. She is also a full-time taxi driver, driving to dance lessons, soccer games and practices.

Laurie Carlson

Communications

Nicki Brammer

President Elect

Nicki is excited to be working with UAGC. She has five children, including two sets of twins, and is passionate about gifted education. She has served on various school community councils and the Alpine School District Community Council, but her favorite work is always volunteering in the classroom with students. Nicki has enjoyed grant writing for education and business clients and was the Founder/Director of Mighty Montessori.

Amy Pilkington

Secretary

Amy Pilkington is delighted at the opportunity to be a part of the gifted community of Utah. She believes that there is no nobler calling than influencing the lives of others through education and is passionate about creating engaging learning environments where all students can grow into lifelong learners. She is a committed lifelong learner and avid devourer of books. Learning new things and curiosity about the world around her is something she feels very passionate about. She earned a dual bachelor’s in English and History teaching from Utah State University and later earned a master’s in education leadership and administration. She has endorsements in Gifted and Talented education and as a Literacy Specialist. She has worked with youth for over 25 years and taught in the classroom for 7 years before becoming an administrator. She adores being the principal of Wasatch Peak Academy in North Salt Lake and the opportunities they offer to advanced and gifted students.

Shari Taylor

Treasurer

Shari Taylor is one of the Assistant Principals at Lehi Junior High School. She chose to enter administration at the middle school level. She loves the energy of teenagers; walking into the lunch room usually makes her smile. She has been an educator for the district for 28 years teaching all elementary levels in music and advanced 5th & 6th grade instruction for all subjects. In addition to teaching children, Mrs. Taylor teaches adults working on their Utah State Gifted and Talented Endorsement and teachers for identified advanced classes through BYU. Mrs. Taylor’s passion in education is advocating for gifted and advanced programs. She is the past president of the Utah Association of Gifted Children and Director of Gifted Services in Alpine School District. Although gifted education is her work interest, other interests include outdoor activities such as skiing, hiking, biking, and site seeing, and her real passion is family. She and her husband spend time with their three children and many extended family members. Mrs. Taylor loves her career as a life-long educator and learner and is currently working on her Doctorate in Educational Leadership.

Executive Committees

Rebecca Campbell
Parent Advocacy

Rebecca Campbell earned her bachelor's degree in math education from Brigham Young University. She has been teaching in Granite School District since 2009. After teaching secondary math for six years, she transitioned to the elementary level to teach Spanish dual immersion. She enjoys working with gifted students, especially those from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

Halley Kirk

Programs

Halley Kirk is the SALTA Gifted and Talented Program Coordinator and Instructional Specialist for Canyons School District. Previously, she taught for twelve years, primarily in a gifted and talented magnet program and upper elementary/middle school. She received her M.A. in Teaching from Westminster College and attained endorsements in Gifted & Talented, Educational Technology, and ESL. She also holds a B.A. in International Politics and Philosophy from Utah State University. Halley is passionate about helping students engage in deep conversations, make critical connections, take ownership of their learning, and think at more complex levels. She enjoys getting outdoors, listening to live music, and traveling as much as possible in her free time.

Trish French

Parent Advocacy

Trish French is currently serving as the Gifted and Talented Specialist for the Utah State Board of Education. Prior to that Trish taught in a gifted magnet program for Canyons School District, worked as an instructional coach, taught primarily math and science in upper elementary and middle school, and wrote/edited science and math textbooks. When she is not working Trish loves spending time hiking and biking with her husband and hanging out with her two grandchildren.

Tammy Wright

Programs

Tammy Wright

Programs

Tammy Wright has been a teacher in Granite School District for 24 years, 12 of which were in the Advanced Learning Center gifted program at Fox Hills Elementary. She has been the Gifted Coordinator for Granite School District since 2021. She earned a B.S. in Elementary Education from Brigham Young University, and and M.Ed. from Utah State University. She has teaching endorsements in Gifted and Talented, Elementary Mathematics, and ESL. She has served on the UAGC Summer Conference committee since 2020, and joined the UAGC board in 2023.

Utah Association for Gifted Children

869 E. 4500 S Suite #403

Salt Lake City, UT 84107

UAGC is a non-profit organization 501 (c) 3