
Join us at the 35th Annual ATHENA® Leadership Award Luncheon at the Timbermine on January 24 at 11:30 a.m. to help us celebrate our new 2023 ATHENA Leadership Award recipient - Sara Buehler Toliver.
The Athena Committee was inspired by Sara’s positive energy and her love and passion for the greater Ogden community. Sara is an Ogden native and was a catalyst in the revitalization of downtown Ogden. As she has helped revitalize Ogden, and sought to create a vibrant, economically stable community with a “sense of place”, she has made it her mission to be a mentor and take others with her as she continues her authentic work toward making Ogden an amazing visitor destination and wonderful place to live. Sara leads from a place of wanting those around her to excel and believes we are capable of more when we work together for the greater good.
Meet our 2023 Athena Leadership Award Recipient, Sara Toliver:
- Sara is currently the President and CEO of Visit Ogden, the Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for Weber County.
- During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sara worked endlessly looking for and writing grants to support not only Visit Ogden but other small businesses and organizations in our community, while helping other organizations write grants too. With her drive and commitment, Sara was able to secure almost three-quarters of a million dollars!
- Sara and her husband, Brett, are the proud parents of twins, who are high school seniors this year. They love skiing, hiking, biking, and pretty much anything else they can do in our beautiful mountains but are really wondering what they are going to do with all their free time once the kids head off to school next year!
- Sara continually encourages her staff to seek out education that will advance and improve their careers and personal lives.
- Sara is the current past-president of the Destination Marketing Association of the West
- Serves on the Destination International Small Bureau Task Force. (Destinations International is the "mothership" of tourism for the world!)Sara was one of the masterminds of the Harvest Moon Celebration which has become an annual event that brings thousands of individuals to Ogden each year.
- Sara is a graduate of Ogden High School; she went on to receive both her BS and MBA degrees from Utah State University before opening three retail stores on Historic 25th Street in downtown Ogden
- Sara’s passion for Ogden continues to drive her in her day-to-day activities to make the greater Ogden area an amazing visitor destination and a wonderful place to live. Sara said, “Our community is my purpose.”
