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Cottonwood Heights Journal

Local Friend, Neighbor, Former Teacher and Politician Receives Prestigious Award

Sep 29, 2016 03:39PM ● By Carol Hendrycks

Representative Carol Spackman Moss received the Eleanor Roosevelt Award. (Carol Spackman Moss)

By Carol Hendrycks | [email protected]


Each year, the Utah Democratic Party nominates and honors a woman for her long-term commitment to the Democratic Party and the community and who upholds the tireless efforts Eleanor Roosevelt established in the 1930s. 

State Rep. Carol Spackman Moss has accepted this call and will be receiving the Eleanor Roosevelt Award Oct. 5 at the Falls Event Center in Salt Lake City. Spackman Moss will share the award with past recipients such as Party Chair Meghan Holbrook, Rep. Patrice Arent, Sen. Karen Mayne, former Sen. Paula Julander, and former Utah First Ladies Norma Matheson, Jill Love and Lucy Beth Rampton. 

According to Holly Mullen, Salt Lake City communications deputy director for Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski, it is not hard to understand how Spackman Moss is most deserving of this award. Mullen is one of the individuals who nominated Spackman Moss. 

Mullen’s background and friendship with Spackman Moss started years back when she was a student of Moss’s at Olympus High School. Mullen explained how she, a 15-year-old girl, was drawn to Moss and her energy and enthusiasm in engaging and challenging students to reach beyond their limits. 

Mullen said during Spackman Moss’s 33 years of being a teacher, she provided a strong voice for bettering the lives of both youth and teachers. She was active in the Utah Education Association, mentored future politicians and has served the last 16 years with the Utah House of Representatives. 

Mullen said Moss demonstrates passion and commitment to public service. She is an advocate for youth, women and many diverse organizations. She is a board member of Prevent Child Abuse Utah, the Salt Lake County Commission on Youth and the Children of Ethiopia Education Fund. 

“Eleanor Roosevelt and Representative Spackman Moss both dedicated their professional lives to serve others, fostering human rights and supporting women in education,” Mullen said. 

 Mullen has the honor of presenting the award to Spackman Moss and said she is looking forward to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

 Spackman Moss said she is excited and humbled to be part of the list of notable woman who have come before her in receiving the award. She also fully believes that young people are the future and that is why she promotes civic involvement wherever she goes. 

Spackman said she is using her experience, education, wisdom and platform in the legislation to focus on laws that secure funding for bullying and hazing. She is also working to continue ongoing funding for a teacher mentoring program the Salt Lake City School District has implemented to train and retain quality teachers. 

She has also turned her focus on drug-overdose epidemic. She recently sponsored House Bill 11, which protects people who call for help for someone who is overdosing. She also helped pass a law that allows people to possess Naloxone, a lifesaving drug that can reverse an overdose to prescription painkillers and heroin. 

Spackman Moss and her spouse, Bob, are residents of Holladay. She enjoys spending time with their three daughters, two sons and six grandchildren. She is also loves traveling, reading, cycling and politics. She appears at many speaking engagements and finds time to attend and support many Holladay City events.