Essie Gonzsen serves as Equality Utah’s Southern Utah Regional Manager, a role created to expand the organization’s work beyond the Wasatch Front. Over the past three years, she’s built bridges across the region – bringing people together in workplaces, campuses, and communities to find common ground and foster understanding.

Before joining Equality Utah, Essie spent nearly eight years teaching after earning her master’s degree in Special Education from the University of Utah. She is a certified Revolution of the Heart trainer and a TEDx speaker, where her talk, “Anxiety as an Asset,” shares her personal journey of transforming anxiety into a source of strength through self-awareness, healing, and connection.

Today, Essie brings that same educator’s heart to her work with the College Ambassador Program, helping young leaders learn to listen deeply, bridge divides, and lead with empathy. She lives in Ivins with her wife and continues to champion curiosity, compassion, and collaboration as the foundation for lasting change.