Board of Directors
The Pilar Pobil Legacy Foundation stands in solidarity with the black and brown community in Utah and the world, and grieve together with the loved ones of so many who have lost their lives to police brutality. As an organization with a deep belief in the transformative power of art, the Foundation commits to serving as a place of equity, diversity and inclusion for everyone in our community. We champion human expression and the pursuit of social justice.
MONICA WHALEN, PRESIDENT
Monica Whalen is an experienced CEO and employment law attorney. She is the former president & CEO of the Employers Council in Utah. Monica advises and trains business leaders on management, HR and legal topics. Prior to joining the Employers Council, she was an attorney at Parsons Behle & Latimer. Monica serves on the boards of directors for the Ronald McDonald House Charities as strategic initiatives chair and for the PPLF as president. She was recognized as one of Utah’s 30 Women to Watch.
A Montana native, Monica began her career as a rural high school English teacher. She earned a BA in English from Montana State University and a juris doctorate from the University of Washington School of Law. She is a dog lover, community volunteer and outdoor recreation enthusiast.
KATHRYN LINDQUIST, VICE PRESIDENT
Having earned degrees in English and a PhD of American Studies from the University of Utah, Kathryn Lindquist taught humanities courses and directed programs at the U for many years. Following retirement, she served on the Weber State University Board of Trustees, working to initiate and advance sustainability programs and students’ community engaged learning; she continues on WSU’s Environmental Issues Committee and the editorial board for Weber: The Contemporary West. At the U she enjoys membership on advisory boards for the College of Humanities, Undergraduate Advancement and the Tanner Center for Human Rights Advocacy. Kathryn is a trustee for The Nature Conservancy and the ACLU, both of Utah. Married to Jim Moore, she shares with him the joys of hiking, skiing, volunteering and playing with their grandchildren.
JENNIFER KELSEY, SECRETARY
With civic-minded focus, Jennifer (Jen) Kelsey has worked throughout her adult life with non-profits in several leadership positions. She employs her skills of critical thinking, strategic planning, public relations, developing employees and creating and analyzing outcomes in line with organizations’ mission, vision and values to help them grow. Currently, and during her many years as a member of the Junior League of Salt Lake, she also volunteers extensively with non-profits.
Married and with both children in college, Jen loves to travel (especially to the family cabin in Idaho), read and share photos of her hound dog, Mabel.
DARYL BARRETT
A dedicated community volunteer for child advocacy and education, Daryl Barrett has served on many community boards and committees. These include the University of Utah Alumni Association, Junior League of Salt Lake City, Utah Children, Zoo Arts and Parks, and Planned Parenthood Association of Utah. She was elected to a term on the Utah State Board of Education and appointed to the Utah State Board of Regents. With her sister-in-law, Daryl co-authored You’re In Charge, an-innovative child abuse prevention program for elementary age children that gained national recognition. She has been recognized with many local awards and the National Association of Child Advocates Volunteer Award. Daryl is married to Steve Barrett and has been like a daughter to Pilar Pobil since she was a child, as her family and Pilar’s were good friends and neighbors.
CARLA CANTOR
Carla Cantor was a public educator for 27 years. After retiring in 2009, she joined the Jewish Community Center as the community programming coordinator. Carla organizes lectures, concerts, art exhibits, classes and markets. Her goal is to create learning experiences for JCC members that concurrently give local businesses and artists exposure to clients.
Devoted to community service, she has long been on the Jewish Family Service board, serving on the committee for Shalom Salam/Tikun Olum, which supplies first-year refugee families with household and clothing needs on Christmas Day. Carla chairs the Inclusion Center board and the PPLF Events Committee; she enjoys volunteering in senior centers, festivals and elementary schools. Married to Mark Cantor, she has two boys in their twenties who she hopes will graduate from college before she dies.
PILAR POBIL
To understand how immigrants can enrich our state and country, you need look no further than Pilar Pobil, ensconced in her beautiful home and garden. The Spanish painter and sculptor started her art career late, but made up for lost time with a prolific body of work full of sinuous line and bright color. Paint leaps off her canvases to cover her frames, her furniture and even the walls of her house — a work of art in its own right that has become a gathering place for Utah artists and a catalyst for the development of a philanthropic Salt Lake City art community.
Steve Sheffield is an artiste extraordinaire. His styles range from abstract expressionism to stylized landscapes, varying in medium, tone and mood but always rooted in nature. He has earned numerous honors, including 6 best of show awards; his works hang in public and private collections across the western United States.
Having earned a BA in American studies and painting from BYU and an MBA from USU, Steve applies his education and artistry to chairing such organizations as The Western Federation of Watercolor Societies, Art Access and the Intermountain Society of Artists; he is a past president of the Utah Watercolor Society. Steve has managed Bullock Frame Company since 1994.
For years Steve has served as artist coordinator for Art in Pilar’s Garden, inviting a variety of exceptional artists to participate and arranging to display their works professionally.
PHIL COFIELD
Phil Cofield has devoted his career to Junior Achievement of Utah, Inc., where he served as president and CEO until recently retiring. Among his accomplishments at JA are incorporating work readiness and financial education into Utah schools’ curricula, and constructing Junior Achievement City, an out-of-class experience. This latter program increased annual student participation from 800 to nearly 100,000. Phil’s leadership enabled this award-winning curriculum to exist independent of public education funding, as it generated more than forty million dollars from the private sector and foundations. Among the boards Phil has served are the Governor’s Prosperity 2020 Founders, the Utah Economic Development Corporation, and Juan Diego Catholic High School. He presently serves on JA’s State Board and the STEM MX Board of Utah.
Susan Klinker’s diverse career focuses on developing collaborative community relationships. As public programs manager at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center, she fosters multi-cultural exhibits, performances, festivals and concerts. Her ARTrageous educational programs reach thousands of students annually.
Deeply committed to environment sustainability, Susan uses her background in architectural design, urban planning and cultural anthropology, and a master’s degree in international development, to promote equitable and affordable natural-built housing. She is currently building a Net Zero carbon footprint demonstration cottage as the first project of Strawtegi, a start-up design-build company she co-founded.
Susan loves to travel and experience adventures with her teenage sons. She applies her artistic talents to create award-winning visual art and lively mosaic furniture. Her good friend Pilar Pobil has enjoyed Susan’s company and talents for decades, as she has helped plan and arrange events in Pilar’s garden.