Laurie Williams Sowby

Laurie Williams Sowby, a lifelong journalist, musician, and intrepid international traveler (having visited over 80 countries so far), delights in meeting people and discovering their cultures. A Utah native and graduate of Brigham Young University, she has served on the community advisory board for global Engagement at Utah Valley University, where she taught College Writing for a dozen years, and also on the boards of local symphonies. She helped organize and served as the first president of the arts council in Utah Valley. Over the past 20 years, Laurie and her husband, Steve, have lived in Santiago, Chile; Washington, D.C.; and New York City while doing volunteer service for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They enjoyed interactions with consuls general and United Nations ambassadors, as well as leaders of many faiths in New York. The Sowbys recently volunteered in human rights education and continue to participate in the Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable. Strong proponents of citizen diplomacy, Laurie and Steve have hosted more than 200 IVLP guests at their dinner table in American Fork.