Lou Ann Christensen
By Jeffrey G. Mulcock, ’01
As the new mayor of Brigham City, Utah, Lou Ann Newell Christensen, ’83, is going to be very busy for the next four years. She is the first woman to be elected to the position in the history of the town of 17,400.
Before seeking election, Christensen served on the city council for six years. Her decision to seek the mayoral post was prompted by a realization that “there were things I could not do on the council level because they required a higher position of leadership.”
“I am honored,” she says of her new position. “I’ve been told that the biggest compliment any community can give a person is to let her or him be their mayor.”
Many people contributed to Christensen’s victory by handing out brochures, putting up signs, and setting up open houses. “My family has been a great support to me during this whole election,” says Christensen, who, with her husband, John, has six children.
Christensen says her degree in communications from BYU has been a valuable asset to her work in public service. “I think my human resource development classes really helped me understand the group process of organizations and how people work. That understanding has really helped me on the many committees and boards I have served on.”
