Our Team
Dr. Greg Hudnall
CEO / Founder
Cathy Bledsoe
Assistant Director
Laura Giles
Curriculum Specialist
Wendi Christensen
Jr. Squad Specialist / Trainer
Linda Flynn
Program Assistant
Memphis Owen
Communications Coordinator
Amanda Shaw
Executive Assistant
Noah Canon
Outreach Specialist
Jessica Tucker-Palmer
Curriculum Specialist
Alivia Walker
Outreach Specialist
Dr. Gregory A. Hudnall is the founder and Executive Director of Hope4Utah. He has championed suicide prevention in Utah schools and communities for over 20 years. His expertise is not only sought after locally, but also nationally, at the highest levels of government.
Dr. Hudnall is a former high school principal, student service director, and associate superintendent with the Provo City School District. In 1999 he created the “Hope” community task force, focusing on community wide suicide prevention, intervention and postvention. In 2004, Dr. Hudnall and his team created the K-12 school based “peer-to-peer” suicide prevention program now known as Hope Squad.
Learn more about Dr. Hudnall at: GregHudnall.com
Cathy Bledsoe graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education.
She worked as a prevention specialist with Provo City School District for seventeen years and was instrumental in implementing district prevention programs, which addressed suicide, school safety, and bullying. While working at Provo City School District, she created bully prevention training for students and teachers, organized a county-wide suicide prevention task force, facilitated annual suicide prevention conferences, and assisted in creating the school-based program Hope Squad.
She is currently the assistant director for Hope4Utah, a nonprofit suicide prevention organization, and is responsible for training and supporting Hope Squads throughout Utah.
Laura Giles holds bachelor’s degrees in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education, as well as a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She has been an elementary teacher in Utah for 25 years. For Hope4Utah, she has served as a Hope Squad advisor, curriculum writer, and Hope Squad coach. In her work with Hope Squad, Laura has helped develop curriculum for students, older adults, and incarcerated individuals, and has supported numerous elementary schools in establishing Jr. Hope Squads.
For the past 20 years, Laura has also written for the Daily Herald in Provo, Utah. Her twice-monthly column, “Matters that Matter,” explores important community and social issues, including suicide prevention, domestic abuse, food insecurity, and mental health. Her article, “Using Literature to Combat Bullying and Suicide,” was published in Volume 44 of the Utah English Journal.
Wendi Christensen, LCSW, has over 26 years of experience in the social work field doing things such as school social work, individual & marriage counseling, crisis work, grief & loss groups, divorce groups, and suicide prevention and survivor groups.
One of her highlights as a school social worker was starting, writing the manual, and piloting the first “Hope Squad.” She remembers fondly the day she and the students named the program “Hope Squad” to bring HOPE to struggling suicidal students.
She currently is a parent advisor for her children’s elementary Jr Hope Squad, a Hope Squad Master trainer, a QPR Gatekeeper trainer, and a liaison to Jr. Hope Squads throughout Davis & Weber Counties in Utah. She has a passion for suicide prevention and helping others find peace and healing.
With marketing as a hobby and working with the youth as a passion, Amanda has been very involved in marketing and education for over 10 years.
Before becoming an assistant for Hope4Utah, she was a Hope Squad advisor for Summit High School in Alpine School District for several years. In her free time, Amanda enjoys family time, playing with her young children, being out in the sunshine, reading books, and baking.
Memphis Owen has been involved with the Hope Squad program and Hope4Utah for the past eight years. Over the course of these last six years, she has had the opportunity to witness the positive impact of the program firsthand. She participated in the program as a high school student and continued with it throughout her entire high school career. During that time, she had the privilege of being the president of her high school, Hope Squad. During three of those years, she was also a part of the Hope Squad National Council, where she worked with other National Council Members to promote suicide prevention and spread hope.
After graduating high school, she started interning for Hope Squad while attending Brigham Young University. She now works with Hope4Utah, assisting with conferences and helping with the Hope Squads in Utah while she finishes her Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations at BYU.
Linda Flynn is a seasoned educator and counselor with over 28 years of experience in education. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, a Master’s degree in School Counseling, and a Master’s in Administration. Linda’s career began with 11 years as an elementary teacher, followed by 17 years as an elementary counselor, where she has profoundly impacted students’ emotional and social development. Notably, Linda has dedicated 8 years to serving as a Jr. HOPE Squad advisor, pioneering the program in the Davis School District and supporting schools district-wide in implementing HOPE Squads. She also collaborates with Davis Behavioral Health to provide prevention and education classes to support individuals and families. Additionally, Linda is a key member of the District Crisis Response Team, working to mitigate traumatic events and restore school safety. Her involvement extends to the SafeUT Team, where she responds to tips and engages with students, parents, and guardians to address concerns and provide necessary support. Linda Flynn’s career exemplifies a steadfast commitment to student well-being and community outreach in education and mental health advocacy.
Jessica Tucker-Palmer graduated from Utah Valley University with a degree in Creative Writing. She has worked as an editor and an English reading tutor. Since 2022, she has helped write curriculum for the Hope Squad program and contributed to and edited projects for Hope4Utah. Jessica is passionate about learning and helping students of all ages understand compassion, kindness, and the importance of mental health.
Alivia Walker is an Outreach Specialist passionate about serving others and building strong, supportive communities. Her experience includes three years with her school’s Hope Squad and one year with the National Hope Squad, where she developed a strong commitment to mental health awareness and peer support. Alivia brings compassion, connection, and a genuine desire to help others feel supported and valued.
a non-profit, 501c3 organization
LOCATION
5455 River Run Dr.
Provo, UT 84604