Jewel Lee Kenley

Jewel Lee Kenley

When a 1993 auto accident took her husband, Ed Kenley, and left her seriously injured, “Julie” Kenley was concerned about the welfare of the eighty employees of the Ed Kenley Ford dealership that her husband had owned and operated. She determined to perpetuate the business and has succeeded by every measure.

In 1998, her mostly male peers in the Utah Auto Dealers Association nominated her for the Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award, an honor given annually for outstanding operation of an automobile dealership and for distinguished community service. She emerged as one of the Top Ten Finalists out of more than 20,000 nominees, earning also a listing in the Automobile Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Michigan. In 2000 she was elected President of the Northern Utah Auto Dealers Association.

A tireless public servant, Mrs. Kenley has served on numerous boards, including those of the Davis Hospital & Medical Center, Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, Hill Air Force Base Military Affairs Committee, Davis Applied Technology Center, and Weber State University National Advisory Board. She has also been frequently recognized for her support of the arts, community development, and education.

One of her proudest accomplishments was her involvement in a creation of the Edward A. Kenley Centennial Amphitheater, a private/public partnership that brings quality entertainment to northern Utah.

In 1998 her many achievements were acknowledged as she received an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Weber State University.