• Gov. Spencer Cox appointed Alex Peterson as the new director of the Utah Office of Families.
• Peterson succeeded founding director Aimee Winder Newton who has led the office since 2022.
• The office promotes policies that support parents, protect children and strengthen marriages and families.
  

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has named Alex Peterson as a senior advisor and director of the Utah Office of Families, succeeding Aimee Winder Newton, who led the office since it was established in 2022. Peterson will assume her leadership role Sept. 8.

“Alex understands that strong families are the foundation of a strong state. Her experience in education policy, child protection and strategic leadership will be an asset as we continue working to support parents and improve outcomes for Utah children,” Cox said in a news release.

Of Winder Newton, the governor said that “she built the office from the ground up and helped ensure the needs of parents and children were considered across state government. We are grateful for her leadership, her commitment to Utah families and her years of dedicated public service.”

The release noted that as director of the office, Winder Newton championed social media legislation and education, home visiting programs for vulnerable families and various proactive policies aimed at helping families and children.

The Utah Office of Families was created to promote “policies that support parents, protect children and strengthen marriages and families.”

Peterson, a mother of five, earned her bachelor’s degree from California State University, Long Beach and a master’s degree in education policy from Harvard University.

Peterson worked in Congress before becoming national director of donor relations and the personal aide to Ann Romney when Mitt Romney was running for president in 2012. Back in Utah in 2015, she led corporate relations for doTERRA International and was a volunteer researcher and analyst with the Utah Women & Leadership Project.

More recently, she directed strategic development and impact at The Policy Project and now serves as the board chair and policy adviser with an emphasis on child sexual abuse prevention.

Said Peterson in the release: “Utah’s future depends on strong families and children who are safe, supported and prepared to succeed.”

She added, “I look forward to listening closely to parents, policymakers and partners across the state and advancing practical, evidence-based policies that meaningfully improve outcomes for Utah families.”