Bishop Wester honored at People of Vision dinner

Intermountain Catholic

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Bishop John C. Wester (at podium) was presented with the 2011 People of Vision award by Keith Poelman, chairman of the Friends for Sight Board of Directors, and Colleen Malouf, Friends for Sight president & CEO. IC photo/Marie Mischel

SALT LAKE CITY — The Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City, and Natalie Gochnour, executive vice president of the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce and vice president of policy an communications at Leavitt Partners, were honored at the 2011 People of Vision dinner, sponsored by Friends for Sight.

Established in 1955 as the Utah Society to Prevent Blindness, Friends for Sight screens children and adults for eye diseases such as amblyopia and glaucoma. For the past 10 years the organization also has conducted vision screening on high school students in driver’s education classes.

The People of Vision award began in 1982; the inaugural awardee was Mrs. George S. (Lolie) Eccles, now deceased. Others who have received the award over the years have been the 2002 Olympics, John A Moran and Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Elder Ballard gave the invocation at this year’s dinner, which was Oct. 29 at the Little America Hotel.

Before introducing the honorees, Kent Norton, Friends for Sight chairman, said people often fail to see things of value and allow prejudice or fear to block their view of all the possibilities. He quoted Robert F. Kennedy: "Some people see things as they are and say, ‘Why?’ I dream of things that never were and say, ‘Why not?’"

"Such is the vision of our honorees and all good people who strive to make the world a better place," Norton said.

Gochnour is well-known in business and political circles, but "many others might be surprised to learn of her incredible talents and contributions because so many of them are offered in the shadow of selfless service, without credit, without fanfare," Norton said.

In her acceptance remarks, Gochnour, who in the past worked for former governors Norm Bangerter and Mike Leavitt, thanked them and others for teaching her vision. "Vision reminds us that the future is not a gift but an achievement. We have to invent the future every single day if we want this state to be a great place."

In introducing Bishop Wester, Norton said, "Time will not permit us to cite all of the ways in which you have enriched and contributed to our little part of the world, forging friendships and alliances with the likes of Elder Ballard, and so many others."

Bishop Wester thanked Friends for Sight for the Award, but said the recognition is not so much of him as it is an acknowledgement "of all those here in Utah in the Catholic diocese and beyond that I work with and minister with and associate with. It’s an honor for all of us, in that sense and I’m so grateful for Friends for Sight for it… Friends for Sight helps remind us of the importance to have vision, to see with the eyes of faith... I can see clearly that Friends for Sight has real faith – you have faith in human beings, you have faith in God’s gifts, you have faith that God intends for us to help one another to see more clearly. You have certainly done that for me and I’m profoundly grateful."