Carolyn Dailey - CEO and President of ASCEND, A Humanitarian Alliance

During her 17 years as an executive for international humanitarian efforts, Carolyn has facilitated integrated community development programs, expeditions and internships in 12 countries, as well as assisting partnering organizations in several other countries.

Carolyn currently serves as the President / CEO for ASCEND, a Humanitarian Alliance; previously served as President / CEO / Co-Founder for Engage Now Foundation; and as CEO for CHOICE Humanitarian.
During her administration of international efforts, hundreds of thousands of impoverished children and families have been blessed through sustainable development programs in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Indonesia, India, Tibet and Vietnam. Carolyn has been selected by the Romney Institute of Public Management as 2008 Administrator of the Year. She also received the Freedom's Foundation Heroes Award; and her esteemed colleague Tim Evans noted that "under Carolyn's leadership, we have seen unprecedented growth. Our rapid fiscal and geographic expansion is attributable directly to her."

After leading both for profit and not-for profit corporations, Carolyn says that "guiding a non-profit organization is the most challenging administrative effort one can undertake, yet the life-changing results turn exhausting efforts into joy."

Ethiopia

Kenya

Mozambique

Bolivia

Peru

Ecuador

Ghana

Guatemala

Mexico

Indonesia

India

Tibet

Vietnam

Prior to her international leadership, Carolyn led successful national, state and local political and non-profit campaigns, events, and ongoing operations as an executive and consultant. She also served as president and vice president of publishing corporations; and as partner in telecommunications consulting, recognized as Franchisee of the Year by the International Franchise Association. She and her husband, Ken, continue as partners in real estate.

Carolyn's educational background is in Political Science, Mass Communication, International Development and Music. She is a National Harry S. Truman Scholar, who has committed much of her life to public service. Having studied at both Brigham Young University and the University of Utah, Carolyn notes that her family proudly "bleeds both red and blue," and she gives credit to her parents, Stewart and Sarah Grow for being great examples to her of the motto: "Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve." Stewart authored this motto for Brigham Young University, where he founded the MPA Program and mentored students for 35 years.

Carolyn loves her family, including her husband Ken, their children Ben and Rachael and Rachael's husband Gavin Goodwin. Carolyn counts among her blessings, the opportunity to serve her mother Sarah, and to have such great brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles. She has a history of service and leadership with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Rotary International and other service organizations. Among Carolyn's passions is music: she is an accomplished violinist and concertmaster, enjoys singing in and conducting choirs and arranging music. She also enjoys public speaking, sports and adventures including climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, summiting Iliniza, Cotopaxi and Chimborazo in Ecuador; riding her bicycle from Logan to Jackson-204 miles in one day; running rapids of Africa's Zambezi River; waterskiing the slalom buoys and wakeboarding.

Carolyn's influence is far reaching, but none of her accomplishments mean more to her than the success in the lives of her own children. Rachael and Ben have accompanied Carolyn on several humanitarian trips and have even gone on some of there own. Infact, a few days after Rachael was married, she and her new husband Gavin went on a four month humanitarian honeymoon to Ethiopia.