*Speakers will be speaking both sessions unless noted by their name.*

Brad Wilcox grew up in Provo, Utah, except for childhood years spent in Ethiopia, Africa.  As a young man, he served a mission for the Church in Chile.  Brad earned a Ph.D. from the University of Wyoming and is now an associate professor in the department of Teacher Education at BYU.  Brad and his wife, Debi, lived at one time in New Zealand, where Brad directed a Study Abroad program for Brigham Young University.  They recently lived in Santiago, Chile, where Brad served as president of the Chile Santiago East Mission from 2003-2006; he currently serves as a member of the Sunday School general board. Brad and Debi are the parents of four children and reside in Provo, Utah.

John Bytheway is a bestselling author, favorite speaker, and part-time instructor at Brigham Young University.  His many titles include Heroes: Lessons from the Book of Mormon; Standards Night Live; Isaiah for Airheads; A Crash Course in Teenage Survival; and his most recent book, Behind Every Good Man.  He has also created numerous talks on CD, many of which are combined in The John Bytheway Collection, Vols. 1 and 2.  John served a mission to the Philippines and holds a master’s degree in Religious Education.  He and his wife, Kimberly, have six children.

Laurel Christensen grew up in California, Kentucky and Missouri. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University which she received after serving in the Riverside California Mission. She has spent most of her career at Deseret Book Company where she is currently the Creative Director for Product Development and also oversees the Time Out for Women program, spending many weekends on the road producing Time Out events. Laurel just completed a Masters Program in Communications Management and loves working with teenage girls (and especially likes making sure they are well educated about the world of Jane Austen).

Chad Hymas' life changed instantaneously when, at age 27, an accident left him a quadriplegic.  Since that time Chad has been recognized by the state of Utah as the Superior Civilian of the Year.   He is the president of his own communications company and an internet marketing company.  As a member of the National Speakers Association Chad travels as many as 150,000 miles a year speaking to hundreds of professional and civic organizations such as Wells Fargo, Blue Cross Blue Shield, AT&T, Rainbird, IHC, American Express, Prudential Life, Vast FX, Zion Securities, and others.

 Chad is married and he and his wife are the proud parents of four children.  They currently reside in Rush Valley, Utah on a 200-acre wildlife preserve.  Chad is a world-class wheelchair athlete enjoying basketball, wheelchair rugby, hang-gliding, and snow skiing.   In July 2003 Chad set a World Record by wheeling a personal marathon of over 500 miles from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas.  Chad is also the author of the regionally best-selling book Soaring to New Heights.  His life and testimony are inspiring. Chad has been a favorite for many past Retreat for Girls participants.  (2nd Session Only)

John Hilton III grew up in Seattle and served a mission in Denver. He received a Bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University, but more importantly, that is where he married Lani Olsen and they now have five children. They have lived in Boise, Boston, Mexico, Miami and currently live in Utah. John has a Masters degree from Harvard and a Ph.D from BYU, both in Education. John works for the Seminary and Institute program on their Internet and social media efforts. He has written several books with Deseret Book including WHY? and HOW? 

Anthony Sweat has a Master’s of Education degree, and is a PhD candidate in Education at Utah State University. He is a full-time religious educator for the LDS Church, and also a speaker at Especially For Youth and Education Week conferences. He is currently the seminary principal at West High Seminary in Salt Lake City, Utah. Anthony is the co-author of the best-selling Deseret Book publication Why?: Powerful Answers and Practical Reasons for Living LDS Standards and the author of the book I’m Not Perfect. Can I Still go to Heaven?. His most recent book is HOW? Essential Skills for Living the Gospel. He and his wife Cindy are the parents of six children.

Carmen Rasmusen Herbert At the age of seventeen, Carmen achieved instant fame and notoriety when she became a finalist on Fox's 2003 "American Idol". She made it into the final six before being eliminated. Carmen has appeared on numerous talk shows including Today, Good Morning America, Tyra Banks David Letterman and many others. In 2008, she wrote and released Staying in Tune, a book geared toward young girls where she talks about her experiences on American Idol and how her faith and values helped keep her grounded. Carmen is currently an entertainment writer for the Deseret News and enjoys giving firesides and speaking all over the country. She is the wife of Utah Governor Gary Herbert's youngest son, Brad, and is the proud mother of two boys, Boston and Beckham.

 Katie Smith is one of the founders and the director of Retreat for Girls.  She is a multi-talented woman with a great love for all youth, especially young women.  She was involved in student leadership at Utah State University and after graduation taught high school and even had a short stint teaching at USU.  Katie and her husband, Jeremy, live in Idaho and she is the mother of two beautiful daughters and a handsome son.  In addition to keeping busy with her children and Retreat for Girls, she teaches piano and helps with costuming local theater and dance productions. Katie has been a speaker at BYU Women's Conference and enjoys opportunities to speak with various youth groups.

Hank Smith Hank Smith teaching in the Religious Education Department at BYU and is a favorite speaker for Especially for Youth, Best of Especially for Youth, and BYU Education Week. Hank and his wife, Sara, were both born and raised in St. George, Utah. They are the parents of one daughter and two sons. Brother Smith enjoys running marathons and eating lots and lots of ice cream (which is why he runs marathons). More than anything else, he loves being at home spending all day with his wife and children.

Tamara Hall (Bio and photo will be available soon)

Special Concert Night by Mercy River  With vivid harmonies and rhythmic serenity, Mercy River will undoubtedly sail you away to bright places. The fresh sounds created by this new trio ebb and flow with an honest delight and lyrical clarity.

Their self-titled debut album was released in April of 2008, and their second album, "Beautiful Dawn", was released in February of 2010. They have had the opportunity to travel all across the United States and Canada, and are excited for their future adventures as Mercy River.

Brooke, Soni, and Whitney currently live in Utah. Each is a wife and a mother, with 10 energetic children between the three of them                           

*These listed presenters are committed to attending this event; however, Time Out for Women and Retreat for Girls cannot guarantee that illness or other emergencies will not interfere with this schedule. No refunds or exchanges. We appreciate your understanding.