A Kaysville woman is one of three advocates recognized by the Utah Developmental Disabilities Council (UDDC) for their work in their communities through the 2022 Advocacy Awards. The UDDC Advocacy Award is given to an individual who has made a commitment to improving the lives of Utahns with disabilities. The awardee is recognized for their efforts to help individuals with disabilities lead full, integrated lives and help make their communities inclusive and respectful.

Lisa Ridges of Kaysville has been awarded “2022 Family Member of the Year.” A longtime member of the autism community, Lisa is first and foremost the mother of Conner, a 26 year old with profound autism, and serves as a mentor to parents with newly diagnosed children on the autism spectrum.  

In 2002, she founded the SaharaCares Foundation, a local 401(c)3 organization that focused on helping children with autism in our community.  During the 15 years that she served as President of SaharaCares, the organization produced and distributed various autism training DVDs focusing on such topics as training law enforcement on autism, Autism & Faith (integrating individuals with autism into religious settings), and finding caregivers for children with autism. For 13 years, SaharaCares also hosted a large carnival celebrating children with autism, with yearly attendance over 2500 people. 

She is currently the Chief People Officer at United Contractors, Inc. based in Salt Lake City and has worked in the local construction industry for over 25 years. Lisa is most proud of her two beautiful sons, Conner and Jackson. Lisa is most influenced by compassionate people who are dedicated to helping others and making the world a better place.

She was recognized at the The Golden Key Awards held in conjunction with the Disability:IN Utah Summit at the National Ability Center in Park City in September. λ