Sharlene Wells

From the only foreign-born Miss America to award-winning ESPN sportscaster, to Director of Communications inside the Pentagon, and now Chief Public Affairs Officer for one of the nation’s largest credit unions, Sharlene Wells has built a career defined by versatility, leadership, and service.

As one of the first women signed by ESPN, Sharlene earned an Emmy nomination and the Miller Lite Women’s Sports Journalism Award as a reporter and show host covering some of the world’s most prestigious sporting events—including World Cup Soccer, World Cup Skiing, America’s Cup, Kentucky Derby, Olympic Trials, French Open, and College Gameday. (See article in Deseret News, August 2025)

Sharlene later transitioned from broadcasting to business, building and leading the only full-service publishing house and documentary production company working specifically with military and veterans’ organizations to capture their history. Remember My Service Productions produced major commemorative documentaries and publications honoring the Korean War 60th, Vietnam 50th, and Desert Storm anniversaries, as well as supporting hundreds of military units from battalions to aircraft carriers. She developed partnerships with the Library of Congress, National Guard Bureau, Army Historical Foundation, Association of the US Army, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Navy Historical Foundation, and the Air Force Association.

Her dedication and leadership in military communications earned her an appointment by the Secretary of Defense to the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS), where she received the Secretary’s Medal for Exceptional Public Service in 2018. Sharlene was later recruited to serve inside the Pentagon as Director of Communications for the Department of Defense Office of Personnel and Readiness—the largest HR organization in the nation, representing more than six million service members, families, and civilians. She received the Secretary of Defense Award for Outstanding Achievement, traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan to visit deployed troops, and even had the opportunity to actually fly an F-16.

Today, Sharlene is the Chief Public Affairs Officer for the 7th largest credit union in the country (Mountain America Credit Union), overseeing all media relations/communications, community and multicultural engagement, government affairs, and the MACU Foundation. In this role, she has been awarded the Utah Business “Women of the Year” award, and the Ragan national “trailblazer” award Beyond her professional accomplishments, Sharlene remains deeply involved in community service. She serves on the USO Intermountain Advisory Board, chairs the Utah Fraud Prevention Coalition, co-chairs the Tuacahn Performing Arts Center Advisory Council, and sits on the boards of the Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce, and the Women’s Leadership Institute.

A lifelong advocate for service and teamwork, Sharlene also played a hands-on volunteer role during the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics, leading six months of pre-Games training, carrying the Olympic torch, and serving as a top sponsor driver—allowing her to experience the Games from nearly every vantage point.

Sharlene holds a BS degree from BYU in Broadcast Journalism, and a MS degree from the U of U in Organizational Communications with an emphasis in integrated marketing communications. She is a professional speaker, an accomplished musician and author, and treasures time with her family and traveling the world.