Women Pillars of Success Conference

Owner - Power of Translation

Maria Gonzalez Cardenas

María González Cárdenas is a lifelong advocate for education, equity, and the empowerment of Idaho’s Latinx community. Born and raised in Texas, she migrated with her family to Idaho in 1970 as a farmworker. She graduated from Minidoka County High School in Rupert, Idaho, and later earned both her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with a Bilingual/Multicultural emphasis and her Master of Business Administration from Boise State University.

María's commitment to community activism began in high school and has spanned decades, including work in state and federal government as well as numerous nonprofit organizations. She has been deeply involved in initiatives that uplift Latino voices, including the Idaho Latino Voter Education Project, the Tribal/Latino Caucus, and Mujeres Unidas de Idaho.

Until her retirement in 2021, María served as an instructor and career counselor for the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) at Boise State University—a federal program supporting the educational success of students from farmworker backgrounds.

Now based in Caldwell, Idaho, María is the owner of Power of Translation and co-author (with Dr. Emily Wakild) of Nosotras: Latinas in Idaho, a bilingual book profiling 50 Latinas of Mexican descent and their contributions to the state. Released on April 12, 2025, all net proceeds from the book are being donated to the Idaho Latino Scholarship Foundation to support Latinas pursuing higher education in Idaho.

SVP, Public Relations and Organizational Communications at Mountain America Credit Union

Sharlene Wells

Sharlene Wells - From Utah’s Miss America, to an Emmy-nominated ESPN sportscaster, to leading communications inside the Pentagon, Sharlene Wells is a PR and Communications trailblazer. She covered prestigious events like World Cup Soccer, America’s Cup, College Gameday and Kentucky Derby. Later, she founded a production company producing historical documentaries and commemorative books for the Department of Defense, earning a role on the Defense Advisory Committee for Women in Services and presented with a public service medal in 2018 from the Secretary of Defense.

Now Senior Vice President at Mountain America Credit Union, she is recognized as a “Woman of the Year” by Utah Business magazine and a “trailblazer” by Ragan Communications. Sharlene holds degrees from BYU and U of U, and serves on multiple boards including AMAR International, Utah Symphony/Utah Opera, Tuacahn, USO Intermountain Advisory Council, and chair of the Utah Fraud Prevention Coalition. She has four children, three granddaughters, and is passionate about traveling, hiking, biking and most especially, being with her family.

News Reporter and Weekend Anchor/Producer

Brenda Rodriguez

Brenda Rodriguez is an award-winning anchor and reporter. At KTVB, she anchors the Nnews at 4, News at Noon, Saturday Morning news, and KTVB en Español, Idaho's first-ever Spanish-language TV program. She joined KTVB in September 2021 as a reporter for Wake-Up Idaho and was promoted to anchor four shows. Born and raised in Rupert, 

Brenda's passion for journalism began there. She graduated from the University of Idaho in December 2017 with degrees in Broadcasting & Digital Media and Spanish. During her undergraduate years, she interned as a Digital Media Intern at NPR’s Latino USA in New York City. From there, she worked as a reporter for Inland Northwest Broadcasting in Northern Idaho. After graduation, she worked in the tech industry as a Marketing Manager for three years in the Silicon Valley.

She later made her way back to news at Redwood News in Eureka, California, as the Morning News Anchor, where she launched a Spanish-language newscast.

When she’s not on air, Brenda enjoys exploring new places with her husband and her fur baby, Nasie.