Utah's own Wonder Woman


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PARK CITY — You could say Jacki Zehner is Wonder Woman's biggest fan.

"She's a character that stands for something that's really good in the world," Zehner said.

Her Park City home is a tribute to the crime fighting hero.

"I remember getting up early on Saturday morning and watching the cartoon, Super Friends," Zehner said.

Through the years, her love for all things Wonder Woman only grew stronger and she noticed something missing.

"We live in a world that lacks positive role models in the media, especially in film, that are empowering women characters," Zehner said.

It's something that continued to bother her, so she did something about it.

"(Studios) kept turning over directors and nobody got attached and that really annoyed me," Zehner said.

Zehner wrote a 70-page report outlining the history of the character and all the failed attempts to make her story into a major feature film. Zehner also started a Facebook page and online petition.

"I just wanted to challenge the movie executives to do this film," she said.

Zehner isn't sure if any movie executive ever saw the report, but last week she was invited to the film premiere in Los Angeles. She finally saw her dream become a reality.

"In fact, I got to meet Gal Gadot, the actress that plays Wonder Woman," Zehner said.

On Thursday night, Zehner brought a little of that L.A. flavor to Salt Lake City, as she hosted her own private screening of the film at The Gateway.

The screening raised about $5,000. Every cent raised will go to a cause close to her heart. "It's a contribution to the Utah Film Center to support women in film," Zehner said.

In a way, Zehner is a bit of a Wonder Woman herself. She was once one of the most senior female executives at Goldman Sachs on Wall Street. Now, the former businesswoman turned women's activist helps lead a networking group that connects women business leaders in Utah.

"We created this network to bring together amazing women in Utah who need to know each other," Zehner said. "We call ourselves the Utah Wonder Women."

They are now working together to make a better future for all women.

"We believe we have to invest in the next generation of girls," Zehner said. "This event in many ways is that perfect bridge, bringing together amazing women leaders with a lot of their daughters who are here too. I would say there are superheros among us."

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