Margaret Smoot is an Emmy award-winning writer/producer currently president of Smoot Productions, Inc. a media/communications company in Salt Lake City. She has written and produced television programs, screenplays, CD’s, videos and seminar training material for clients ranging from the LDS Church, Video West, Hallmark Cards, the First Amendment Congress, Metropolis Integrated Media and other local and national corporations. She produced the first two nationally syndicated television programs with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in the 1980’s: “A Christmas Sampler” with Hal Linden and “An American Tribute” with John Schneider.
During the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Winter games, Margaret was the Asst. General Manager for the Utah Media Center, an information/production resource to the worldwide media. The Utah Media Center included world-class production facilities, satellite uplink capability, sponsor booths and a news briefing stage. In that position, she also coordinated all press briefings, wrote and produced the state’s official Media Guide to the Games.
Margaret is a former Assistant Advancement Vice President for University Communications at Brigham Young University and was the university’s first female spokesperson. From 1992-95, she supervised all print and broadcast features, handled media inquiries, directed a staff of thirty including University publications and graphics and redesigned the Brigham Young Magazine. Her previous professional experience includes ten years at KSL Television (an NBC affiliate in Salt Lake City, Utah) where she went from news anchor/reporter to Director of Public Affairs and Director of Creative Services & Marketing, responsible for a staff of twelve and a production budget over a million dollars.
Professional recognition includes a regional Emmy and two national Iris awards for outstanding public service programs, a Jefferson Fellowship in 1986-87 for Asian Studies, an internship with Radio Free Europe and the BBC and membership in Leadership Utah, sponsored by the Salt Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. Margaret is a graduate of the University of Utah in English and History. Honors and activities include Commencement Speaker, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, President of Chi Omega Sorority, Beehive Honor Society, Mortar Board, Army Sponsors and service on ASUU program committees.
A frequent speaker in the Salt Lake area, she is the author of Reasons to Rejoice and three stage musicals: “Within These Walls” celebrating the 150th anniversary of the founding of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1980); “Let It Ring” with Michael McLean and Newell Dayley, celebrating the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution (1987); and “Profile of a Prophet” with Dean Kaelin and Merrill Jenson on the life of Joseph Smith (2005). She served as Board Chairman for four years of the Utah Chamber Artists, a choral and orchestral performing group under director Barlow Bradford. From 1976-79, she was the Director of the Salt Lake Arts Council, coordinating the first Festival of the Arts on Main Street in 1976, an event that later became the Utah Arts Festival.
Musicals Authored:
- Within These Walls
- Let It Ring! (Cast Album) (Coming)
- Profile of a Prophet