A Conversation with Nann Worel: A Life Lived in Service to Community

Nann Worel with her husband Mike and son, Christopher. Photo: Nann Worel

PARK CITY, Utah. — In my work, I am fortunate to meet Parkites who graciously give their time in service to improving our great community. I’m curious to learn the reasons a person is inspired to give back. Every day we are bombarded with heartbreaking news stories. Volunteering presents a proactive way of doing something to make the world a better place. Even the smallest gestures make a difference; those small gestures can add up to a significant change.

By volunteering, these generous residents inspire others to make a positive change in our community. It also sets an excellent example for Park City children and adolescents, potentially sparking a passion for volunteering that will improve life in our community for years to come.

Nann Worel, a long-time Park City resident and even longer-time volunteer, not only “talks the talk,” but she also makes the time and effort to “walk the walk.” In her early years, Nann’s father worked in heavy construction and moved the family many times. “I was enrolled in 13 different schools before I was in junior high school,” Nann said. Then, looking for a greater sense of belonging, her parents decided to settle in the Seattle area where Nann lived through her college years at the University of Washington.

Through a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) Nurse Option scholarship, Nann received a degree in nursing before going into active duty serving as a Navy nurse in Long Beach, Calif. Navy nurses are versatile and care for wounded, injured, and sick Navy personnel and their families in a multitude of environments, from shipboard to the field, as flight nurses and in academic positions, teaching corpsmen as well as other nurses. “It was an honor and privilege to care for America’s warfighters and their families,” Nann said. “I have so many fond memories of my time in the Navy.”

Following the Navy and grad school years at UCLA, Nann received a job offer in Birmingham, Ala., and decided to move. “I had never been to the south. I didn’t know a soul,” Nann said. “What I thought would be a few years turned into 20 years.” Nann met her husband Mike in Alabama, where he was finishing law school, and the couple enjoyed life on the gulf coast. Due to her desire to make a genuine difference for her community, Nann founded a clinic for uninsured residents in neighboring Mobile, Ala.

Nann and her family are devoted skiers. For many years, the family traveled from one ski town to another, seeking new adventures and the best snow. So when Nann first visited Park City, she knew immediately that our city was something special. “Park City is a real town, not a manufactured town around a ski resort,” Nann said. “And Utah truly does have the best snow on earth.”

The Worel family rented a home here for a month to get a feel for the community, and their love for Park City was undeniable. Nann and Mike purchased a second home here in 2003 and moved to Park City full time, with son Christopher, in 2008.

“The friendliness and openness of the people of Park City are unmatched. Since 2003, this has stayed the same,” Nann said. “It is a common occurrence to run into a stranger out on the ski slopes or the hiking trails and to receive an invite to dinner or an introduction to someone with a service, expertise, or similar interest. Park City residents are so welcoming. We have a lot of new people in town; I hope they feel the same way I did when I moved here.”

Once settled into Park City, Nann went looking for a way to give back to her new community. So she started volunteering at the People’s Health Clinic, a volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to providing no-cost quality care to the uninsured residents of Summit and Wasatch Counties. The idea that everyone needs access to quality healthcare is one that Nann strongly believes. “Much of the Park City workforce is uninsured, and we want to help them live healthy lives. It is my heart and passion,” Nann said.

Giving back and assisting others is the basis of community service or volunteering. Thus, it teaches us how significant it is to help those in need, the ones who are less fortunate than us. The importance of community service lies in the fact that it connects us to the community by improving it and making it a better place for us to live.

In 2015, Nann decided to dive deeper into service to our community and ran, successfully, for the city council. “I was so nervous, but my life has been about service, from my time in the Navy to my work with the People’s Health Clinic, and I was ready to take on added responsibilities in service to my community,” Nann said. “I have truly loved my time as a member of the Park City City Council.”

A city council is a group of duly elected officials who serve as the city’s legislative body. In addition to proposing, passing, and ratifying laws and ordinances, city councils manage budgets and investigate city agencies when necessary. Council members prepare for and attend regular meetings, special meetings, executive sessions, and work sessions. They meet with citizens. They participate in public events and public gatherings in their official capacity. They meet with other public entities such as school districts, fire, ambulance, technology, and other municipalities.

“As a city council member, I have had the perfect opportunity to become closer to our community. It has broadened my horizons by helping me understand the needs of our community,” Nann said. “Reading or hearing about issues is not quite the same as getting personally involved. Through my work with the People’s Health Clinic and during my tenure as a city council member, I have had the privilege of getting closer to families and individuals in need. It has given me firsthand experience and understanding of the conditions they are in.”

Nann credits many amazing mentors she has had at different stages of her life for inspiring her to continue on the pathway of community service. Early on in Nann’s career, one such mentor, Sister Carlos, an admin at a Catholic Hospital she worked at, taught her much about leadership. “Sister Carlos would say, ‘Every step of the ladder you go up, you need to take another woman with you.’”

Nann believes strongly in making herself available to mentor the leaders of Park City’s future. She was on a panel for Leadership Park City with “other amazing women” and says that anyone who needs the support can reach out to her. “We are here. Reach out. We are always willing to meet up for coffee or for a chat.”

Nann announced a run for Mayor of Park City in mid-May. She is eager to continue her service to our community and hopes to have the opportunity to take her experiences and many years of service and apply it to the role.

By devoting time and energy to the service of others,  you take the focus off of your problems, putting into perspective how precious having a healthy, fulfilled life is. Many volunteers and community servants realize that, while not perfect, their life is a blessing to be celebrated every day. In my opinion, this is priceless.

Written by Betsy Lucas on behalf of Neighbors of Park City