Ms. Utley earned her B.A. in Elementary Education in 1998 and her Masters in Education in 2006 both from Fayetteville State University. She obtained her administration degree in 2018 from Appalachian State University.  She is a member of the 2016 - 2017 Cohort of North Carolina Digital Leadership Coaching Network (NCDLCN) with NC State University under The Friday Institute for Educational Innovation.

She has taught for Cumberland County Schools for 24 years. Ms. Utley started her teaching career in 1998 at Alger B. Wilkins Elementary as a Self-Contained Exceptional Children K-3 Behavior ED (BED) Teacher. This is where she formed her love of advocating for children and a deep understanding of classroom management. From 2000 to 2012, she taught Kindergarten, 2nd Grade, and 3rd Grade. In 2013, she became an Instructional Coach for C. Wayne Collier and transferred to Sherwood Park Elementary. 

Since 1998, she has been a member of the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE). In 2007, she became the President of Cumberland County Association of Educators (CCAE), which is the local affiliate of NCAE.

Currently, Ms. Utley is teaching at William H. Owen Elementary, where she is the 2022/2023 Teacher of the Year, the School Improvement Team Chair and a 4th Grade Teacher.