ELCA Churchwide Staff Honors Sandra Tanksley

AGALIECE WESTBROOK MILLER AWARD GOES TO SANDRA TANKSLEY

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America honored Sandra M. Tanksley,
40, Chicago, with the Agaliece Westbrook Miller Award. The award was
presented Sept. 15. Tanksley was honored for work against racism,
sexism, classism, xenophobia and homophobia. Tanksley has been on the
staff of the ELCA since February 1988. "Being the only Australian
staff member at the ELCA's churchwide office, I often tried to find a
place to belong," said Tanksley. "All the years of being myself were
accepted and recognized in the workplace ... to be nominated by my
peers is an honor," she said. Tanksley was born in Windsor, England,
grew up in Australia and moved to the United States in 1979. The
award was given to Tanksley by the ELCA's Inter-unit Staff Team on
Diversity to honor the memory of Agaliece Westbrook Miller.
Miller was the second employee of the ELCA and one of the founding
members of the staff team. She died Nov. 9, 1996. "The award exists
to recognize an employee who best exemplifies the values demonstrated
by Ms. Miller and the contributions she made in her relentless desire
to make the churchwide office a place where all people are respected,
honored and valued for the gifts they bring to the mission of this
church," said Evelyn B. Soto, co-director of the staff team.

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html