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The 1994 Mortensen Award
1994 Affirmation Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada

The Mortensen Award was established, under the direction of Ron Kershaw, in 1987. It was decided the award would be given annually to the one individual who had given outstanding service and leadership to Affirmation. It is the only continuing award Affirmation presents and it tries to recognize the best people in the organization. The past recipients are:

1987 - Paul Mortensen
1988 - Clifford Barnes (†)
1989 - Ina Mae Murri (†)
1990 - Irwin Phelps (†)
1991 - Ron Kershaw (†)
1992 - Larry Gates
1993 - Rick Fernández
1994 - Tere LaGiusa & Jacki Riedeman

1995 - James Kent
1996 - Duane Jennings
1997 - Ricky Gilbert
1998 - David Johnson
1999 - Henry Miller
2000 - Alan Blodgett
2001 - Scott MacKay
2002 - Olin Thomas

2003 - Ben Jarvis
2004 - Mike Miner
2005 - Hugo Salinas
2006 - Brus Leguás Contreras
2007 - James Morris & Aaron Vinck
2008 - Jason Giles
2009 - David Melson
2010 - Bruce Maughan

The selection committee for the award is composed of past recipients. Each year, around July, a call is sent out to all Affirmation leaders, chapters and groups asking for nominations. Anyone may nominate any individual or you may even nominate yourself. The receipt of nomination letters constitutes the only people considered for the award.

The award was established and intended to always be an award for service to Affirmation. This is the only consideration in the selection of the recipient. We greatly applaud those wonderful souls in our midst who also make great contributions to the gay and lesbian community at large. We especially applaud those people who have made outstanding efforts in the Mormon community through related groups such as Family Fellowship, Gamofites and others in increasing the understanding of the gay and lesbian Mormon community.

But because the Mortensen Award is intended to honor only service and leadership to Affirmation, the winner is decided totally on the merits of the nomination letters received and the contributions to Affirmation as spelled out in those letters.

L.A. Couple Shares Mortensen Honors

The annual Mortensen Award, given for outstanding service to Affirmation and its members, is being shared by two people this year.

Jacki Riedeman and Tere LaGiusa, current co-directors of the Los Angeles chapter, received the award for their work and commitment on behalf of that chapter, which has gown tremendously in both size and activity during their tenure. Congratulations, Jacki and Tere!