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The Mortensen Award 1996 Affirmation Conference, Palm Springs, California 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:
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.
The award committee had a very difficult decision to make this year. We have many wonderful people working hard for Affirmation. The people nominated were all completely worthy of the award. There were a lot of passionate voices heard this year in defense of their particular nominee. This year's recipient of the Mortensen Award for outstanding service and leadership to Affirmation goes to an individual who has personified that title for the past several years. He has been an outstanding chapter director and leader, an outstanding community leader and most importantly he has been there for his gay and lesbian LDS brothers and sisters. In respect to his national leadership, we want to mention that at the last few national leadership conferences, members of the Mortensen Award committee have been in awe of what he is doing for Affirmation. We were impressed by his knowledge and abilities. But we were mostly impressed by his quiet, unassuming manner at those meetings. What we don't need in Affirmation is another shrill voice. This individual makes and takes his stand with dignity, humility and with a very positive outlook and attitude. This individual is also an outstanding representative of Affirmation to the community at large. He has courageously spoken out on many issues. He has become involved in essentially all issues of consequences affecting the gay and lesbian community. Recently he was named Utah's Gay Man of the Year. He has worked actively with groups such as the Stonewall Center, Family Fellowship, Restoration, Reconciliation, and Sunstone. This individual has certainly exhibited leadership in Affirmation. He has been a successful director of the Wasatch chapter. Under his leadership, the chapter has probably been the most active in Affirmation in terms of meetings and functions held and in outreach. His service has been without match as he held together this most successful chapter during times that he was the whole show. He is an ardent supporter of Affirmation, its programs and activities. He is definitely an achiever. He is also dependable. He has willingly accepted several major assignments at both local and national Affirmation levels, and has energetically and professionally carried them out. Such assignments as organizing the 1997 Affirmation Conference; two very successful Utah retreats of GAMOFITES. He arranged for a successful newspaper ad for Affirmation in the Salt Luke Tribune. He has been an active participant in National leadership activities and was recently made an assistant to the National Director. This yearns winner has good balance. He recognizes the importance of spirituality in our lives and helps his fellow members find self acceptance and peace within themselves. He welcomes participation by individuals with various and divergent ideas and concepts while encouraging a dialogue to help strengthen Affirmation and its members. He has touched the lives of many in his sojourn. He is a warm and friendly individual who welcomes and encourages participation. He has indeed offered a warm and helpful hand to many in and out of Affirmation who are in need of friendship and support. By now many of you know who I am talking about. It is with great honor that Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons, gives the 1996 Mortensen Award for outstanding leadership and service in Affirmation to DUANE JENNINGS of Salt Lake City. |
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