About the Presentation

Decades of civil war spanning the last half of the 20th century has traumatized the people of Southern Sudan. In recent years, those in refugee camps in nearby countries and those in the wider Diaspora have attempted to address the need for peace and reconciliation. This has been brought into sharper focus by the continuing terror that has spread through Darfur, the western province of Sudan. In spite of peace agreements signed by government representatives, the real work of peace and reconciliation is being undertaken by the Sudanese people on a daily basis. The speaker will describe several initiatives taking place in Sudan and in the United States.

About the Presenter

Anita Sanborn is the President of the Colorado Episcopal Foundation, a position she assumed in January, 2004.  A life-long activist, she became involved with the Sudanese refugee community in Denver in 2002.  Beginning as a member of an Outreach Committee team from her local church led her to sponsoring individuals.  Her involvement has grown to working as an advisor to the local community and to several national organizations including American Friends of the Episcopal Church of Sudan and the Sudan Council of Churches – USA.

Ms. Sanborn, a Colorado resident since 1987, has held numerous leadership positions in the not for profit sector.  She served as Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association for eleven years before accepting the position of Vice President of Chapter Services at the national headquarters of the Alzheimer’s Association, a position she held until 2001.  In that role, Sanborn worked with hundreds of local chapters to engage them in strategic planning and to develop processes for organizational development that would make increased levels of service possible.  Since 2001, Sanborn assisted in the development of a project to improve End of Life and Palliative Care with the Center for Bioethics and Humanities at the University of Colorado Health Sciences center.  She also co- founded a company called “Digital Memoirs” which creates video documentaries for individuals and organizations.  In a career that has focused on some of the most challenging issues in health care, such as long term care and dementia, Sanborn has also built a reputation as a gifted leader, clear communicator, strategic planner and capable fundraiser.

Ms. Sanborn was raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana where she attended parochial schools.  She spent two years working for a national youth action organization headquartered in Chicago, prior to attending the University of Illinois in Chicago, Illinois.  Her undergraduate degree is in History and she holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the Andrew Young School of Public Policy, Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.

During her time in Denver, Ms. Sanborn has been actively involved in the community and has built a solid reputation as a person who works hard and enjoys contributing to her community.  She is an active member of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Centennial, where she co-chaired the Care Team which sponsored several refugees from Southern Sudan.  In addition, she serves on the Advisory Board of the Center on Ethics and Humanities and is the current President of the Porter Hospice Foundation Board.  She is also an advisor to the African Sudanese Community Center and the Sudanese ministry based at St. John’s Cathedral.  In April, 2005, Anita was invited to be part of a four person team which delivered humanitarian aid to refugee camps on the border of Darfur from the Sudan Mercy project.  In January, 2006 she coordinated the team that visited Southern Sudan.

Anita is married to Robert Thomson.  They are the parents of two college-age sons, Matt is a junior at Boise State University and Andrew is a sophomore at the University of Oregon.

Additional Resources

Anita Sanborn, President
Colorado Episcopal Foundation
1234 Bannock Street
Denver, CO  80204
Office:  303.534.6778
FAX:  303.534.6012
Cell:  303.884-6080
Email:  [email protected]