#15 SANDRA GANDER

03/12/18 • 25 min

Manatee LGBTA Dems 10th Anniversary .Sandra was one of the first “ally members” of the Manatee County LGBTA Democratic Caucus and has been a member for ten years. Sandra is a strong supporter of equal rights for all Americans. She has held positions of director and secretary in the group at different times and is looking forward to celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the local caucus this year. Sandra retired from Federal Civil Service with 32 years of service.

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#14 IAN SILJESTROM

Ian Siljestrom is the Central Florida Safe and Healthy Schools Coordinator for Equality Florida. He is responsible for fighting the extensive risk factors, which disproportionately affect our LGBTQ youth in school including: bullying, homelessness, suicide, and HIV transmission. He will be working directly with school districts to assist in the implementation of comprehensive best practices to ensure the empowerment of all students’ identities.

Previous to joining Equality Florida, Ian worked directly with senior leadership in Duval County Public Schools to create an in-depth training for teachers and administrators to ensure they had all the tools and knowledge needed to support their LGBTQ youth. Ian also taught for several years in a Title 1 elementary school in Jacksonville, Florida as a 5th grade science teacher. In his classroom, he was dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for all students, while practicing culturally responsive pedagogy. These efforts resulted in Ian eventually becoming grade level chairperson and co-chair on the school’s STEAM committee. Ian is also a Teach for America alumnus.