Tanja is the mother of a smart and funny 10 year old boy named Tristan. She has been married to Doug for 13 years and they live in beautiful Flagstaff, Arizona.

Tanja grew up in the former Yugoslavia. Her mother was orphaned by the age of 4 as a result of World War II. Tanja’s three uncles, while only children, survived the atrocities and tortures of Nazi concentration camps. She lost her only brother to Leukemia one year before she was born. Tanja immigrated to the United States in 1984 as a high school sophomore and luckily avoided the wars of the 1990's that resulted in the break up of Balkan republics into separate countries. Throughout these wars Tanja stayed in daily contact with her family for moral and monetary support. However, Tanja couldn’t protect all of her family and as a result of the fighting (both directly and indirectly) she lost numerous members (including her father) during this period.

After concluding her undergraduate studies in Management from Arizona State University, Tanja spent 13 years in the corporate world. During this time Tanja continually volunteered with refugees from the former Yugoslavia. She still helps as a translator whenever needed. While working on a project involving analysis of WWII survivors at ASU, Tanja developed deep appreciation for Psychology and whole heartedly pursued this field by obtaining her Masters in Counseling from Northern Arizona University in 2005.

Tanja and her husband are founding members of the RIDECLEAN movement, focused on promoting clean sport and life.

Tanja’s husband is the surviving brother to his twin David, who died of liver cancer at age 12. This story can be read in “A Special Kind of Love Care of the Dying Child” by Robert Buckingham with foreword by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. Doug has since developed a relationship with Tu Nidito, a center created to provide support to terminally ill children and their families in Tucson Arizona.

Given her history, it is no surprise that Tanja is deeply inspired to bring the MISS Foundation to Northern Arizona with her co-facilitator and dear friend Carrie Sanders.

Tanja@missfoundation.org