AIJA THACHER'S BIOGRAPHY

Aija was born in Latvia in 1941 during the Soviet occupation. Her family tried to escape by boat to Sweden when the Soviets reentered Latvia (the Germans had driven them out) but they were caught by a German submarine; she spent her childhood in refugee camps in Germany. The Americans controlled that part of Germany at the end of World War II, so her family was able to come to the US in 1951.

EDUCATION
BS in conservation and science education, Cornell University, 1963.

FAMILY
Husband Philip D. (physics Ph.D.), daughter Nara S. (mathematics MA), son Jeffrey D. (mathematics MA).

OCCUPATION
Aija managed a health food store for a N.D. for two years, then worked as a nutritional advisor and staff trainer at Moses Kountry Health Foods for twenty-one years. She took early retirement in December of 2000. Aija has been engaged in her own ongoing continuing education by taking seven refresher courses at UNM over three years, by subscribing to numerous health related newsletters, by having an extensive home library of health related (and other) books, and by starting to expand her use of the Web.

COMMUNITY SERVICE
Before getting professionally involved in nutrition, Aija did volunteer tutoring for five years for Albuquerque Public Schools and Manzano Day School. She was a volunteer for Bernalillo County Planned Parenthood for twelve years (clinic education volunteer, chairman of volunteers, education chairman, board member / secretary / vice-president, regional representative for national Planned Parenthood). She has been active in elementary PTA, high school PTA, and North Valley Advisory Council (member/secretary), and as member of the APS Capital Improvement Committee, and of the American Association of University Women. Aija also served as a judge for six years at the New Mexico Northeast Regional Science and Engineering Fair (Highlands University).

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Aija's actions speak louder than words. She has been very concerned about and active at various levels at various times in numerous organizations working on family planning, reproductive freedom, population (started the Zero Population Growth chapter in Albuquerque in 1971), natural resources, environment, health (alternative and orthodox), nutrition, and educational / civic / societal / ethical / spiritual issues.

INTERESTS
Her present and past hobbies / leisure activities include the following:

Piano	Bird Watching	Dance / Exercise
Sewing	Woodworking	Computer
Swimming	Folk Dancing	Knitting
Cross-stitching	Training Dogs	Reading
Horseback Riding	Training Horses	Gardening

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