Bill and Nora Sliney are Lutheran Services Carolina’s (LSC) Philanthropists of the year for South Carolina.
Lutheran Services Carolinas is blessed to have many wonderful donors each year, and their support is critical to helping LSC fulfill its mission, “Empowered by Christ, we walk together with all we serve.”
The Philanthropist of the Year awards were created to give special recognition to select donors who demonstrate exceptional care for LSC. These awards recognize individuals or families who have shown extraordinary financial commitment and whole-hearted support for LSC.
“It was a shock and a surprise,” Nora said about receiving the award. “We are very happy. It’s a great honor.”
Bill grew up in West Haven, Connecticut, and moved to North Carolina to attend Catawba College in Salisbury. He was raised in the Congregational Church but converted when he married Nora, a lifetime Lutheran.
Nora worked for Duke Energy for 34 years. She began her career in customer service and retired as a project manager. Bill was the manager of programming systems design for Almay Cosmetics before becoming the owner of Advanced Concepts, a recruiting firm, from which he retired.
The couple have lived in Rock Hill, South Carolina, for 37 years. They have two sons, Jeff and Scott, and one grandson, Liam.
Their oldest son, Scott, works for the City of Boise, Idaho. He lives there with his wife, Martha, and their son, Liam, who is a junior in high school.
Jeff is their youngest son who lives in Manhattan Beach, California with his partner Crystal Collier. He is a sound engineer and partner in a post-production studio.
The Slineys have been active supporters of LSC for several years. Pastor Ray Mohrmann, a former South Carolina development officer for LSC, was also the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church where the Slineys are members and shared its mission with the congregation.
The couple are members of LSC’s Advisory Board and served as co-chairs of the Love One Another Rock Hill Leadership Council during LSC’s South Carolina Love One Another capital campaign.
“We are really happy to support what LSC is doing because they do so many wonderful things,” Nora said.
Along with making the world a better place by generously donating and spreading awareness about LSC’s many programs, the Slineys are also active in their own community.
Both have been involved with campus ministry for about 30 years, and Bill has served as the chairman of the South Carolina Synod’s Campus Ministry Team. Nora is chair of the Worship and Music Committee at Grace Lutheran Church and president of the York County Choral Society. They also volunteer at Hope Ministry of Rock Hill, a York County area food pantry, a few days a week.
The couple plan to continue to support LSC in the future.
“We just want to carry forward and make sure other people know what LSC does,” Nora said. “They are doing such wonderful work.”