Local Leaders
The Shambhala Council is the governing body of the Shambhala Meditation Center of Los Angeles. It is comprised of the heads of all the areas in which Shambhala offers programs and events. It takes many individuals to create our LA Shambhala world. Here’s who we are. To contact anyone on the list please check your Members/Friends Directory or leave a voice message at the Center.
Regional Acharya – Allyn Lyon
Center Co-Directors – Debra Dysart*, Tom Gottlieb*
Shastri – Pamela Bothwell
Chagdzo – Tom Gottlieb
Southwest Regional Representative of the Shambhala Office of Culture and Decorum — Guy Blume
Local Representative of the Shambhala Office of Culture and Decorum — David Fraioli
Shambhala Buddhist Education
Director – Sharon Owyang*
Deputy of Education – Open
Supervising Coordinator of Shambhala Training (Heart of Warriorship) — Marguerite Stouthamer
Supervising Coordinator of Way of Shambhala I Weekly Casses — Eric Chau
Supervising Coordinator of Sacred Path — Katie McMurran
Supervising Coordinator of Way of Shambhala II Weekly Classes — Kim Nagel Christensen
Special Progarms Coordinator — Kim Nagel Christensen
Open House and Thursday Night Public Programs Coordinator — Cynthia MacKay
Open House and Thursday Night Hosts Coordinator – Patrick Knisely
Vajrayana Education Coordinator – Open
Ashe Society – Bruce Griffin
Visiting Teacher Coordinator – Open
Practice
Director – Marian English*
Westside Practice Coordinator – Sheryl Beard
Vajrayana/Ngöndro Practice Intensive Coordinator – Patsy Brown and Marian English
Feast Coordinators: Gail Whitacre and John Beard (Westside)
Head Shrine Keeper: Open
Meditation Instructor Coordinator: Chris O’Hare
Meditation Instructor Assignment Coordinator: Nancy Gillis
Umdze/M.I. Rota: Shirley Hamstra
Rota Reminder: Renee Klang
Liturgy Librarian: Open
Contemplative Arts
Director – Guy Blume*
Deputies – Alicia Vogl Saenz
Kado and Ikebana – Guy Blume
Kyudo, Coordinator – Marian English
Miksang – Darryl Burnham
Contemplative Writing – Alicia Vogl Saenz and Debra Dysart
Shambhala Arts Festival – Guy Blume
Shambhala Art – Anne Saitzyk
International Shambhala Art Festival Coordinator – Amanda Tasse
Societal Health and Well Being
Director – Faradee Rudy*
Membership Coordinator – Imelda Holganza
Families and Children – Laura Burnham
Snow Lion Service Corp – Open
Work Study – Alice McFarland Toohey
Head of Diversity – Alicia Vogl Saenz
Hospitality Coordinator – Open
Culture and Decorum – David Fraioli
Outreach
Head of Outreach – Kate Summers
Community/Social Transformation
Heart of Recovery – George Gomez, Carter Smith
Meditar en Español – George Gomez, Lisa Oxley, Alicia Saenz
20-Something Sangha – Alex Rodriguez, Marina Kantarovich
Prison Dharma – Cynthia MacKay, Kate Summers
Salons – David Fraioli, Lisa Oxley, Karen Schwarzman, Jason Elias
Running Group – Cynthia Mackay, Alicia Saenz, Eric Chau
Food Bank – Lynn Kelley-Piper, Tara Bass
Medidate (Developing) – David Fraioli
Mental Health Consultation Group for MIs (Developing) – Tara Bass
AwakeLA Day (Developing) – Jason Elias
Media and New Media
Shambhala Film Festival (Developing) – David Fraioli, Karen Schwartzman, Jason Elias
TheDailyGround.com (Developing) – TBD
ShambhalaMediaLab.org (Developing) – TBD
Shambhala Filmmakers Forum (Developing) – David Fraioli
Shambhala Film Night – Anne Saitzyk, Sharon Owyang, David Fraoil
AwakeLA.org – TBD
Kasung
Regional Director for the Windhorse Regiment – Darryl Burnham
Rusung* – Jaime Marx
Khenchung – Ed Anolin
Desung – Laura Burnham
Finance
Director* – Tom Gottlieb
Assistant – Alice McFarland Toohey
Development – Open
Council Secretary – Kim Nagel Christensen
Communications Mandala
The Director of Communications – Eric Chau*
Publicity Leads – Jenny Hannah and Danny Pugh
Web/Graphic Designer – Sara Apelkvist
Blog – Mat Keel
Website – Pamela Bothwell (Editor), Claude Zachary (Maintenance) and George Gomez (Consultant)
Email Newsletter – SMCLA: Malcolm Dysart; WESTSIDE: Brianna Socha
Graphic Arts – Marian English, Danny Pugh, and Elaine Welinder
Social Media – Jenny Hannah and Ezra Herman
Press Releases – Kathy Gronau
Analytics–Diann Wingert
Information Systems
Archives – Claude Zachary
Audio Visual – John MacAdams
Database Management – Alice McFarland
Bookstore Manager – Alicia Vogl Saenz
Master of Environment – Guy Blume
Facilities – Tom Gottlieb, Alice McFarland, Jeffrey Holder
Westside Meditation Group
Co-Coordinators – Anne Saitzyk* and Jason Elias*
Westside Meditation Steering Committee – John Beard, Claude Zachary, Anne Saitzyk, Greg Lubkin, Tom Gottlieb, Stanley Weiser, Kathy Gronau, Sharon Owyang, Sheryl Beard, James Moore, Kate Summers, Jason Elias, Lisa Oxley, David Fraioli, Carter Smith, Franny Smith, David Dubin
Practice liaison – Sheryl Beard
Feast coordination – John Beard
Shrine Keeping – Merritt Davies
Umdze/M.I. rota – Kathy Gronau
Orange County Meditation Group
Co-Coordinators – Gil Figueroa and Marilyn Moore
Steering Committee Chair – Barbara Vanek*
*denotes membership in the SMCLA Council
Email la@shambhala.org for more information.
