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, Greg Lubkin*
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 – Marilyn Moore*
Westside Practice Liaison – Sheryl Beard
Vajrayana/Ngöndro Practice Intensive Coordinator – Patsy Brown and Marian English
Feast Coordinators: Gail Whitacre and John Beard (Westside)
Head Shrine Keeper: Marian English
Meditation Instructor Coordinator: Chris O’Hare
Meditation Instructor Assignment Coordinator: Nancy Gillis
Umdze/M.I. Rota: Aaron Crowe
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 – Open
Families and Children – Laura Burnham
Snow Lion Service Corp – Open
Work Study – Alice McFarland Toohey
Diversity – Alicia Vogl Saenz
Hospitality Coordinator – Open
Culture and Decorum – David Fraioli
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
Development – Open
Council Secretary – Kim Nagel
Communications Mandala
The Director of Communications – Jason Elias*
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, Matt Keel
Food Bank -Tharpa Chotron, 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
Department of Aging TV Show (Active/Developing) – Eric Chau
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
Publicity
Head of Publicity – Eric Chau
Website – George Gomez (leader), Pamela Bothwell (Editor), Claude Zachary (Maintenance)
Email Newsletter – SMCLA Jason Burnham, WESTSIDE Dustin Rubin
Graphic Arts – Marian English and Javan Wygal
Social Media – Ezra Herman, Kathy Gronau
Press Releases – Kathy Gronau
Analytics – Matt Jarman
Information Systems
Archives – Claude Zachary
Audio Visual – John MacAdams, Eric Chau
Database Management – Alice McFarland
Bookstore Manager – Alicia Vogl Saenz, Mat Keel
Master of Environment – Guy Blume
Facilities – Tom Gottlieb, Alice McFarland, Jeffrey Holder
Westside Meditation Group
Director – Anne Saitzyk*
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 – Roberto Marinas, Linda Miller
Umdze/M.I. rota – Kathy Gronau
*denotes membership in the SMCLA Council
Email la@shambhala.org for more information.
