This is from an email sent to the global Shambhala community on 13 October 2019
Dear Shambhala Community member,
We hope that many of you had the chance to enjoy Harvest of Peace. We want you to be aware of some of our recent activities in advance of our next longer update.
Please note that we have extended the application deadline to October 21 for the two open full-time roles at Shambhala Global Services: the Director of Operations, and the Director of Community Care and Conduct. To access those job descriptions, please click here.
Shambhala Board Decisions:
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To hire a Director of Operations to provide greater administrative and organizational cohesion and strength for Shambhala Global Services and relieve the Board of much of the administrative functions it has been performing on almost a daily basis for the last year. Please click here to access the job description. We welcome all applications and will begin our application review process October 21.
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To create a grant application process for new Shambhala initiatives for which centers can apply. Limited funds from the Marpa House sale will be available. More detailed information will be available in our next update.
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To set aside $1.25 million from the Marpa House proceeds as a Shambhala endowment to give the organization greater stability. Further information on Shambhala financial issues will be forthcoming in our next update.
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To create a Board Nominating Advisory Group to oversee the application process for Shambhala Board candidates to present to the Board. This committee set up is now getting started.
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To allocate $4,200 to Shambhala Online to offset costs of the course, Sexual Harm, Trauma and the Healing Journey, so that all Shambhala community members can attend free of charge or by donation. To learn more about this program or to register, please click here. Use code WKCNHK to register for free.
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To undertake a comprehensive review of our insurance coverages and, as part thereof, to have the Finance Office initiate a survey of all North American centers so that we have a current and comprehensive audit of real estate ownership and leases for financial management and insurance purposes.
September 22 Webinar Video Available
On September 22, the Shambhala Board of Directors held a webinar with Shambhala leaders. We covered our August meeting with Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, the new Shambhala Board authority, the newly posted positions – Director of Operations and the Director of Community Care and Conduct, Shambhala’s financial condition, the Marpa House sale and use of proceeds, care and conduct work, the nominating committee and search for new Board directors, and our work with the Process Team. Please click here to view the video.
Care and Conduct
Code of Conduct
The Board is pleased to have received a draft from the Code of Conduct Task Force–a group comprised of Process Team members and members of the Care and Conduct Panel. We met with the group and are developing a plan to move ahead with ratifying a new code and seeking community input. While this work is underway, the current care and conduct policy is still in effect. To access the policy and to view the expanded Care and Conduct Panel, please click here.
The work on the new Code of Conduct will be directly informed by what we have learned from the recent survey on care and conduct. We received around 3,000 responses to this survey, the results of which will take some time to properly analyze. To view a preliminary analysis of this work, please click here and access the document called “Care and Conduct Preliminary Survey Analysis.”
Child Abuse Investigation
The firm the board hired to investigate how Shambhala handled its knowledge of child sexual abuse cases in the 1990s is drawing to a close. We will soon receive a comprehensive report from the investigators who have conducted interviews with current and former Shambhala community members. This report will be helpful in refining the draft policies we received from the Code of Conduct Task Force, which we were pleased to see included a designated child protection policy.
Director of Community Care and Conduct
The search for a Director of Community Care and Conduct is currently underway. We seek a broad and diverse pool of applicants and are still accepting applications until October 21. Please click here to access the job description.
Appointments and Departures
Two Shambhala Board members will retire at the one-year anniversary of their terms on October 16. Sara Lewis and Martina Bouey have been very involved and dedicated Board members who will be deeply missed. Dr. Lewis is a full-time professor at Naropa University in the Contemplative Psychotherapy and Buddhist Psychology program and Ms. Bouey has joined the City of Oakland, CA government as a project manager. Both are leaving the Board to focus on their careers.
Dr. Lewis has spearheaded the Care and Conduct initiatives of the Board that encompass An Olive Branch, revised Code of Conduct, the new Community Care and Conduct position, expanding the Care and Conduct panel, creating a new appeals process for care and conduct issues, overseeing the child abuse investigation, interfacing with the Process Team, serving as liaison to the Dorje Kasung, as well as many other general Board issues.
Ms. Bouey has chaired the Government Committee of the Board, interfacing with all Shambhala staff and working with the Pillar of Government on center and policy issues. She has also worked with Kalapa Publications and Shambhala Online. She has been very involved with financial committee issues, including the Marpa House sale.
Both Dr. Lewis and Ms. Bouey have been such spirited, direct and skillful colleagues as well as great friends. Their contributions have been very significant to the work of the Board and the community. We appreciate all that they have done and wish them every success with their careers.
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Albuquerque, NM: Lou Keniley, Shambhala Center Director succeeding Karin Williams
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Denver, CO: Laurie Lavine and Amy Turino Shambhala Center Interim Co-Directors
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Flagstaff, AZ: Disbanding as a Shambhala Group
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Halifax. N.S.: Meg Vigerstad, Interim Shambhala Centre Executive Director and Aimee Silver, Interim Shambhala Centre Administrative Director, succeeding Kathryn Heckman, Shambhala Centre Interim Director.
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Milwaukee, WI: Jessica Bizub resigning as Shambhala Center Director.
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Portland, OR: Rayna Jacobson retiring as Shastri.
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Shambhala Global Services: David MacLellan has been promoted to Director of Finance; he was previously a Finance Officer.
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Shastri Council: Steve Gleich Chair of the Shastri Council succeeding Janet Solyntjes.
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Washington, DC: Gabe Dayley stepping down as Shambhala Center Director after completing a three-year term.
Please continue to communicate with us at board@shambhala.org.
All best wishes,
The Board of Shambhala
Veronika Bauer
Mark Blumenfeld
Martina Bouey
John Cobb
Jen Crow
Sara Lewis
Susan Ryan
Paulina Varas