Ms. Rowena Mayer — Center Director

Rowena Mayer first attended a talk by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1978 and was delighted by his marvelous sense of humor and sound practical advice.  In 1981 she began taken teachings at Vajrapani Institute, an FPMT center in Boulder Creek, California. Since then she has taken other teachings and initiations from Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche's teachers, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche, Ribur Rinpoche, Lati Rinpoche, Geshe Tsephel, Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen, Geshe Sopa, Geshe Thubten Sherab, Ven. Connie Miller, and others.  She considers the teachings offered through the great kindness of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche and their FPMT centers a most precious opportunity to spread the Dharma and maintain its traditions.

Mr. Don Handrick — Resident Teacher

Don is a resident teacher at TNL and he also teaches for the FPMT study groups in Taos and Albuquerque. In December of 2004, he successfully completed the FPMT's Masters Program of Buddhist Studies in Sutra and Tantra, a full-time seven-year residential study program in Tuscany, Italy, taught by Geshe Jampa Gyatso. Throughout his thirteen years as a Buddhist practitioner, Don has also received numerous teachings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama as well as many other teachers of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

Ms. Charmaine Hughes — Spiritual Program Coordinator

Charmaine Hughes has been studying Tibetan Buddhism since 2000 and is currently the Spritual Program Coordinator for TNL. She has been fortunate enough to study with Geshe Gyeltsen in Long Beach and to have attended teachings with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. In 2000, she studied for two months in Dharamsala, India, while living at Geden Choling Nunnery. In 2002, Charmaine worked in Graz, Austria to help set up for His Holiness' Kalachakra teaching. Charmaine moved to Santa Fe from Turkey in January of 2005.

Ms. Elaine Johnson — Treasurer

Elaine Johnson, Ed.D., is a recently retired administrator from the North Carolina Community College System where she specialized in developing training programs for local and regional businesses. In over twenty five years of her professional life in education, she worked in North Carolina, West Virginia, and South America. She currently volunteers as a research librarian with the Santa Fe Council on International Relations. She began her study of Buddhism at the Kadampa Center in Raleigh in 1999 with Geshe Chodak Gelek. One of her reasons for retiring to Santa Fe was to study at Thubten Norbu Ling with Geshe Thubten Sherab whom she met in Raleigh.

Mr. Claudio Ruben — Assistant Director

Claudio Ruben joined Thubten Norbu Ling in July 2003. After joining TNL, he was surprised to discover that the Center was connected to the Kopan Monastery, in Kathmandu, Nepal, where he had spent a week studying Buddhism nine years earlier in the summer of 1994. "Karma works in mysterious ways," he says about this interesting synchronicity. He is the assistant Director of Thubten Norbu Ling, and leads Vajrasattva & Lama Tzong Khapa Guru Yoga practices at the Center. Originally born in Milan, Italy, he is a graduate of McGill University, in Montreal, and King's College London. He currently works on the production of national and regional commercials, and is Co-Founder & Co-Director of the Sun Valley Spiritual Film Festival.