Our Teams
The Buddhist Center, Thubten Norbu Ling, is one of the 130+ organizations affiliated with the FPMT and is a religious nonprofit corporation, registered in New Mexico.
We are able to fulfill our mission thanks to the team of dedicated volunteers who support us selflessly with their creativity and talent. THANK YOU to all who make it possible for us to continue to offer our programs and keep our doors open!
Director
Nina Highfill
Nina has two decades of international business experience gaining leadership skills honed over her career in the US and Switzerland. She has a passion for tackling big issues by building diverse and harmonious teams where individuals can collaborate, thrive, and have fun together in order to achieve an organization’s goals, which will be an asset for The Buddhist Center and our members. She and her husband, Jeff, have relocated back to the US from Switzerland and currently live in Crestone, CO. Nina plans to grow our center by building community connections, attracting new members, and continuing to offer a robust spiritual program to our global community.
About
Management
Ven. Losang Dondrub
SPC and Head of Education
Ven. Dondrub began studying the Dharma at Drepung Loseling Institute in Atlanta in 2008. He took refuge vows from Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Jampa in 2011 and novice monk ordination vows in 2013. For seven years, Ven. Dondrub served FPMT’s Guhyasamaja Center in Washington DC as spiritual program coordinator and on the board of directors. Since early 2021 he has been working on the spiritual program at The Buddhist Center Thubten Norbu Ling where he also teaches and leads meditation. Recently, Ven. Dondrub moved from Washington DC to Santa Fe to become our new center manager.
AboutNina Highfill
Executive Director and Head of Operations and Head of Marketing & PR
Nina has two decades of international business experience gaining leadership skills honed over her career in the US and Switzerland. She has a passion for tackling big issues by building diverse and harmonious teams where individuals can collaborate, thrive, and have fun together in order to achieve an organization’s goals, which will be an asset for The Buddhist Center and our members. She and her husband, Jeff, have relocated back to the US from Switzerland and currently live in Crestone, CO. Nina plans to grow our center by building community connections, attracting new members, and continuing to offer a robust spiritual program to our global community.
AboutOfficers of the Corporation
Ven. Losang Dondrub
Spiritual Program Manager
Matt Bunkowski
Treasurer
Nina Highfill
Executive Director
Nina has two decades of international business experience gaining leadership skills honed over her career in the US and Switzerland. She has a passion for tackling big issues by building diverse and harmonious teams where individuals can collaborate, thrive, and have fun together in order to achieve an organization’s goals, which will be an asset for The Buddhist Center and our members. She and her husband, Jeff, have relocated back to the US from Switzerland and currently live in Crestone, CO. Nina plans to grow our center by building community connections, attracting new members, and continuing to offer a robust spiritual program to our global community.
AboutNancy Savoia
Secretary
Board of Directors
Ven. Losang Dondrub
Ven. Dondrub began studying the Dharma at Drepung Loseling Institute in Atlanta in 2008. He took refuge vows from Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Jampa in 2011 and novice monk ordination vows in 2013. For seven years, Ven. Dondrub served FPMT’s Guhyasamaja Center in Washington DC as spiritual program coordinator and on the board of directors. Since early 2021 he has been working on the spiritual program at The Buddhist Center Thubten Norbu Ling where he also leads classes and meditations.
AboutMatt Bunkowski
Matt works in the investment management industry and also co-owns the Wild Birds Unlimited Santa Fe store with his father. Matt joined Thubten Norbu Ling’s board of directors in 2019. He is passionate about community engagement and is actively involved in other non-profits including our sister FPMT center in California, Land of Medicine Buddha, as well Cooking with Kids in Santa Fe, Museum Foundation of New Mexico, and Kalamazoo College.
AboutDalglish Chew
Nina Highfill
Nina has two decades of international business experience gaining leadership skills honed over her career in the US and Switzerland. She has a passion for tackling big issues by building diverse and harmonious teams where individuals can collaborate, thrive, and have fun together in order to achieve an organization’s goals, which will be an asset for The Buddhist Center and our members. She and her husband, Jeff, have relocated back to the US from Switzerland and currently live in Crestone, CO. Nina plans to grow our center by building community connections, attracting new members, and continuing to offer a robust spiritual program to our global community.
AboutCharlene Wunderlich
Charlene has been an active volunteer and member at our center since 2007, after attending her first teaching with Ven. Robina Courtin. Charlene has served as the Dharma shop manager, the Sunday morning meditation leader, and umdze for Geshe Sherab’s classes on Sundays. She has served on our board of directors since 2007. Charlene and her cat, Snow, regularly attend lots of classes at our center.
AboutMerry Colony
Disciple since 1979. First Kopan course March 1980. Ordained Dec 1980 (disrobed 4 years later). Director of Doris Pamo monastery when nun. 1986-1992 Based at Cherok in Solo Kumbu, Nepal. 1992-1995 Co-director then director of the Maitreya Project, India. 1998-2000 Director Lotsawa Rinchen Sangpo translator program Dharamsala, India. 2000-2012 Director FPMT Education Services at IOF, Taos NM then Portland OR. 2014-2016 Project Manager Buddha Amitabha Pureland, WA. 2016-2018 Director Milarepa Center. 2021-2024 Long retreat Crestone, CO
AboutHera Madee
Hera has a diverse background as a Registered Nurse, Massage Therapist, thespian, writer, human mother and foster dog mom. She spent four years in Asia but didn’t find Sangha until landing at Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism in Seattle where she served as Secretary of the Board until uprooting to Maine to raise a family. There she connected with Nagaloka's Buddhist community until deciding to return home to New Mexico with her beloved Gary. Since walking through the door of The Buddhist Center she feels she’s finally “landed” and can’t wait to deepen her connection here with the Dharma and Sangha while acting as a liaison for others to do the same.
AboutLauren Ross
Education
Robert Fletcher
Assistant SPC
Bill Michener
Event Planning Manager and Movie Program Lead
Mary M.
Ritual Leader
Christopher Harris
Teacher Care Manager
Xela Thomas
Zoom Host Coordinator
Rick Voltin
Audio/Video Production Manager
Julie Nagel
Children's Program Lead
Tony Reis
Spa Meditation Program Lead
Marketing and Public Relations
Rachel Shreve
Marketing Director
Hera Madee
People Care Manager
Hera has a diverse background as a Registered Nurse, Massage Therapist, thespian, writer, human mother and foster dog mom. She spent four years in Asia but didn’t find Sangha until landing at Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism in Seattle where she served as Secretary of the Board until uprooting to Maine to raise a family. There she connected with Nagaloka's Buddhist community until deciding to return home to New Mexico with her beloved Gary. Since walking through the door of The Buddhist Center she feels she’s finally “landed” and can’t wait to deepen her connection here with the Dharma and Sangha while acting as a liaison for others to do the same.
AboutNancy Savoia
Assistant People Care Manager
Open Position
Community Outreach Manager
Operations
Deirdre Mitra
Center Manager
Deirdre spent most of her career as a corporate paralegal working for Silicon Valley law firms. Her first exposure to FPMT came during a retreat at Tushita Institute (Dharmsala) in 1996. She considers herself a “karma yogi” because she is action-oriented. A lot of her practice involves caring for her rescue donkeys and horses. She is a strong proponent of finding whichever day-to-day dharma that works for you - mucking stalls can be meditative! Center Director is a perfect fit for Deirdre since she has a “can-do” creative approach to problem solving whether it involves automatic door openers or malfunctioning soap dispensers
AboutLibby Maclaren
Grounds Manager
Open Position
Technical Services Manager
Technology
Lauren Ross
Systems Technology Management
Diane Adelson
Webmaster
Diane has been working in IT since 1981. She enjoys contributing her time and skills to help support nonprofit organizations.
AboutBenjamin Bowles
Assistant Webmaster
Frank Meola
Digital Experience Manager
Finance
Open Position
Finance Operations
Open Position
Fundraising Manager
Zoom Hosts
Xela Thomas
Zoom Host Coordinator
Mary Camille
Zoom Host
Bill Michener
Zoom Host
Jai West
Zoom Host
Open Position
Zoom Host
We would also like to thank our shyer team members not pictured:
Janice Gorman, Teacher Care
Jolana Janisova, Bookkeeping
Mary M, Zoom Host
Stephen Azuma, Zoom Host
Som Pourfarzaneh, Zoom Host
