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Our People

Our team brings together a diverse mix of editors, database designers and visionaries, scholars, writers, educators, and even an architect, all united in one task -- to make the teachings of Chogyam Trungpa available to the largest possible audience, using the latest technology.

Digital Library Team

Carolyn Gimian

Executive Director, Chogyam Trungpa Institute

Carolyn was the founding director of the Shambhala Archives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a major repository of Trungpa Rinpoche’s archival legacy, and she is the Executive Director of the Chogyam Trungpa Institute at Naropa University. Since 2013, she has helped to organize and teach at the Profound Treasury Retreats, presenting Chogyam Trungpa’s teachings in retreat settings. She also teaches extensively online.

John Perkins

Digital Library Project Lead

John’s first digital library project, in 1985, unified the heritage conservation literature and holdings of major libraries in five countries. John is an authority on standards development and knowledge sharing in museums and archives.  He was the Co-Director of the Shambhala Archives from 1997-2000.

Lynn Friedman

Digital Library Project Co-Lead

Lynn is one of the primary architects and builders of the collection database and file management system, and oversees the technology standards for the Library.   Lynn has been a dharma practitioner since meeting Trungpa Rinpoche in 1974, and had a long career as a software developer, architect, and project manager before “retiring” and joining this project.

Warner Dick

Media Manager

Warner Dick manages the digital media assets for the Library. He became a student of the buddhadharma at the New York Shambhala Center in the early 1990s while a graduate student in Psychology at NYU. He holds a B.F.A from the Rhode Island School of Design. Warner has worked in a technical capacity in photography, film and theater production. Warner relishes this opportunity to combine his interests in helping launch the Digital Library. He lives in Bedford, NY, and teaches at the Westchester Meditation Center.

Leandra Ziegler

Co-Lead Writer

Leandra Ziegler writes and edits copy for the Library website. Born to students of Trungpa Rinpoche, Leandra grew up in Nova Scotia, where she currently lives. She holds a  B.A. in English and Dance, and has worked as a professional modern dancer and an ESL teacher, and is a freelance magazine editor. Leandra is thrilled to be contributing to making these invaluable teachings accessible to so many people.

Anne Seidlitz

Co-Lead Writer

Anne writes and edits copy for the Library. Anne has worked as a writer in documentary film and arts and nonprofit development for many years. Her most recent film project, Becoming Frederick Douglass, premiers nationally on PBS in October of 2022.

Transcription Project Team

Warner Dick

Transcription Team Lead

Warner is one of the founding members of the transcription project, and the team lead. He became a student of the buddhadharma at the New York Shambhala Center in the early 1990s while a graduate student in Psychology at NYU. He holds a B.F.A from the Rhode Island School of Design. Warner has worked in a technical capacity in photography, film and theater production. Warner relishes this opportunity to combine his interests in helping launch the Digital Library. He lives in Bedford, NY, and teaches at the Westchester Meditation Center.

Lynn Friedman

Transcription Project Manager

Lynn is the project manager for the transcription project, overseeing the workflow, tracking, reporting, and technology standards for the team. She has been a dharma practitioner since meeting Trungpa Rinpoche in 1974, and had a long career as a software developer, architect, and project manager before “retiring” and joining this project.

Ruth Veleta

Copy Editor and Writer

Ruth Veleta is a lead copyeditor, and occasional writer, on the Library and Transcription projects. Ruth worked for many years as a copyeditor for major academic publishers, and was delighted to join the team in 2020. Ruth first encountered the teachings of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1981 at the Philadelphia Dharmadhatu.

Anne Seidlitz

Copy Editor

Anne writes summaries of the talks and seminars, and copy edits transcripts. Anne has worked as a writer in documentary film and arts and nonprofit development for many years. Her most recent film project, Becoming Frederick Douglass, premiers nationally on PBS in October of 2022.

Ella Milligan

Transcriber, Copy Editor, and Writer

Ella Milligan is a lead transcriber, and sometime writer and copy editor, for the Library.  Ella was born to students of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche just outside of Chicago, and moved with her family to Nova Scotia in 1988 to be closer to the growing sangha there. Her first encounter with practice was at age eleven when her father tricked her into participating in a meditation retreat. She has been studying under Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche since 1998, and feels lucky to be transcribing the teachings of Trungpa Rinpoche.  Ella is currently working toward her M.Ed. in Counseling at Acadia University.

Leandra Ziegler

Transcriber, Copy Editor

Leandra is honored to be part of the Transcription Project, creating and copy editing the transcripts of Chögyam Trungpa’s teachings. Born to students of Trungpa Rinpoche, Leandra grew up in Nova Scotia, where she currently lives. She holds a  B.A. in English and Dance, and has worked as a professional modern dancer and an ESL teacher, and is a freelance magazine editor. Leandra is thrilled to be contributing to making these invaluable teachings accessible to so many people.

Sophie Perks

Transcriber

Sophie Perks is a transcriber on the project. She was born to students of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and grew up in Nova Scotia. Sophie lived with and attended various Buddhist teachers in India for 17 years, and currently lives in London, where she works as an artists’ assistant. It has been deeply fulfilling for Sophie to close the circle, so to speak, in rediscovering her roots in Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche’s teachings through her work as a transcriber on the Chogyam Trungpa Digital Library Project.

Jessyca Goldstein

Transcriber

Jessyca Goldstein is a transcriber on the project. She became a student of Shambhala while living in New York City, and has worked at both the Karme Choling retreat center in Vermont and Marpa House in Boulder, Colorado, both founded by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Jessyca feels a close connection to Trungpa Rinpoche’s teachings and lineage, and is honored to be supporting this invaluable project. Jessyca is currently a Clinical Research Assistant at Rhode Island Hospital.