2010 conference : panels

Venerable Chang Hwa (Chang Hwa Fa Shi), resident of the Chan Meditation Center in New York City, is Director of Dharma Drum Mountain International Development and the Chan Meditation Center. She received monastic training and ordination under the guidance of Chan Master Sheng Yen, founder of Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association. Closely following the spirit of Chan (Chinese Zen) as taught by Master Sheng Yen, and using a lively teaching style, Chang Hwa Fa Shi leads meditation retreats and workshops that emphasize how to relate Chan practice to our daily lives.

Marita McLaughlin, LCPC has been a student of Shambhala Buddhism, a mandala of the Kagyu, Nyingma and Shambhala lineages, since 1976. She completed Vajradhatu Seminary with Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1979 and continues her studies and practice under the guidance of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. Ms. McLaughlin is a shamatha and vajrayana meditation instructor and a teacher of Buddhist and Shambhala dharma. She carries the title of Upadhyaya, Buddhist Minister, officiating weddings and funerals. Professionally, Ms. McLaughlin is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, practicing Contemplative Psychotherapy, integrating body-centered mindfulness techniques with therapeutic conversation. She and her husband, of 33 years, live in Chicago and have a 30-year old son.

Rev. Tonen O'Connor is a Soto Zen Buddhist priest and has been the resident priest at the Milwaukee Zen Center since 2001. She received ordination from Tozen Akiyama in 1994, dharma transmission in 1999 and in 2000 performed the ceremony of zuise at Eiheiji and Sojiji, head temples of the Soto school in Japan. She trained in Japan at Shogoji Hosshinji and Hokyoji, and holds the rank of nitokyoshi within the Japanese Soto system as well as a four-year assignment as kiokusaifukyoshi.

She has worked extensively with inmates within the Wisconsin correctional system, serves on the Wisconsin Department of Corrections Religious Practices Advisory Committee and was invited to give a presentation on this work at a conference in Tokyo in 2008. Tonen is a past President of the Board of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association. With Zuiko Redding of the Cedar Rapids Zen Center, she is co-founder of the Great Sky Sesshin, held annually for the past five years at Hokyoji Zen Practice Community in Minnesota.

Mazher Ahmed was born in Hyderabad, raised and educated in Bombay, India and now lives in the United States. An architect by trade, she has helped design a mosque, a church and a Buddhist temple. Ms. Ahmed is currently vice president of the Batavia Islamic Center, Director of Global Peace Works and founder of Interfaith Prayer for Peace, a group for people of all faiths to gather and pray from their own tradition for world peace.

Rabbi Heather Altman creates a sanctuary for the soul by cultivating a safe and encouraging environment for individuals to investigate the fullness of Jewish life and embrace their own experience of wellness and healing.

Through Rav Yoga, Spiritual Direction, ritual, and community consulting, Rabbi Altman crafts a physical and spiritual dwelling in which the intellect can rest and the soul can flourish. Assisting her clients in aligning their inner wisdom and strength with their lifestyle and life practices, Heather fosters peace and fullness within oneself and within the world.

Rabbi Heather Altman infuses Jewish wisdom, prayer and teaching into the compassion, strength and power of Forrest Yoga to create Rav Yoga. Drawing on the Hebrew connection between "rav" (rabbi-teacher) and "rov" (plenty), Rav Yoga means Yoga Rabbi as well as Abundant Yoga. Rav Yoga's synthesis of these two ancient traditions leaves you feeling empowered, renewed, centered and connected. Lightly infused with the breath of Judaism, these classes are for adults (and teens) of all traditions, genders, health conditions, or levels of yoga experience.

Omie Baldwin is a member of the Dine' Nation (also known as Navajos). She has been the organizer for the participation of the Americas' Indigenous peoples in Parliament events since 1993. Since 2000 she has been a member of the Board of Trustees for the Parliament of the World's Religions. A clinical social worker at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University Health Services, Counseling and Consultation Services, Ms. Baldwin is the co-chair of the American Indians into Science student group on campus and is active with the American Indian students on campus. She has served for several years as a board member of the Fund of the Sacred Circle, Headwaters Foundation for Peace & Social Justice, Minneapolis MN.

Asayo Horibe is the president of the Buddhist Council of the Midwest, an organization for all Buddhist temples, centers and churches in the Midwest region. She is a long time president of the Heartland Sangha in Chicago; past trustee of the Parliament of the World Religions; secretary for the Asian Pacific American Advisory Board for the Illinois Secretary of State, Jesse White; a registered nurse for over 45 years; active member of the Japanese American Service Committee; and has participated as guest lecturer at several interfaith forums in the Chicago Metropolitan area.

Sr. Joan McGuire is a Dominican Sister, St. Catharine of Siena Congregation, Kentucky. Sister McGuire serves as the Director of the Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs for the Archdiocese of Chicago. Additionally, she is a member of the Ecumenical Millennium Committee, the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago, the Illinois Conference of Churches, the Jewish-Catholic Scholars Dialogue, and the Mid-West Regional Muslim-Catholic Dialogue.