IMCW is committed to expanding the diversity of its board and committees, and especially encourages individuals from a diversity of race, sexual preference and age to offer their services.
The Board of Directors is the governing body of IMCW, a 501 C3 non-profit religious corporation. Board members serve as the stewards of IMCW, its resources, programs and activities. Officers include the President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary. The Board meets every other month to discuss issues, deliberate policy and vote. The Board seeks to be an increasingly diverse group bringing a wide perspective of views and skills in service of IMCW and the Dharma.
You are always welcome to contact Board members to ask questions, offer suggestions, or give feedback and input.
Board bios
Trisha Stotler, President
Trisha has many years of nonprofit development experience, including her last position as Director of Development for the Physics Department at UC, Berkeley. She left full-time fundraising to pursue her passion of teaching various mind-body disciplines. She started her own business, Insight Life Services, in 2004, and has taught several different classes over the years. She is currently an MBSR instructor in Vienna, Va., and co-leads the IMCW sitting group on Sunday mornings in Tyson's Corner with Jon Waterman and Mary Aubry. She lives with her husband and three kids in Vienna, Va.
Janice Mostow, Secretary
After receiving her B.A. from the University of Maryland and an M.E. (Masters of Education) from George Washington University, Janice spent a number of productive years In the Montgomery County Public School system. She began as an English teacher, rose to become department chair and moved on to become assistant principal and then principal of various schools including Briggs Chaney Middle School and Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School. She then moved into the Office of Organizational Development to direct training and development of secondary school administrators. Some of her responsibilities included strategic planning, developing budget and training materials, and working as an assessor of students and administrators.
Recently Janice semi-retired and started her own consulting services in education, where her projects have included providing advocacy services, working in staff development, leading strategic planning, and doing program evaluation.
Bob Dymond, Treasurer
Bob retired and moved to the D.C. area in 1997. Since moving he has volunteered as patient visitor for Montgomery Hospice.
Before moving Bob volunteered in several areas: with the local hospice as a patient visitor; on the Foundation Board running fundraising events and involved with local community events; and as a board member and counselor at a volunteer career counseling group.
In 2000, Bob started meditation practice – first with a Zen group then with one affiliated with Thich Nhat Hanh. He joined IMCW in 2008 and now hosts a KM group.
Hugh Byrne
Hugh Byrne, Ph. D. is a senior teacher with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington. He completed a four-year teacher training at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and the Insight Meditation Society led by Jack Kornfield. Hugh is also trained in and teaches Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and has completed training in Somatic Experiencing, a mind-body approach to healing trauma. He is a co-founder of the
Washington Buddhist Peace Fellowship.
Hugh has been on IMCW’s Board of Directors and a member of the Teachers Council since 2003. He teaches three weekly classes in Washington, DC and leads retreats and workshops nationally and abroad.
Tara Brach
Tara Brach is a leading western teacher of Buddhist meditation, emotional healing and spiritual awakening. She has practiced and taught meditation for over 35 years, with an emphasis on vipassana (mindfulness or insight) meditation. Tara is the senior teacher and founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington.
A clinical psychologist, Tara is author of Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha and the upcoming book, True Refuge-Finding Peace and Freedom in Your Own Awakened Heart (Bantam, 2012). Tara is nationally known for her skill in weaving western psychological wisdom with a range of meditative practices. Her approach emphasizes compassion for oneself and others; mindful presence and the direct realization and embodiment of natural awareness.
Gabriel Riera
Gabriel Riera is a marketing and communications professional who moved to the DC area four years ago. He is passionate about the arts and is dedicated to facilitating and supporting the expression of universal truths by individuals and organizations. He has a degree in creative writing from UCLA. Gabriel has applied his skills in marketing and communications across a range of situations, ranging from the film industry to contemporary art, which has been his area of focus for the past seven years.
A curious and avid walker on the path of consciousness, Gabriel resonates with Buddhist teachings because they encourage non-judgment, compassion, service, and a broad understanding of the interrelation of all things. Along with Eric Forbis, Gabriel founded BuddhaFest in 2010, DC's first ongoing Buddhist film festival. In 2008, Gabriel and Eric also launched Good Works, a program coordinating outreach efforts with 9 non-profit organizations to provide opportunities for generosity and service for the IMCW community. Gabriel has served on IMCW's Board of Director's since 2008.
Gene Kijowski
Gene is a former CEO and a current student of Tara Brach, the Meditation Teacher Training Institute, and the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute. He brings rich experience with relationship in the areas of family, community, business and K12 education. He teaches from a passion for mindfulness practice, and a deep conviction about its ability to support transformation and relieve suffering in relationships – and life.