Tashi Delek!!! In 1997, while glancing at our local paper’s comic section, a photo of a young Tibetan lama in a cowboy hat caught my eye. I attended his talk—ZaChoeje Rinpoche’s first in Phoenix—and found a deep feeling of connection. Later Rinpoche asked me to help establish Emaho as a nonprofit Tibetan Buddhist learning center. Though I had no experience with such things, his encouragement—“you can do it”—guided me forward. Today, as chair of Emaho, I help coordinate teachings, programs. I have the privilege of working with Emaho Foundation’s board of directors and volunteers. They are dedicated, no-nonsense, honest, smart, and thoroughly reliable. Under the wisdom of Rinpoche and our resident Geshes, Emaho has become my spiritual home and a sanctuary of friendship, peace, and learning.

Tashi Delek I’m blessed with three daughters and four grandchildren. After graduating as an RN from Penn State in 1974, I earned my Nurse-Midwife degree from the University of Arizona and a master’s in Maternal Child Health from ASU. For over forty years, I devoted my career to improving women’s health and transforming the birthing experience. Drawn to Buddhism since college, I found true guidance when I met ZaChoeje Rinpoche in 2002—his teachings answered a lifelong search for wisdom and peace. Soon after, I became a core volunteer severing as Vice Chair/secretary serving on the Board, joyfully serving as viedographer while archiving Rinpoche’s teaching and helping with our community programs.

I’ve served on Emaho’s Board of Directors for about 20 years in various roles and currently as treasurer. With an MA and PhD in psychology, I spent my career as a special education teacher and psychotherapist helping people in diverse settings—from residential treatment centers to private practice. Now, I’m deeply grateful to devote my life to supporting Rinpoche, the Geshes, and Emaho, studying the Dharma, and practicing compassion in action. As treasurer, I sincerely thank everyone for their generosity, which keeps our center and teachings flourishing.

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, I first met a group of touring Tibetan monks in 2000—an encounter that unexpectedly opened my heart to Buddhism and eventually led me to Emaho. For over twenty years, I’ve been deeply grateful for the guidance of our teachers and the warmth of our sangha. My professional background is in finance, project management, and systems support, including thirty-two years at PNC Bank and now as a self-employed bookkeeper. A former Emaho treasurer (2012–2021), I continue to serve by helping with retreats, registration, fundraising, and the joyful work of sustaining our community.

I began attending and volunteering at Emaho in 2022 and received refuge vows from Za Choeje Rinpoche in 2023. My initial interest in the dharma arose from confronting loss and impermanence, and I continue to find deep peace and clarity in Rinpoche's teachings.

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