Nena vS Thurman
Executive Chairwoman
Nena is the Executive Chairwoman of Tibet House US and Menla. She has been married to Robert Thurman for over 50 years, and together they have raised four children, including Tibet House US Executive Director Ganden Thurman and renowned actress Uma Thurman. She was a successful...
Michael G. Burbank
Director of Administration
Michael has been a student of Robert Thurman and HH the XIV Dalai Lama for 20 years, since his undergraduate years at Columbia University. In February of 2002 he was invited to help the Thurmans and Tibet House start the newly acquired Menla retreat. Over the years, he worked var...
Lynn Schauwecker
Managing Director
With an extensive fundraising and marketing background, Lynn began working for Tibet House US in 1999 in Development as well as heading up the Annual Tibet House US Benefit Auction. In 2004 she organized the Global Women’s Gathering at Menla which initiated the International Co...
Nina Gramaglia
Operations Manager
Nina is a graduate of SUNY New Paltz with a degree in political science. She started at Menla early in the 2012 season as lead member of the Front of House staff. After a brief hiatus in the winter of 2013, where she worked in North Carolina on an organic farm and in California a...
Alicia Ojeda
Executive Chef
Originally from Los Angeles, Chef Alicia grew up surrounded by the rich cultural and culinary heritage of her Mexican family. She is classically-trained in the culinary arts with a career spanning more than 25 years. Among the many roles she has played professionally, she has alw...
Amber Hallinan
Front of House Manager
With over twelve years experience in the hospitality industry, Amber joined Menla’s Front of House team in August of 2015 after wanting to shift out of restaurant management onto a path that aligned with her spiritual goals and life interests. She became Front of House Man...
Nick Coyle
Sales Manager
Nick became Menla’s Sales Manager in late 2018 as a means to support Menla’s future growth. Nick joined the Menla team after many years living and working throughout Asia where he was involved in producing hand-made textiles rooted in balance with the land. Nick serve...
Carrie Mae Rose
Spa Manager
Carrie Mae Rose has spent this lifetime seeking beauty and exploring what care of the Self actually signifies. Her recent commitment to managing the Dewa Spa at Menla is an alignment of aspirations which arrived during a major turning point in her career. Carrie Mae has an MFA in...
David Giangreco
Facilities Manager
Born and raised on Long Island, David has built his career on hard work and attention to detail. Working on projects ranging from multi-million dollar estates to his own home, his focus is on preserving the beauty of historic Americana elements of the Hudson valley. David joined ...
Lisa Taranto
Head of Horticulture
Lisa has a background in architecture, but went rogue after realizing that she needed a physically engaged life to feel like a whole human. She has been practicing and implementing the design of buildings, urban agriculture, robust gardens, and ecological restoration systems for ...
Justin Stone-Diaz
Director of New Media
Justin Stone-Diaz is a first generation digital native working with online communities creating inclusive content since 1984. A long time student of Lama Karma Rinchen and Anam Thubten Rinpoche, Justin has worked as a digital personal assistant to Sharon Salzberg, Gelek Rimpoche ...
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