Our Board
Board Members – Membership is 100% Volunteer
Dianne desRoches
– President
Using a combination of an MBA and masters in counseling psychology, I have focused on building entrepreneurial businesses focused on profitability and a strong internal culture. Most recently, with partners, I built a successful advertising agency in New York City dedicated to partnering with clients to uncover the truth of their brands, strategically and creatively. My work gave me the opportunity to experiment with how meditation, spiritual practices and ethics could make us better managers and business people and achieve our vision. Recently, I have returned to executive coaching and working with clients that are focused on creating positive impact for the planet. I was honored to join the Board to help support the preservation of a culture and practice that transforms our view while protecting the next generation.
Paula Sacks
– Treasurer
I am a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in attachment disorders and other mental health issues. I have worked at a nonprofit clinic in Cambridge, MA that provided long term psychotherapy for low-income clients while maintaining a private practice. I also served for five years on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Board of Registration of Social Work, 2009 through 2015, appointed by then Governor Deval Patrick. My commitment to this board, the sacred Tibetan teachings, and support for Geshe Sonam and the Tibetan children we sponsor is unwavering. We are making a huge difference in these children’s lives. A culture has no future without the next generation.
Torben Pederson
My professional background is in technology startups. I have started, invested and advised technology companies in both Europe and in the USA and are currently running a small capital brokerage firm in London focused on both early and later stage technological firms. Through my involvement with this board and the sacred Tibetan teachings, I have witnessed an immediate and profound impact on my ability to concentrate and to think clearly and it has brought tremendous value to my work environment and to my relationships with family, friends and people in a wider sense. I am fully committed to the vision of His Holiness 33rd Menri Trezin and Geshe Sonam to build a Monastery in Nepal to revitalize the Tibetan culture.
Deborah Kirkman
– Secretary
Deborah Kirkman has held a number of leadership roles in technical management as well as in supporting non-profit organizations centered on Eastern practices. First introduced to Tibetan meditation practices over ten years ago, she has developed a rich personal practice that informs her day-to-day life and interactions. In her role as a director in the Mustang Bon Foundation, Ms. Kirkman is deeply committed to preserving the Bön cultural practices while helping to build communities and bringing these precious teachings to a Western audience through on-line and in-person educational events. Formally trained in engineering, she currently serves as a director at the Flight Safety Foundation. She has also previously served as president of the American Bando Association, a national martial arts organization founded with the mission of honoring American veterans. Ms. Kirkman also teaches yoga and meditation at a local studio in Haymarket, Virginia.
Matthew Feeney
I am a software developer with a passion for helping people and organizations reach their fullest potential using the incredible technologies available in today’s world. I believe that through the combination of modern advances and ancient spiritual wisdom that our world can move forward in a much more positive direction. The Mustang Bön Foundation and the lineage of people and teachings that support it provide an ideal environment for me to be of service in this endeavor.