Our Team

Ms. Norbu Dema Country Director

Ms. Norbu Dema is the Country Director of the Bhutan Foundation based in Thimphu, Bhutan. She holds a Bachelors of Engineering in Civil Engineering from VTU Bangalore India and an MA. in Public Policy with a specialization in development studies from Australian National University. Norbu comes with a wide range of experiences of having worked for more than 16 years with the Royal Government of Bhutan, international development partners, and civil society organizations in Bhutan. Ms. Dema worked for more than ten years in the Ministry of Labour and Human Resources in various capacities managing programs and strategic planning in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Human Resource Development. After leaving her government job, she worked as Program Manager for the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC), managing a Governance Program in the areas of anti-corruption & transparency, public service delivery, media, and youth engagement. She also worked as the Bhutan Country Facilitator for LOGIN-Asia (Asia Centric Regional Network), aiding reforms in decentralization and local governance. She also consulted for Asian Development Bank as a TVET policy advisor and as a monitoring and evaluation expert. Before joining the Bhutan Foundation, she worked briefly with the Bhutan Network of Empowering Women (BNEW). During her free time, Norbu enjoys spending time with her children, indulging in craftwork, and is passionate about issues surrounding special needs children and their educational needs.

Contact: norbu.dema@bhutanfound.org

Ms. Tshering Choden Finance and HR manager

Ms. Tshering Choden is the Finance Manager of the Bhutan Foundation office based in Thimphu, Bhutan. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting from Gaeddu College of Business Studies. She worked for four years at DHI-Infra Ltd. (now merged with Construction Development Corporation, Ltd.), where she served as a Finance Officer in the Finance and Accounts Department. She was also the Core Team Member of the company’s system SAP ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) for the module FICO (Finance and Controlling) and FM (Funds Management). She interned with Bhutan National Bank Limited, Thimphu, for several months before joining DHI-INFRA Ltd. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and doing volunteer work.

Contact: tshering.choden@bhutanfound.org

Mr. Sangay Chedar Program Manager

Mr. Sangay Chedar is a Program Manager at Bhutan Foundation based in Thimphu. He holds Masters Degree in Environmental Science with specialization in Environmental Management from The University of Western Australia (UWA), Australia. Mr. Chedar has a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Administration from Royal Institute of Management, Bhutan. Mr. Chedar worked with erstwhile Gross National Happiness Commission (GNHC) for 13 years as Planning Officer. Subsequently, he served as Deputy Chief Programme Coordinator with the Department of Planning, Budget and Performance (DPBP) and Department of Macro-Fiscal and Development Finance (DMDF) under the Ministry of Finance. While in GNHC, he was involved in formulating the long- and medium-term development plans of the country. At the DPBP, Sangay worked with Local Governments on strengthening the planning and budgeting system. While in DMDF, Mr. Chedar was involved in coordinating with the development partners and resource mobilization. He enjoys reading, travelling and hiking during his leisure time.

Contact: sangay.chedar@bhutanfound.org

Ms. Phenki Program Officer

Ms. Phenki is a Program Officer with the Foundation. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Environmental Studies from Royal Thimphu College, Royal University of Bhutan, and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) in English from Samtse College of Education, Royal University of Bhutan. She taught for a year at Dr. Tobgyel Middle School in Thimphu. After her PGDE, she taught in-service for four years. She volunteered at the Mountain Echoes Literary Festival and with WWF Bhutan at the Global Earth Hour Campaign. She strongly believes in women’s empowerment. Phenki is passionate about building an enabling environment for every child. She enjoys editing videos and pictures, journaling, taking landscape photographs, and dancing during her leisure hours.

Contact: phenki@bhutanfound.org

Mr. Lungten Associate Program Officer

Mr. Lungten holds a Bachelor of Science in Forestry from the College of Natural Resources, Royal University of Bhutan. Before joining the Bhutan Foundation, he began his career in biodiversity conservation at the Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) as an intern, where he served for about three years. He made significant contributions to various conservation and research projects at RSPN, particularly focusing on the conservation of the White-bellied Heron, wetlands, and freshwater biodiversity. In addition to his conservation work, he played a key role in the development of several RSPN conservation projects. Moreover, he has successfully secured several small research grants for studies on threatened waterbirds that share habitats with the White-bellied Heron in Bhutan. Mr. Lungten has a deep fondness for nature and enjoys engaging in wildlife photography, hiking, and birding. He is also passionate about environmental conservation and spends most of his leisure time learning about and exploring nature.

Contact: lungten@bhutanfound.org

Ms. Passang Gyem Accounts Officer

Ms. Passang Gyem is the Accounts Officer at Bhutan Foundation. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Gedu College of Business Studies. She started her career as an accountant at Tashi Infocomm (Tashicell), where she worked for one year. Following that, she served as an Assistant Finance Officer at Bhutan Lottery Limited in Phuntsholing for five years. Currently, she is with Bhutan Foundation. In her free time, she enjoys exploring and learning new things.

Contact: passang.gyem@bhutanfound.org

Mr. Kunzang Dorji Communications and IT Officer

Mr. Kunzang Dorji is the Communication and IT Officer at the Bhutan Foundation. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Sherubtse College. He began his career as a Photographer, Videographer, Visual Editor, and Designer at Yeewong Media. He then worked as an IT Technician and Graphic Designer at the Indo-Bhutan e-Library. Following this, he served as an Assistant ICT Officer for the ePIS Project at GovTech, employed as an SSA by the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Bhutan. In this role, he was responsible for managing the Bhutan Vaccine System during the COVID-19 pandemic and overseeing the advocacy, training, and distribution of ICT equipment for electronic Patient Information Systems.

Contact: kunzangd@bhutanfound.org

Ms. Dechen Wangmo Communications Officer

Dechen is the Communications Officer at the Bhutan Foundation. She holds an MA in Arts and Cultural Entrepreneurship from the National University of Singapore and is passionate about leveraging digital experiences to promote and celebrate arts and culture. Her experiences include working as a metaverse game developer for the Bhutanverse project, a graphic designer for Upskill Bhutan—where she contributed to the Trans Bhutan Trail, an ancient highway revived as a hiking trail—and an experience designer for the Bhutan Innovation Forum.

Contact: dechen.wangmo@bhutanfound.org

Ms. Jamyang Choden Program Officer

Ms. Jamyang Choden holds a Bachelor of Science in Environment Management from Royal Thimphu College (RTC) and has served as an International Relations Officer at RTC for five years. Since 2019, she has contributed in fostering international collaborations, managing academic partnerships, and coordinating various programmes. She additionally co-led an Erasmus+ Project for 4 years and managed the Intensive Faculty-led Study Credit and Study Abroad programmes with universities in the EU, United States and Australia.

Passionate about sustainability and cultural exchange, Jamyang has participated in numerous international training programmes, including Erasmus+ mobilities in Poland and a Master’s-level Summer School on Climate Change in the Netherlands. A curious and adventurous individual, she enjoys reading, doodling, and exploring new horizons.

Contact: jamyang.choden@bhutanfound.org

Mr. Kuenzang Dorji Office Secretary

Mr. Kuenzang Dorji is currently serving at Bhutan Foundation as the office secretary. Over the last decade, he has served with dedication and commitment at the GNH Centre Bhutan in various assistant level capacities. He have contributed towards the other clerical and administrative responsibilities for the Centre. He believes that fostering a sense of solidarity and kinship among team members is pivotal for developing and realizing the goals of any organization. In his free time he loves to learn new things from everyone, playing games and hiking.

Contact: kuenzang.dorji@bhutanfound.org

Mr. Tshewang Wangchuk Executive Director

Tshewang Wangchuk is the Executive Director of the Bhutan Foundation, where he oversees the organization’s strategic direction, programs, operations, and partnerships. A pioneer in Bhutan’s conservation efforts, he was among the first Park Managers during the establishment of the country's protected area system, now covering over 51% of Bhutan. His research on snow leopards and the Bhutan takin deepened his understanding of both the natural habitats and the mountain communities of northern Bhutan.
From 2003 to 2005, Tshewang coordinated WWF International’s Global Tiger Program, collaborating with biologists and conservationists across Asia and the Russian Far East. He is Bhutan’s first National Geographic Explorer, a member of the Explorers Club, and serves on the board of directors of the Snow Leopard Conservancy.
He holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland and a Master’s in Conservation Biology from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, with additional graduate research in Wildlife Biology at the University of Montana.

Contact: tshewang.wangchuk@bhutanfound.org

Ms. Dawa Sherpa Director of Programs & Operations

Ms. Dawa Sherpa is Director of Programs and Operations for the Bhutan Foundation. She is also President and co-founder of the Greater Himalayas Foundation, which supports conservation and humanitarian programs in the Himalayas. Ms. Sherpa holds a Bachelors of Science from Virginia Tech, and Masters in Global and Community Health from George Mason University. She has international development experience working in the field on HIV/AIDS programs in Nepal with the United Nations Development Program, implemented rural public health awareness programs through Students Partnership Worldwide in the US, and helped develop the emergency medical services and public health programs with Bhutan’s Ministry of Health.

Contact: dawa.sherpa@bhutanfound.org

Mr. David Chalfant Director of Partnerships and Philanthropy

David Chalfant is a seasoned philanthropy leader, adept at building major gift, corporate and foundation programs. He's known for leading teams to surpass annual revenue targets while inculcating the values of Philanthropy. With a strong background in social justice, health, and conservation he has led campaigns for each. David brings to the foundation a rare capacity to lead with vision, passion, and curiosity. His accomplishments include creating innovative case statements, executing cross-platform campaigns, enhancing compliance structures, and pioneering endowment strategies. David's approach is defined by his dedication to empowering teams, fostering collaboration, and driving results with enthusiasm and humor. His blend of strategic planning, organizational development, and resource mobilization has established him as a distinguished professional in the philanthropic and development space.

Contact: david.chalfant@bhutanfound.org

Ms. Pemma Lhazin Development Officer

Pemma Lhazin is the Development Officer for the Bhutan Foundation. She has a BA in International Studies with a minor in English from Endicott College in Beverly, MA. At the Bhutan Foundation, she partners with the Communications team to enhance the visibility of Bhutan and share updates on the foundation's wide-ranging projects. She is involved in creating engaging content, managing social media platforms, and developing communication materials to effectively convey the Foundation's mission and initiatives. Her work plays a crucial role in connecting the Bhutan Foundation with a global audience and supporting its efforts to address critical issues in Bhutan. She has worked in fundraising in the environmental non-profit space and is passionate about environmental sustainability and health equity. She passed out of the 44th Desuung Training Program in Tendruk, Samtse and volunteered during the pandemic in 2021.

Contact: pemma.lhazin@bhutanfound.org

Ms. Sonam Deki Tshering Operations Officer

Sonam is the Operations Officer for the Bhutan Foundation. She is passionate about social justice and sustainable development and is committed to fostering positive change through her active engagement in community service. 



Contact: sonam.tshering@bhutanfound.org

Hon. Brian Baird

Hon. Brian Baird is the Honorary Consul for Bhutan from Seattle, Washington. He is the former Democratic Party congressman from the state of Washington’s 3rd congressional district. Brian is a licensed clinical psychologist who has practiced in Washington state and Oregon. He also taught at the university level and is a former chairman of the Department of Psychology at Pacific Lutheran University. Brian received his BS from the University of Utah and his MS and PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Wyoming. He has published a number of journal articles and has authored two books: The Internship and Practicum Handbook and Are We Having Fun Yet?.

Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr.

Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr. is Senior Director at McLarty Associates where he leads the firm’s work for clients in South Asia and Indonesia. He served for 31 years in the State Department in a wide range of leadership positions including Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Deputy Chief of Mission in India and U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia. He is Co-Chair of the Board of the U.S.-Indonesia Society. Ambassador Blake holds a BA from Harvard College, and an MA from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC. He and his wife Sofia have three daughters.

Ms. Barbara Bowman

Hon. Curtis S. Chin

Hon. Curtis S. Chin is a Milken Institute Asia fellow and has served as a trustee of World Education Services of New York and is a former U.S. ambassador to the Asian Development Bank. As a member of the ADB board, he pushed for strengthened governance, risk management and development efforts focused on people, planet, and partnership, particularly on infrastructure projects in Asia's least-developed nations. Through his advisory firm RiverPeak Group LLC, Chin now advises a range of startup firms and impact investors in Asia, including Equator Pure Nature, a leading ASEAN-based, natural consumer products company and cleantech pioneer, and the Dolma Impact Fund, the first international equity fund focused on Nepal. Chin previously was a senior executive with Burson-Marsteller in the US, Switzerland, and Asia, where he oversaw Beijing and Hong Kong operations. He has provided counsel to a wide range of governments and businesses on stakeholder engagement, public affairs, corporate responsibility, crisis management and market entry. Curtis has been a long-time friend of Bhutan and has travelled to Bhutan extensively.

Diana Cohn

Diana Cohn has worked as a teacher, as a media activist and as a senior program officer and executive director in philanthropic foundations for almost 3 decades. She has a BA in Human Ecology from the College of the Atlantic and an MA in Educational Policy from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is a certified professional Co- Active Coach (CPCC) and is currently focused on leadership development with foundation and non-profit leaders. Diana is the award-winning author of 7 books for children, including Crane Boy that was inspired after her first visit to Bhutan in 2012. It was published and launched at the Crane Festival in Gangtey in 2015 in partnership with the RSPN. In addition to her children’s books, she has written on native pollination practices in Mexico and Malaysia for the American Bee Journal. She currently serves as a board member for the Magnum Foundation, and for NABU, a global mother-tongue literacy organization. She lives with her husband on a houseboat in northern California.

Dasho Paljor Dorji

Dasho Paljor Dorji (Dasho Benji) has served the government of Bhutan since 1966. He was appointed Chief Justice of Bhutan in 1985 to 1987 and then Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Social Services. In 1991 he was sent to Geneva as Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva and also was accredited to Austria, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, EU (Brussels), IFAD (Rome), and FAO (Rome). From 1994 to 1998 Benji served as Deputy Minister of the National Environment Commission, and currently he is a special advisor to the National Environment Commission. Benji has been a long-time advisor to the Bhutan Foundation, in particular on our environment and conservation programs.

Mr. Dechen Dorji

Mr. Dechen Dorji is the Senior Director for Asia at WWF-US. Dechen oversees WWF-US’s wildlife efforts in Asia, working closely with their goal teams and leadership, WWF’s country offices, and the Wildlife Practice and other WWF initiatives to help develop, implement and mobilize resources for our wildlife conservation priorities in Asia. Dechen isn’t new to the WWF organization, previously serving for seven years as WWF’s Country Representative in Bhutan, where he led a number of successful conservation efforts, notably the ‘Bhutan for Life’ initiative, through which he worked closely with our leadership and the former Bhutanese Prime Minister to raise $43 million, and launched some of Bhutan’s first nationwide conservation efforts for threatened species such as tigers, Snow leopards and Golden Mahseer. Dechen also received the National Order of Merit, Gold, from His Majesty the King for the Bhutan for Life initiative and his services to the Bhutanese environmental sector.

Dr. Peggy Dulany

Dr. Peggy Dulany is Chair of The Synergos Institute, an independent non-profit organization dedicated to creating effective, sustainable and locally based solutions to poverty. Her career has included heading a Boston-area public high school program for drop- outs for six years and consulting with the United Nations and the Ford Foundation on health care and family planning in Brazil, the United States and Portugal, and with the National Endowment for the Arts on nonprofit management and planning. She was Senior Vice President of the New York City Partnership, where she headed the Youth Employment and Education programs. Dr. Dulany is an honors graduate of Radcliffe College and holds a Doctorate in Education from Harvard University.

Ms. Caroline Gabel

Ms. Caroline Gabel is President and CEO of the Shared Earth Foundation, an adventure traveler, and a major fan of Bhutan, which she has visited more than four times. As the former chair of the Snow Leopard Conservancy, a partner of the Bhutan Foundation, she especially admires Bhutan’s dedication to conserving wildlife, including their iconic snow leopards and their forests, which provide habitat for the country’s rich wildlife. She supports the Bhutan Foundation, especially its dedication to environmental values.

Eloise Goelet Hackett

Ms. Eloise Goelet Hackett is a wine industry professional currently working in administration and vineyard management at Clos Du Val Winery in Napa Valley. Eloise is a graduate from Middlebury College with a BA in International Studies. In 2009, Eloise volunteered in Bhutan for 5 months, working with both the Bhutan Foundation and the Tarayana Foundation. Through the Bhutan Foundation, Eloise taught English to primary students in Thimphu. Eloise also spent time travelling throughout Bhutan performing site visits for the Tarayana Foundation, focusing on assessing childhood nutrition as part of a larger study. Upon returning to the US, Eloise worked at World Education, a nonprofit focused on developing education health and infrastructure around the globe. Since 2011, Eloise has worked in both Australia and the US, pursuing her interest in sustainable agriculture and business administration.

Mr. Douglas W. Hamilton Jr.

Douglas Hamilton currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Hamilton Associates and related entities, a family of entrepreneurial companies where he served as CEO for 37 years, until his retirement in 2012. One company, Elevator Safety Company, is a leading manufacturer of elevator suspension systems, used by major elevator companies throughout the world. A second firm, Air Techniques International, manufactures filter and gas mask test equipment, used in both commercial and military applications in the area of nuclear, biological, and chemical protection. He and his wife, Tsognie, through a family foundation, support educational and monastic projects in Mrs. Hamilton’s birth country (now state of India) of Sikkim, Bhutan’s immediate neighbor to the west. The Hamiltons have trekked extensively in Sikkim beginning in the early 1970’s. Since 2007, along with their neighbors and good friends, Christopher and Lucy Goelet, the Hamiltons have sponsored a Bhutanese Archery tournament for members of the American Bhutanese community at Tashiding, their country property in Maryland. From 2011 through 2017 Mr. Hamilton served as President or Chair of the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. He currently serves on the board of the Valleys Planning Council, a land preservation advocacy organization in North Central Maryland.

Ms. Jane Hancock

Ms. Jane Hancock is President of the Music of Bhutan Research Center (MBRC), USA. She is a credentialed educator and photographer (B.A.). Since co-founding MBRC in 2008 with Kheng Sonam Dorji and Dr. Janet Herman, ethnomusicologist, she has lived part-time in Bhutan assisting MBRC in Thimphu with many creative projects and fundraising. Ms. Hancock has served as lead photographer on several expeditions and is a consultant and voice-over specialist on MBRC films. In 2011, she helped MBRC establish the Annual Bhutanese Folk Music Festival. Ms. Hancock is also involved in music education in the schools in Thimphu and introduced a vision-screening program for young school aged children.

Dr. Steve Harris

Dr. Steve Harris worked as a telecommunications/internet lawyer and executive for over 30 years. He then returned to his love of history and received a Ph.D. in Modern European History at UC Davis in 2015. He now teaches history of democracy, historiography, modern European, and world history at San Francisco State University, where he is also co-director of the History for the 21st Century Project.

Mr. Eric Hoffman

Mr. Eric Hoffman is a creative director with a solid reputation designing projects for both boutique agencies and corporate advertising firms at home and abroad. His work branding, re-launching and strategically positioning fashion, beauty and retail clients has to date amassed a roster of professional affiliations that includes AR Media, Arnell Group, EuroRSCG Worldwide, Drill (Japan), Select Communications, and Young & Rubicam. He has also worked for Vogue and W Magazine and numerous advertising campaigns including Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino and Versace. Other clients include Johnson & Johnson, David Yurman, Elie Tahari, Judith Leiber, AERO Studios, Marui (Japan), Nars Cosmetics, Target Corporation, Williams-Sonoma and Hachette Book Group. Eric graduated from Bard College with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and the School of Visual Arts with a degree in Digital Design. He then served as a Peace Corp volunteer in 1996, and as an International Honors Program participant in 1991, studying global ecology worldwide in seven different countries (England, Colombia, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand, and the USA).

Hon. Kenneth I. Juster

Hon. Kenneth I. Juster has over forty years of experience as a senior government official, senior business executive, and senior law partner. He recently completed service as the twenty-fifth U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of India (2017–2021). He previously served in the U.S. government as Deputy Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs, on both the National Security Council and the National Economic Council (2017), Under Secretary of commerce (2001–2005), Counselor (acting) of the State Department (1992–1993), and Deputy and Senior Advisor to Deputy Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger (1989–1992). In the private sector, Juster has been a Partner at the global investment firm Warburg Pincus (2010–2017), Executive Vice President at Salesforce.com (2005–2010), and a Senior Partner at the law firm Arnold & Porter. He is currently Senior Counselor at the global law firm Freshfields, Senior Adviser at the institutional investor CDPQ, Strategic Adviser at the software company Salesforce, and Distinguished Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Ambassador Juster developed a long-term friendship with Bhutan when he was Ambassador to India. He supported the funding of many new U.S. government initiatives in Bhutan, such as enhancing STEM Education and the restoration of the Wangduechhoeling Palace through the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation.

Mr. Rudolf Laager

Mr. Rudolf Laager (Ruedi) is Chair of the Advisory Council. Mr. Laager is President of LuKaDa International in Larchmont, NY. He is also Director of Global Development for the GreenTeam, a public relations agency in New York and serves on the board of The Resource Foundation, an organization focused on sustainable development in Latin America. Ruedi and his wife Alix have been particularly involved in the Bhutan Foundation’s special education program.

Mr. John LaValley

Mr. John LaValley is an award-winning real estate developer and the Founder and President of Sunday Development. He has over 15 years of navigating all facets of real estate development and has acquired and executed over $1 billion worth of real estate investments. John’s differentiated value proposition comes from his end-to-end ability to take a project from an initial vision to the effective delivery of outcomes through creative and purposeful execution. His clientele includes institutional investors and notable organizations, such as the largest student housing operator in NYC and one of the largest hotel owners in the US at 25K rooms. He is passionate about transformative development opportunities that support environmentally sustainable practices and historic buildings, which has led him to an interest in the Bhutan Foundation. Previously, John was the Founder and Managing Partner at Thelius Capital Partners, and Vice President of Investments at Onyx Equities, where he was recognized as Tomorrow’s Leader in Real Estate and won Deal of the Year. John’s career began in private equity as an analyst at Centersquare Investments, after he received a BA in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Outside of his work, he is a competitive rock climber and devoted husband.

Ms. Linda Leaming

Ms. Linda Leaming moved to Bhutan in 1997. She has worked with UNDP Bhutan, the Centre for Bhutan Studies, the Institute for Language and Cultural Studies, the Zorig Chusum, and numerous other agencies of the Royal Government. Her Dzongkha is weak but her love for Bhutan and all things Bhutanese is strong. Linda’s writing has appeared in the Guardian, Huffington Post, Good Housekeeping India, and Mandala Magazine, among other publications. Her memoirs, Married to Bhutan (Hay House 2011, Malik National Geographic 2012 and 2016) and A Field Guide to Happiness(Hay House 2014), have been translated into numerous languages including Korean, French, and German. She also wrote the text for the photography book, Vanishing Faces of Bhutan: The Study of a Timeless culture, by Joseph N. Barker, published in April 2016 by the Bhutan Foundation. Originally from Nashville, she has an MFA in fiction from the University of Arizona. She regularly speaks about Bhutan at colleges, churches, seminars, and book groups, as well as podcasts and radio programs. She lives just past Tashichhodzong in Thimphu and is married to Bhutanese artist, Phurba Namgay.

Mr. Jeffrey H. Lynford

Mr. Jeffrey H. Lynford has actively supported historic preservation locally, nationally and internationally for over 35 years. He is a trustee emeritus of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and formerly a Vice Chairman of the Global Heritage Fund and an ex officio trustee of the Lower Eastside Tenement Museum located in NYC. Jeffrey has received three gubernatorial appointments and presently is Vice Chairman of The Port Authority of NY & NJ. He is a former Trustee of New York University and NYU Tandon School of Engineering. Currently, he is President and CEO of Educational Housing Services, Inc. the leading non-profit provider of safe and affordable housing for college students and interns in NYC. Jeffrey holds degrees from SUNY at Buffalo, Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs, and Fordham University School of Law. His wife, Tondra Lynford, is a psychotherapist and an acknowledged expert in autism. They are the parents of four children and two grandchildren.

Mr. Michael Mars

Mr. Michael Mars served on the board of the Bhutan Foundation from 2006-2019. Michael is the founding principal of mTerraVentures, LLC, an early-stage venture capital practice focused on catalyzing the development of technologies for a sustainable economy. Before founding mTerra Ventures in 2007, he managed various business units for Mars Incorporated in Asia and North America. Michael currently serves on the board of Echogen Power Systems, Natel Energy, and Mars, Incorporated. He is also involved in a variety of philanthropic interests primarily in the area of conservation of nature, education, and healthcare. He is currently vice-chair of the School for Field Studies and serves on the Board of Visitors for the MIT School of Earth, Atmosphere, and Planetary Sciences and the Duke Nicholas School of the Environment. Michael is a graduate of Duke University.

Mr. Zack McKown

Mr. Zack McKown is a Principal in TsAO & McKOWN Architects, PC. He has been widely recognized for his innovations in the fields of urban design and architecture, interiors, furniture and product design. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Design Trust for Public Space, and is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. In 2001 Mr. McKown was inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame, along with his partner Calvin Tsao. He has lectured widely, and has been honored by retrospective exhibits at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design and The New School University. TsAO & McKOWN is providing technical support on the Bhutan Foundation project to restore Wangduechhoeling Palace.

Elisabeth Meeker

Elisabeth Meeker (Lis) was formerly the first vice president of financial portfolio management at Smith Barney. Prior to her tenure at Smith Barney, she worked in the Field Museum’s Invertebrate Zoology Department. received a B.A. in biology and zoology from DePauw University. Lis has and continues to serve on many boards including the DePauw University Alumnae Association, Women’s Board of the Field Museum, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, the University Club of Chicago, and the Council of Foreign Affairs. Lis first traveled to Bhutan in 2007. She subsequently volunteered for WWF Bhutan and has been an advisor to the Bhutan Foundation.

Ms. Gouri Mirpuri

Gouri Mirpuri is co-founder of the award-winning social enterprise, The Learning Farm, which provides livelihood training for vulnerable youth in Indonesia. It was her experience with setting up this social enterprise that led her to cofound the Impact Hub SG in 2011, the first ever co-working space for social entrepreneurs in Singapore. Gouri serves on several global boards. In the US this includes Smithsonian Centre for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Environmental Film Festival and Halcyon Incubator. In Asia, she sat on the Board of Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN) and Playeum and BasaBali and is currently the US President of the THK Forum and United in Diversity. Gouri is especially passionate about social entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability. She has published books and articles on wide-ranging topics, is a TEDx and INK speaker. Gouri has lived in various countries over the past two decades and currently resides in Singapore.

Dr. Katharine Morley

Dr. Katharine Morley is an internal medicine physician at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. She and her husband, Dr. Michael Morley, who is an ophthalmologist, have been involved with Bhutan for many years. Kathy and Michael are also graduates of Harvard School of Public Health and support international healthcare programs in Cambodia, Thailand, and Bhutan. Kathy is currently on the Bhutan Foundation’s Health Advisory Committee, and is interested in advancing health and health related research initiatives in Bhutan.

Hon. Kunzang C. Namgyel

Hon. Kunzang C. Namgyel is the Zhung Dronyer (Chief of Protocol) Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bhutan since August 2017. Prior to this appointment, she served a Bhutan's Ambassador & Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the United Nations in New York from February 2014-July, 2017 and Deputy Permanent Representative with Ambassadorial rank from September, 2011. During her career spanning over three decades in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she has served in various posts at the Ministry as well as Bhutan’s diplomatic Embassies and Missions abroad. Among others, she has served as the Director General of the Multilateral Department, Chief of Protocol, Deputy Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of Bhutan in Geneva, and as Director for Bhutan at the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Lady Keane College under the North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, India.

Mr. Brent Olson

Mr. Brent Olson has been traveling to Bhutan for the past 34 years and is deeply passionate about the culture, environment and people of the Kingdom. Brent was formerly the Managing Director of Business Development at GeoEx, a San Francisco based travel company that he worked with from 1987 to 2020. His personal connection with Bhutan and decades of living and traveling there have won him the hearts of the locals, as well as a spot on Condé Nast Traveler's Top Travel Specialist list as one of the United States' ranking experts on the Land of the Thunder Dragon. Brent is one of the few lucky Americans to have lived in Bhutan, having worked with its government in the creation of a photographic archive of the country's rich artistic heritage. A veteran of 50 (and counting) trips to the remote Himalayan kingdom he has assisted a variety of local organizations and non-profit groups in Bhutan. From small projects like helping to restore an old manor house to organizing fundraising trips for WWF and RSPN, he has done his best to help the people of Bhutan. One of his greatest accomplishments has been to work closely with H.H. Gangteng Tulku Rinpoche and the nuns at the Pemacholing Nunnery in Tang as they work to build an institution that will benefit women and further their studies of Buddhism. Since 1986, Brent has created and led treks and tours all over the kingdom, and forged close friendships with Bhutanese from many walks of life. His devotion to Bhutan has been mirrored in the unique quality of his itineraries, which are designed to highlight and support the country's determination to maintain its proud culture. He has planned and operated trips to Bhutan for such prestigious organizations as The Asia Society, The Textile Museum of Washington, DC, Dr. Robert Thurman and Tibet House, The California Academy of Sciences, The Society for Asian Art, The Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, The World Wildlife Fund, The Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard, The National and Pacific Crest Outward Bound organizations and the American Museum of Natural History to name a few. Since leaving GeoEx, Brent looks forward to devoting more time to the goals of The Bhutan Foundation.

Ms. Sonam Ongmo

Sonam started her career as a journalist in Bhutan and became a Communications Consultant for nonprofit organizations like Save the Children and the Environmental Commission of Bhutan. After moving to New York, she worked in citizen media projects like Global Voices - a non-profit project started at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School. She also worked with Future Challenges, another non-profit media initiative started by the Bertelsmann Foundation in Germany. In 2012, she started a socio-political magazine in Bhutan called The Raven (archived on the Digital Himalaya site under Journals). In 2015, she was awarded the Poynter Fellowship in Journalism at Yale. Sonam has a Certificate in Social Psychology from the University of Queensland, Australia, and an MFA in creative writing from NYU.

Mr. Matthew Oresman

Mr. Matthew Oresman is the Managing Partner of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman’s London Office, from where he leads the firm’s International Public Policy practice. He principally advises government and political leaders, businesses, and NGOs on complex international policy and legal matters. He also advises global businesses on entry into emerging markets and compliance with U.S. and international regulations. His pro bono work has focused on the development of rule of law and democratic institutions, sustainable tourism, improving the teaching of politics and Black History in UK schools, and smart policy solutions for stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS. He earned a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and a JD from Georgetown University Law Center. Matthew has supported the Bhutan Foundation’s Good Governance work in Bhutan.

Mr. Vince Pérez

Mr. Vincent S. Pérez is CEO of Alternergy, a renewable power company in Asia. He is also Chairman of Merritt Partners, an energy advisory firm and was Board trustee of WWF International and Chairman of WWF-Philippines. Vince has over 30 years’ experience in finance working first with Mellon Bank and later as a Partner of Lazard Frères in London, New York and Singapore. He later founded Next Century Partners, a private equity firm based in Singapore, and the Asian Conservation Company in the Philippines. Vince served as Philippine Minister of Energy and later as Vice Chairman of the National Renewable Energy Board. He has invested in various sustainable energy and eco-tourism ventures, and is a member of the advisory boards of Banco de Oro, Coca Cola Philippines, Pictet Clean Energy Fund, Singapore Telemedia, WWF-US, and the Center for Business and the Environment at Yale University. He has traveled to Bhutan on numerous occasions and remain engaged in several programs of the Bhutan Foundation.

Ms. Nina Pfifer

Ms. Nina Pfifer spent the first decade of her career trying to change the world via ‘traditional’ means – working for the International Institute for Peace, the UN and the European Commission – before becoming inspired to change careers to the investment world, with a new understanding of the power of well- directed capital. As Chief External Affairs Officer, Nina works across capital raising, investor relations, ecosystem development and management, and branding, communications and PR. Her role encapsulates Conduit Capital’s collaborative core; she is responsible for fostering and deepening the firm’s connections to external stakeholders, from investors to the wider impact ecosystem. Nina has almost 20 years’ international business and finance experience and previously held senior roles at TR Squared Capital and 51North Partners. She has provided IPO and investor relations advice for companies such as Coca-Cola, BIM, Efes Breweries and Albaraka Bank.
Nina hopes to see sustainable, long-term investing become best practice, and sustainable capitalism become the enduring economic model.

Dr. Françoise Pommaret

Dr. Françoise Pommaret is Director of Research at the CNRS (National Centre for Scientific Research, France) and Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Language and Culture (ILCS), Royal University of Bhutan. She has been associated with Bhutan in different capacities since 1979 and has published numerous scholarly articles and books on different aspects of Bhutanese culture, including the definitive guidebook, Bhutan: A Cultural Guidebook. She is currently involved in the documentation of the Bhutan cultural atlas www.bhutanculturalatlas.org and is researching the interface between deities, local powers, and migrations in Bhutan. Dr. Pommaret has lectured intensively in numerous academic institutions around the world and has been guest curator for several exhibitions. She has been advising the Bhutan Foundation on our cultural heritage projects, including the restoration of Wangduechhoeling Palace.

Mr. Jamie Resor

Jamie Resor is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience in renewable energy, finance, and environmental conservation. He has held leadership roles in several successful organizations, including serving as CEO and Board Director of EDF Renewables Distributed Solutions, where he led the company's growth in solar and battery storage solutions across North America. Prior to that, Jamie was the CEO of groSolar, a company acquired by EDF Renewables in 2016, where he oversaw the completion of projects in over 25 U.S. states and Canada.
Jamie’s earlier career included diverse roles ranging from working on the Thai/Cambodian border with the International Rescue Committee to directing the World Wildlife Fund's pioneering conservation finance program. He structured over $150 million in long-term funding for environmental projects in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and was instrumental in establishing the Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation (BTFEC) — the first long-term funding mechanism of its kind in the world. His contributions to Bhutan's environmental conservation efforts remain significant, as the country continues to lead globally in managing conservation alongside its people's livelihoods, and being a carbon-negative nation.
Throughout his career, Jamie has been recognized for his expertise in international conservation and renewable energy, having testified before the U.S. Congress and other governmental bodies on key topics such as economic development, trade, and solar industry manufacturing. He is passionate about leveraging finance and innovation to drive sustainable development.

Mr. Michael Reynolds

Mr. Michael Reynolds is a creative director, editor, set designer, stylist, curator and collector. He was raised in Manhattan's East Village, where he studied art history and anthropology at New York University before his seven-year turn as an editor at American Vogue. In 1996, Michael left Vogue to work on the relaunch of House & Garden Magazine, as well as the launch of Wallpaper* magazine, where he still serves as US Editor. He is a regular contributor to Architectural Digest, Conde Nast Traveler, T Magazine, CULTURED and has edited two titles for Rizzoli International Publications. In its Spring 2009 issue, The Wall Street Journal’s WSJ Magazine published High Road to Bhutan, a profile of the spiritual and philanthropic adventures of Reynolds’ and his partner Eric Hoffman.

Elizabeth Ryan

Elizabeth Ryan is a partner at Squire Patton Boggs. She is an international policy and development expert. Of note, she created the Qatar Katrina fund in the US following Hurricane Katrina and has helped the Qataris deploy hundreds of millions in charitable giving. She works with several charities focused on animal welfare and special needs children.

Ranjani (Ren) Sankaran

Ranjani (Ren) Sankaran is currently Executive Director, Project & Export Finance at Standard Chartered Bank in London, where for over 14 years she has acted as financial advisor, structuring bank, and mandated lead arranger on pathbreaking project debt financings across power, infrastructure, natural resources, predominantly in Africa. Prior to Standard Chartered, Ren worked at the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation from its inception in 2004, financing sovereign-sponsored projects in emerging economies across Africa, Asia & Pacific, and Eastern Europe. Prior to that, she worked on the Congressionally-mandated Africa Policy Advisory Panel’s Report, on capital markets and financial sector development in sub-Saharan Africa for Secretary of State Colin Powell, in addition to working at the Canadian Embassy OLIFI and the UN IFAD earlier in her career. Her interest in Bhutan and its culture and development stems from her travel there in 2008, during her summer travelling before business school. Ren holds an MBA from London Business School, an MA in International Development Studies from the GW Elliott School of International Affairs, and a BA with Distinction in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. She is also a co-founder of the Flore Foundation.

Mr. Tim Sharpe

Tim Sharpe is based in New York’s Hudson Valley and consults with nonprofit clients and high-net-worth individuals on strategic philanthropic planning. From 2008-2019 he served as Senior Director, Strategic Philanthropy for World Wildlife Fund based in Washington, DC, and as Global Philanthropy Advisor for WWF International based in Switzerland. He helped lead private fundraising for the $46 million Bhutan for Life program while with WWF. He consulted with most of the independent WWF national offices in Asia, South America, North America and Europe in support of initiatives to launch or improve major gifts programs. From 2003 to 2007, Tim was Director of Gift Planning for WWF-US, helping build a bequest and planned gift program that has grown to become one of the organization’s most critical sources of unrestricted annual revenue source for global conservation. He began his career in public broadcasting at WGBH in Boston and worked for PBS in Washington. He holds a BA from Swarthmore College and an MBA from Johns Hopkins University.

Mr. Gérard Tardy

Mr. Gérard Tardy is a well-known European Venture Capitalist with over 30 years of experience. He was the founder and manager in Paris of two major private equity firms, Citicorp Venture Capital and Schroder Ventures. In 1999, he founded his own company, Sitka Limited, in London that invested in young companies in healthcare services and industries. Gérard is Venture Partner of Mérieux Développement and on the board of several companies in Europe and in Singapore. He founded the Loden Entrepreneurship Program in Bhutan in 2008 within the Loden Foundation one of the Bhutan Foundation’s principal partners in Bhutan.

Mr. Sonam Tobgay

Mr. Sonam Tobgay was a former board member of the Bhutan Foundation. He served for the past several years as Consul General and the Minister-Counselor at the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the United Nations in New York. Prior to arrival in New York, he was the Chief, Policy Planning Division; and Chief, International Organizations Division, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Thimphu. He has also served as Charge d’Affaires at the Royal Bhutanese Embassy in Kuwait and as Second Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Bhutan in Geneva. He received his MA in Diplomacy and MA in Public Policy (International Policy) from the Australian National University in Canberra, and his BA (Economics and History) from the University of Delhi. He also received an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School. He has just graduated as a fellow with the McCain Institute for International Leadership after being placed at the Office of Mayor Sly James of Kansas City, Missouri. Currently, he returned to Bhutan to serve in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ms. Sukey Wagner

Mrs. Susan Nichols Wagner (Sukey Wagner) is a former educator and has spent much of her career doing philanthropic work with a number of organizations including schools in the Transkei, a rural district in South Africa, where she provided over 180,000 books and served on the board of the Vela School there. She has also worked with PWA (People With AIDS) in Brooklyn, New York and co-founded a center for women with HIV/AIDS in Harlem. Ms. Wagner served on the board of Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts for 10 years. She has also been involved with the World Wildlife Fund where her late husband and international banker, Rodney Wagner, served as a member and officer of the board for a number of years. Ms. Wagner sits on the board of Robert College in Istanbul, Turkey and the Colebrook Land Conservancy.

Ms. Nancy Hamill Winter

Nancy Hamill Winter has supported the Bhutan Foundation since traveling with Bruce Bunting and Daphne Cunningham in 2007 on a WWF journey through Bhutan honoring the work of the late Mingma Sherpa. Her interest in the Himalaya stems back to 1964 on the first of many treks in Nepal. She is a naturalist specializing in habitat restoration and consummate advocate for land conservation having served in leadership roles with The Nature Conservancy, Field Museum of Natural History, JoDaviess Conservation Foundation, Teton Regional Land Trust, Prairie States Conservation Coalition and Morton Arboretum. She is also a lifelong equestrian - graduate A of the United States Pony Club, short listed member of the 1984 Olympic Three Day Event Team, former Vice President of the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association and former President of the Equine Land Conservation Resource. Nancy recently relocated to Vermont after a life rooted in the Illinois prairie and has become involved in regional conservation issues of the Northeast. She holds a BA from George Washington University in International Relations, an MA in East Asian History from University of London School of Oriental and African Studies, and a Naturalist Certification Degree from The Morton Arboretum.

Ms. Elise Zoli

Ms. Elise Zoli is a partner at Goodwin Procter and chairs the firm's Energy Practice. She is a leader in its Cleantech and Climate Change initiatives, and focuses on clean energy, water, technology and agriculture (“Cleantech”) considerations. Her work includes substantial depth in energy storage (batteries and beyond), ground source and geothermal, innovative nuclear, biofuels, clean water and water treatment, industrial processes, carbon conversion, wind and solar, automotive, ocean wave technologies and wireless electricity, as well as carbon markets. She is also a lecturer on Cleantech and Climate Change at MIT’s Sloan School, and regularly speaks on Cleantech issues nationwide.