Board of Directors

BWZ board meetings are open to the public except for an executive session at the beginning, which is usually short. Once they join the meeting, guests have 10 minutes to speak, and then may observe the board address its agenda. Check the calendar for Board meetings, which occur quarterly on Wednesday evenings in January, April, July, and October.

For easy reference, here are the 2025 Board dates:

For more details on participating in BWZ board meetings, please click here to read our Policy on Public Attendance at Board Meetings.

Board of Directors

Currently our Board has seven members. Board members are generally Invested Members of Bright Way Zen, meaning they have joined as members, support the organization financially, and have  received Jukai, although the Board can include 1-2 Supporting Members (who have not received Jukai). The first Board was appointed by the founding Executive Director, Rev. Burk. Subsequent Board members are elected by Bright Way Zen members to 3-year terms (terms may be 1-2 years instead, in order to avoid too much turnover in a given year).

Domyo Burk, ex-officio voting member of board indefinitely, as Executive Director

James Gregg – elected in Jan. 2021, re-elected to serve for 3 years, 4/4/24 – 4/4/27

Ellen Tea– elected in Feb. 2022, re-elected to serve for 3 years, 2/11/25-2/11/28

Mick Stukes – elected in Feb. 2022, re-elected to serve for 3 years, 2/11/25-2/11/28

Erica Patino – elected to serve for 3 years, 4/21/23 – 4/21/26

Linda Brown – elected March 2021, re-elected to serve for 3 years, 4/4/24 – 4/4/27

Mark Williams – elected to serve for 3 years, 4/4/24 – 4/4/27

Officers (elected annually at January Board Meeting):

Chair of the Board: James Gregg
Vice-chair: Not specified
Treasurer: Linda Brown
Secretary: Ellen Tea

Executive Director

At this point we are a small organization with no employees. Our teacher, Domyo Burk, serves as Executive Director. According to our bylaws the Executive Director must be a transmitted Soto Zen Priest as recognized by the Soto Zen Buddhist Association and has two functions:

• Spiritual Leader. In her/his capacity as spiritual leader, the Executive Director determines matters of liturgy, religious practice and teaching, gives direction to the membership on these matters, and is not answerable to the Board of Directors or other organization employees or officers, except through the provision of Removal (Section IV.8 of the bylaws), and through her/his adherence to an Ethics Policy approved by the Board of Directors. The Executive Director may take on other traditional titles to indicate his/her role as spiritual leader of the organization (such as Guiding Teacher or Abbot).
• Operations Manager. In her/his capacity as operations manager the Executive Director takes care of the organization’s daily function and is accountable to the Board of Directors in all legal and financial matters. In such legal and financial matters the Executive Director abides by the decisions made by the Board of Directors. The Executive Director also functions as an ex-officio (by way of holding another office/position), voting member of the Board.

Board of Directors History

Amy Plavak, appointed to and served one-year term (original board) 10/18/2012-10/18/2013
Mary Fushin Payne, appointed to and served two-year term (original board) 10/18/2012-10/18/2014
Lisa So’on Markel, appointed to and served two-year term (original board) 10/18/2012-10/18/2014
Dawn Holt, appointed to and served three-year term (original board) 10/18/2012-10/18/2015
Lorna Simons, elected to three-year term on 03/17/2015, resigned on 7/1/2017
Myoju Bella Jhunjhunwala, elected to and served three-year term on 03/17/2015-3/17/2018
Shoketsu Ellen Carlin, appointed to one-year term (original board) on 10/18/2012, elected to three-year term on 03/17/2015, re-elected to 1-year term on 3/17/2018 (term ended 3/17/2019)
Frankie Borison, elected to 3-year term on 3/31/2019, resigned on 9/16/2019
Jeff Young, appointed to three-year term (original board) on 10/18/2012, elected to 2nd three-year term on 04/18/2016, re-elected to 3-year term on 3/31/2019, ended term 12/31/2020
Zack Bartel – elected to 3-year term on 1/18/2018 (term ended 1/18/2021)
Jinryu Janna Allgood – elected to 3-year term on 04/18/2016, re-elected to serve 3 years 3/31/2019 – 3/31/2022 (term ended 10/20/2021)
Jim Lewinson, elected to 3-year terms in 2015 and 2018, re-elected to serve additional 1 year term so board terms would be staggered better, service dates 03/17/2015 – 1/19/22
Joan Maurer, elected to serve for 3 years 3/17/2018, re-elected to serve 3 years 3/17/2021 through 3/17/24 (term ended 3/17/23)