An Interview with Ellen Coleman

Ligmincha International’s New Chief Financial Officer

Ligmincha International welcomes sangha member Ellen Coleman as the new chief financial officer (CFO) of Ligmincha International. Rob Patzig, Ligmincha president and board chair, interviewed Ellen recently about her background and her goals for supporting the organization.

VOCL: Ellen, you’ve been a student of Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche for some time. Can you tell us about when and where you first met Rinpoche?
Ellen: I met Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche 25 years ago in the highlands of New Mexico, north of Taos. Soon afterwards I took an Introduction to Dream Yoga course with him. Years later I returned and asked if he would teach me more. During the five-year Experiential Transmission series, which I recently completed at Serenity Ridge, I took more of his teachings through GlideWing, Rinpoche’s live Facebook broadcasts and at retreats at Serenity Ridge.

VOCL: So you support your practice with both online and retreat activities. Do you find that they are complementary?
Ellen: You seemed surprised that I had taken Dream Yoga so many times through GlideWing. I do not live in a town with a Bön meditation group, so these online classes are an incredible support for me. Because Rinpoche answers questions of all the course participants, my spiritual horizons are broadened by others’ experiences and understandings.

VOCL: Ligmincha has been looking to recruit a new CFO for some time, but not all of our readers may know what a CFO does. Can you tell us about the work you do?
Ellen: Right now, I’m answering a ton of emails, while looking out at a lovely view in Victoria, BC! My immediate goal is to develop reporting that makes it easy for the Board of Directors and program developers to understand how we are doing and how much fundraising we need to do to achieve the mission of Ligmincha International, which is to preserve the precious Tibetan Bön teachings and to keep this doorway to the teachings open.

VOCL: Most of us probably think of finance as just being accounting or bookkeeping. But it sounds like there is a lot more involved in it.
Ellen: Yes, it is about ensuring that Ligmincha is on solid financial footing, helping ensure that there are funds for our projects, and that we are good stewards of our donors' trust and donations. My business background brings risk analysis to the mix, so I am also involved in procedures that protect Ligmincha’s interests.

VOCL: What led you to this position?
Ellen: After sitting on a financial committee for the Board of Directors for almost two years, I was asked to step up and could not say “no.“ I can recognize opportunity when it knocks on my door. My early education included getting a liberal arts degree from the University of Texas. That and a liberal dose of inner direction led me to training as a classical homeopath and nutritional counselor earlier in my life. Later, while working and raising two daughters, I had the opportunity to take university-level coursework and mentoring in organizational development, human resources and financial management. From 2003– 2016, I had the good fortune to apply those learnings as a co-owner and executive manager of a quickly growing and successful solar design and sales company.

VOCL: Is there any thing else you would like to say about yourself or about your new role?
Ellen: So much of what I’ve learned has come from taking on tasks when there simply was no one else to do them. From building homes and gardens, to volunteering with nonprofit organizations, to setting up financial reports that tell me, from a distance, what is going on in a business, I’ve been fortunate to find livelihood that is fulfilling and which supports life and people in a positive way. Rinpoche speaks so often about how service to others is an expression of our spiritual practice. I feel fortunate to help lay a foundation that will contribute to the longevity of the Tibetan Bön Buddhist spiritual tradition all around the world.

VOCL: If the reader has talents and/or inclination to help us on our quest, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we’ll be sure to forward your request to appropriate person.
Thank you!