TLC Transitional Life Care
A Vajrayana Buddhist education and support program offering spiritual resources for the end of life transition.
TLC BOARD MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS
Julie Rogers, Founder, Executive Director & President of the Board
Julie has been a student of Ven. Gyatrul Rinpoche since 1983, who insisted she organize a Vajrayana Buddhist end of life program. She and Ian Villarreal founded TLC in 2014. She is the author of TLC's end of life manual ‘Instructions for the Transitional State’, published in 2007. [vimalatreasures.org] Julie received hospice & bereavement training at Ashland Hospital in Oregon where she volunteered for two years, and was employed as a caregiver for elders and developmentally disabled adults for over twenty years. She is the ground floor of TLC's organization and carries the program in her hands and heart, plans & organizes the events, manages and designs the website, and writes the newsletter, among other things. A poet and author, Julie has been performing her poetry for over four decades, and her work is published in numerous books and anthologies. Julie leads a Buddhist practice group, and loves writing, creating collage, the arts, travel, camping, the seashore, and the woods. She lives in Oakland, California.
Sandi Lusk, Board Member & Corporate Treasurer
Sandi is a beginner Buddhist with a long history of spiritual work and commitment. The opportunity with TLC aligns perfectly with her renewed aim to deepen her spiritual study and understanding of the dying process. She previously completed a 2-year “Sacred Art of Dying” course and volunteered with the local Hospice house in Bend, Oregon, and also completed a 3-year program in Spiritual Direction. She is retired from 30 years in Finance and Accounting Management primarily in the High Tech industry. Sandi lives on Whidbey Island and has been the Treasurer for a local non-profit working to ensure that residents of all ages and economic circumstances have access to recreation and fitness. A major accomplishment was getting community support to fund a public swimming pool on the South end of the island. She is a recently retired from racing Triathlons but does continue to do the training which includes swimming in the open waters surrounding the Island.
Jana Biesanz, Board Member & Corporate Secretary
Jana has been practicing Buddhism since 2006 with Lama Padma Gyatso, Chagdud Khadro and Lama Tsering Everest. Jana is an Interfaith minister and chaplain and currently serves as the Director of Spiritual Care & Engagement for Francis House, a social-model home for the dying in Syracuse, NY. Jana has worked in the end-of-life field for many years, including as the Program Director for Authentic Presence, a contemplative end-of-life care educational program, and as an Interfaith chaplain, Volunteer Coordinator and volunteer for Hospices in Central New York and Western Massachusetts. An Association for Death Education & Counseling (ADEC) Certified Thanatologist, Jana trained in clinical pastoral education through SUNY Upstate and continues there as on-call clergy. She and her husband, also a student of H.E. Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, host a local Chagdud Gonpa Red Tara practice group. Jana enjoys reading, writing, learning to play the harp and loves to spend time with her family, small grandson and large, furry cat.
Leslie Crabtree, Board Member, Oregon Event Coordinator, Zoom Event Manager & Deep Chat Host
Leslie has practiced Buddhism since 1996 with HE Chagdud Rinpoche, Chagdud Khadro, and Lama Tsering Everest. She has assisted family members and friends with end of life care, and has written for an online support site, “The Grieving Room”. She leads Minjur Ling, a Buddhist practice group in Ashland, OR, is instrumental in running TLC’s Ashland, Oregon branch and Deep Chat group, and helps to organize and produce all of TLC's Ashland events. Leslie has been a fund raiser for various Buddhist organizations, and has cooked for many group retreats and public events. Her retreat cookbook, 'One Taste', was published in 2019 (onetastekitchen.com). Leslie takes long-distance bike rides across various countries, loves camping with her husband, and is an amazing cook! She lives in Ashland, Oregon.
John Pfeiffer, Board Member & Corporate Treasurer Emeritus & Zoom Host
John has practiced Vajrayana Buddhism under various masters since 1993. He and his wife, Cate Hutton, began attending TLC events during the program’s early development. John was a long time consultant in the health care field advising hospitals, clinics and other healthcare providers in financial and business matters. He has received hospice training and serves as a volunteer. He is also a member of Saraha Nyingma Institute’s Board of Directors in Eugene, Oregon, founded by Lama Tharchin Rinpoche, Lama Tsering Gyaltsen, and Lama Sonam Tsering, and a founding board member of The Buddhist Home. John also acts as TLC's event registrar and assists with our Planned Giving Program. He, Cate, and several donkeys and other animals live on a small farm in Northern California.
TLC VOLUNTEER STAFF
Jacob Tendrel, Video Editor & Production & YouTube Manager
Jacob is a committed Vajrayana Buddhist practitioner and a student of Tulku Sang-ngag Rinpoche and other lamas. He has worked as a telehealth tech for Montana Caregiver’s Network, an event sound tech at Ewam Kusum Ling Buddhist Center, a Content Coordinator and Artist Relations Rep for Feedbands Internet Radio, and a Promotional Agent for HOP Productions, a music production company. He is also a self-taught musician. Being a nomad, Jacob has lived in the SF Bay Area, at Kusum Ling - Humboldt County, CA, in Hawaii, and is now living and working in India. He is TLC's sole video and trailer editor, composes music for our videos, manages TLC's YouTube channel, and assists with research and the creation of our Google Ads. Jacob loves art and creativity, nature, hiking, and music.
Sangye Land, Social Media & Promotional Graphics Manager
Sangye has been a Vajrayana Buddhist all her life, and is a student of Ven. Gyatrul Rinpoche. She attended Buddhist classes at Tashi Choling in Ashland, OR during her teens and has studied with many Vajrayana masters. Sangye helped guide her grandmother and stepfather through their transitions. She initially established and continues to be TLC’s social media manager and operates our Facebook and Instagram pages. She also creates and posts our promotional images. Sangye is TLC’s photographer during public events. She occasionally performs poetry with her partner on KPFA radio, loves music, reading, literature, and is a talented collage artist. She lives in Oakland, California and is the daughter of TLC's Director, Julie Rogers.
Amy de Lorimier, Registrar & Event Zoom Host
Amy been a Buddhist since 1993, when she suddenly spotted The Wisdom Of Insecurity by Alan Watts in the library and read it in one sitting right there in the stacks. She then practiced Zen for 18 years in the vein of The Mountains and Rivers Order established by the late John Daido Loori Roshi. In 2001 she met and began studying the Vajrayana. Her root guru is H.E. Kyabje Choden Rinpoche. Amy left a career in psychology to become a veterinarian, and before retiring she had her own mobile practice for end of life care for animals and has a background in hospice care. Amy is a dedicated sewist and crafter and a die hard Deadhead.
Katie Lannigan, Administrative Assistant & Membership Manager
Katie grew up in the Dharma - taking refuge with her root lama the late HH Penor Rinpoche in 1998 at age 9, the inaugural year of the Palyul Summer Retreat in Upstate NY where she continues to volunteer and attend retreat when work allows. Professionally, Katie is a senior producer managing software and media projects for museums and cultural institutions. Her interest in end-of-life care began after supporting her mother through advanced liver cancer and her transition. Katie also works as a hospice volunteer and aspires to pursue death doula training in the future. She lives between NY and Rhode Island with her partner and dog and loves the ocean, paddleboarding and rollerskating.
Roger Hardy, Deep Chat Host & Event Zoom Host
Roger has a degree in water resource management. After graduating, he moved to the Sierra Nevada to live in a Buddhist-based community. Later re-inventing his career, he worked in a straight commission sales job for an energy conservation company, then real estate sales, and finally in customer service and sales for an insurance company. During this time Roger met his root Guru, Lama Tharchin Rinpoche, and has practiced Tibetan Buddhism since 1996. One of Roger’s customers was a professional singer, a tenor in the San Francisco Opera chorus. He took singing lessons from the man for 3 years, developing confidence to sing the devotional songs that he loves so much. Roger retired in 2024, he now lives in Milpitas, CA, and enjoys hiking in the nearby Santa Cruz mountains.
TLC's Essential Volunteer Staff
Sandi Lusk – Board Member, Corporate Treasurer
Jana Beisanz – Board Member, Corp. Secretary
Leslie Crabtree – Board Member, So. Oregon Branch Organizer, Zoom Crew Manager & 'Deep Chat' Zoom Host
Katie Lannigan – Administrative Assistant, Membership Manager
Jacob Tendrel – Video & Audio Editor & Production, YouTube Manager, Promotional Assistant
Sangye Land – Social Media Manager & Promotional Arts
Amy de Lorimier – Registrar & Zoom Event Host
John Pfeiffer – Board Member Emeritus & Zoom Event Host
Roger Hardy – SF Bay Area ‘Deep Chat’ Support Group and Zoom Event Host
Matthew Goddard – Zoom Event Host, Sound Tech
Amanda Lueck – Zoom Event Host
Tom Seidman – Deep Chat Zoom Host
Kristie Brady – Zoom Event Host & Public Event assistant
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Additional Public Event Volunteers
Christine Rossi - Public Event Assistant
Sally Rogers - Public Event Assistant
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Advisors to the Board
Lama Lakshey Zangpo Rinpoche – Vajrayana Buddhist Teacher
Tara Roberts – End of Life Coach
VOLUNTEER AWARDS
Laurel Hansen
Volunteer ‘Laurel Award’
The ‘Laurel Award’ is in honor of Laurel Hansen, beloved friend of Board Members Leslie Crabtree and Julie Rogers, among many others. Laurel left this world after pancreatic cancer took her from us on the new moon, Tibetan New Year, February 2014. Leslie, Julie, and others were by her side during a very courageous and peaceful passing. Her Buddhist teacher, Lama Tsering Everest of Chagdud Gompa, traveled from Brazil to sit at bedside with Laurel as she gave her the sacred, traditional Vajrayana Buddhist instructions on dying.
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Laurel Hansen and Julie Rogers first planned to found an end of life program during the early 2000s, and took hospice and bereavement training together. That experience enabled Julie to complete TLC’s end of life manual, 'Instructions for the Transitional State'. Laurel’s endless energy for Buddhist dharma as a practitioner, organizer for Chagdud Gompa’s southern Oregon sangha, her love of the arts, and her generosity in cooking and entertaining are well known. She is held in the hearts of her husband Patrick Hansen, her son James, daughters Ariel and Chloe, brothers Dave and Terry, her grandchildren, and countless friends. She is always missed.
Volunteer Dik Willmes & TLC Director Julie Rogers
Board Secretary and Volunteer, Joy Ruppersburg 2023
LAUREL AWARD WINNERS
2016 Dik Willmes
2017 John Devilbiss
2018 Sangye Land, Ani Chonid & Roger Hardy
2020-21 John Pfeiffer
2022 Jacob Tendrel
2023 Joy Ruppersburg
2024 Jacob Tendrel & Sangye Land
2025 Leslie Crabtree
TLC's Logo ~ Meet the Artists
Dik Willmes, 2016's TLC Volunteer of the Year, and Sally Dannels, a professional San Francisco artist and muralist, together designed our beautiful logo, now featured on our website, Facebook and Instagram pages, TLC's greeting card, and will be seen in future publications. Both are long-time students of Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche. TLC's Board of Directors thanks these two for their generous support and artistic ingenuity. Gyatrul Rinpoche okayed the logo with a "Thumbs up!" TLC's appreciation and gratitude continues to come their way!
