Greetings from the Board!!

For those I haven’t yet met, my name is Myōshin Mari Ritalahti, and I currently serve as Board President. I’m joined by Ariel Paulenich, our Secretary, and Kristina Blake, our Treasurer. We work in collaboration with our Guiding Teacher Nomon Tim Burnett.

Although the Board has been quiet publicly, we’ve been working diligently behind the scenes, and we want to share several important updates with the community.

Bylaws & Legal Compliance

We recently consulted with an attorney and updated our bylaws to ensure that Red Cedar Zen Community is in full legal compliance as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. This work strengthens our foundation and supports the long‑term health of the sangha.

Ethics & Complaint Procedures

We have created a new section on our website outlining our ethics guidelines and our complaint and concern procedures. Our intention is simple: everyone who comes to Red Cedar should feel safe practicing here. And if concerns arise, we now have clear, accessible pathways for addressing them.

Financial Planning & Sustainability

We'll be consulting with Thomas Bruner,  the consultant we worked with when we raised the funds for our temple, to help us understand and address our current financial deficit and to create a sustainable financial plan for the future. Our goal is to move Red Cedar out of the red and back into the black with clarity and care.

Organizational Structure Review

We are in the process of developing a proposal for a revised organizational structure for Red Cedar. This work is important because our sangha has grown and evolved, and our current structure no longer fully supports the needs of our community. A clearer, more stable structure will help ensure healthy boundaries, shared leadership, and long‑term sustainability. And make it easier to plug in and volunteer.

Our draft proposal is now heading towards the Practice Leaders and others for additional input and refinement.

This process has included extensive research into how other sanghas operate and will continue to involve conversations with our Committees.

Our proposal will be shared with the wider sangha for input at our Annual Meeting on November 22 at 1:00 pm.

Annual Meeting & Community Engagement

We are shaping this year’s Annual Meeting scheduled for Sunday November 22nd at 1pm to be a place of celebration, connection, and inclusivity. We will also share a list of volunteer opportunities, ranging from pulling weeds or doing a load of laundry to serving on committees or helping lead Workgroups. There is truly a place for everyone to contribute, in whatever way feels right.

Thank you for being a part of our sangha!

Even though the Board has been quiet, we have been working to reorganize ourselves so that we can best support our sangha. We are committed to transparency and open communication. Please feel free to reach out to me anytime at mtritalahti@gmail.com.

With deep bows and gratitude, Myōshin Mari Ritalahti Board President, Red Cedar Zen Community