
Michelle C. Chatman
Board President
Michelle Chatman, PhD, is Associate Professor of Crime, Justice, and Security Studies at the University of the District of Columbia. Michelle earned her doctorate in cultural anthropology from American University and teaches courses on urban inequality, youth development, and restorative and juvenile justice. A member of the Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education since 2011, Michelle has been active in numerous CMind initiatives including the 2015 discussion on Race, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Contemplative Movement; 2015 Summer Session faculty; presented at several ACMHE annual conferences, the 2016 Building Communities discussion held at the Fetzer Institute; and has served on the 2015 & 2016 ACMHE Conference Planning Committee.
Michelle is a vibrant leader on her campus and directs the UDC the Mindfulness & Contemplative Learning Initiative. Dr. Chatman is enthusiastic about spreading culturally relevant and critical contemplative approaches that foster belonging, justice, and liberated learning. Michelle shares her “Coltrane Meditation” and “Ancestor Vision Exercise” in workshops, faculty development sessions, and in her classes. In Fall 2020, she co-facilitated a campus reading of Rhonda Magee’s The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities through Mindfulness (2019).
She is particularly interested in exploring contemplative practices for racial healing. To that end, she founded The Black Mindfulness Summit, a community for Black contemplative practitioners from the African Diaspora. A practitioner of the Yoruba/IFA faith for over 20 years, the teachings of this ancient tradition, along with influences from her Christian upbringing, serves as the basis of Michelle’s contemplative practices. Dr. Chatman has lectured on contemplative practices and social justice at numerous institutions in the U.S. Her TEDx talks, How Africa Changed My Life and Healing the Harm in Schools, along with other public lectures can be found on YouTube. In addition to her teaching and research, Michelle’s life is fulfilled by her family, beaches, dancing, and karaoke.

Lenwood Hayman
Board Vice-President
Dr. Lenwood Hayman is Associate Professor of Behavioral Health Sciences in the School of Community Health & Policy, Morgan State University. As a teacher, he works to inspire social-justice-minded scholars to ask questions on the health issues situated in the communities from which they come. His research focuses on addressing the social, psychological, structural, and environmental influences of well-being in marginalized populations. Specifically, Lenwood’s practical scholarship is motivated by his drive to better understand how contemplative practices enhance well-being and social cohesion amongst emerging Native American adults, African-American men and boys, and first-generation and non-traditional college students. Lenwood’s theoretical scholarship, however, is centered on the scientific study of agaptic love in efforts to operationalize and ultimately cultivate Beloved Community.

Joe Belluck
Member, Board of Directors
Joseph W. Belluck, Esq., graduated magna cum laude from the University at Buffalo School of Law in 1994, where he later served as an adjunct lecturer on mass torts. He is a partner in the Manhattan law firm of Belluck & Fox, LLP, which focuses on asbestos, consumer, environmental and defective product litigation.
Mr. Belluck previously served as counsel to the New York State Attorney General, representing the State of New York in its litigation against the tobacco industry, as a judicial law clerk for Justice Lloyd Doggett of the Texas Supreme Court, and as Director of Attorney Services for Trial Lawyers Care, an organization dedicated to providing free legal assistance to victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Mr. Belluck has lectured frequently on product liability, tort law and tobacco control policy. He is an active member of several bar associations and in May 2016 was elected as the new chairman of the state Commission on Judicial Conduct, which investigates allegations of misconduct against state and local judges in New York.

Stephanie Briggs
Member, Board of Directors

Mirabai Bush
Founding Director; Member, Board of Directors

Rick Chess
Member, Board of Directors

David Levy
Member, Board of Directors

Vaishali Mamgain
Member, Board of Directors

Lisa Napora
Member, Board of Directors

Lila Shane
Executive Director
Lila Shane is the Executive Director for the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Lila attended Sarah Lawrence College where she completed a bachelor’s degree in Child Psychology with a focus on clinical psychology. Upon graduation, she moved back to NYC and started a career in finance where she was trained in investments and trading securities on the stock market.
After the events of 9/11, she left her work and home in NYC and moved to Western Massachusetts. Soon thereafter she took a job at CMind where she worked for 10 years doing administration and finance. Her time at CMind introduced her to alternative methods of leadership and relationship building through integrating contemplative practices in the workplace. In 2012, Lila transitioned her work from CMind and joined the Mind and Life Institute as the Director of Finance for almost five years.
Lila was introduced to Metta meditation at a young age and has sustained that practice, amongst others, for more than 20 years. As a parent, Lila is devoted to emboldening her child to treat themselves and others with kindness and to practice non-judgment in all communication and action. Lila is committed to living consciously and with compassion for all beings.

Carrie J. Bergman
Associate Director

Maya Elinevsky
Events & Outreach Manager

Kamilah Majied
Anti-Racism and Inclusivity Consultant

David Sable
Co-Editor, The Journal of Contemplative Inquiry

Trudy Sable
Co-Editor, The Journal of Contemplative Inquiry