The Tallahassee Chan Center is a 501(c)(3) not for profit corporation. The mission of the Tallahassee Chan Center (TCC) is to offer the wisdom and compassion of Chan Buddhism to everyone, irrespective of their religious belief or background.
TCC is a branch under the Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association (DDMBA). DDMBA regularly appoints a monastic advisor to the Board of Directors. Venerable Changwu, the director of our DDMBA Vancouver chapter, serves as the monastic advisor to TCC.
Board of Directors
The TCC is governed by a Board of Directors, which provides leadership and oversight in support of our mission. In accordance with the TCC Bylaws, the Board includes the following positions and current members:
Guo Gu
Founder & Resident Teacher
Guo Gu (Dr. Jimmy Yu) is the founder and teacher of the Tallahassee Chan Center and Dharma Relief. He first learned meditation as a child in 1972 with master Guangqin (1892-1986), one of the most respected Chinese Buddhist ascetics in Taiwan. In 1980, Guo Gu moved to the United States and began studying with master Sheng Yen (1931-2009). In 1991, Guo Gu was ordained as a monk and became Master Sheng Yen’s first personal attendant and assistant. In 1995, he was given permission by the master to teach Chan independently. He was Sheng Yen’s translator for two decades and has translated over a dozen Buddhist works ranging from scriptures to Chan discourse records. In 2000, Guo Gu left monkhood and re-entered the world. In 2008 he received his Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from Princeton University and is currently a professor of Buddhist studies at Florida State University.
For Guo Gu’s list of events, please bookmark his personal website: www.guogulaoshi.com
Fran Berry
President
Fran is the President of the Board of Directors of the Tallahassee Chan Center, and has been studying with Guo Gu since 2010. She teaches the Beginning Meditation Workshops and other meditation classes at the Center. She also taught Taiqi (Tai Chi) for 25 years. Fran is a retired Professor of Public Administration and Policy at Florida State University.
Maria Williamson
Vice-President
Maria is the Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Tallahassee Chan Center. She met Guo Gu in 2012 and has continued on the Buddhist path under his guidance. She took Bodhisattva Precepts in May 2016. She is part of a team that teaches at the women’s federal prison in Tallahassee. During her career, she was in public service in the area of child nutrition and her educational background includes nutrition and a M.S. in Family and Child Sciences.
Janette Arispe
Treasurer
Janette is the treasurer and advisor of the Board of Directors of the Tallahassee Chan Center. She began studying with Guo Gu in 2011 and took refuge in 2012 at DDM Taiwan. In 2013 she took refuge in the Bodhisattva Precepts. She teaches the Beginners Meditation Workshop at the Center and has led several short retreats. She is a retired physics professor in Venezuela, and now works for the Department of Health.
Kiki Litchford
Secretary
Kiki began dedicated meditation practice after moving to Tallahassee in 2019 and attended her first seven-day retreat led by Guo Gu four years later. She is secretary on the TCC Board of Directors and a regular volunteer at the Center. Professionally, Kiki directs education programs for providers of assisted living, nursing homes, and continuing care retirement communities. After serving in the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps, she completed master’s degrees in social work and public administration at Florida State University.
Sara Khan
Program Director
Sara is the Program Director at the Tallahassee Chan Center. She left her career as a public health informatics consultant to support Guo Gu and the Tallahassee Chan Center in 2020 and took Bodhisattva Precepts in 2023. As Guo Gu’s assistant and full-time staff member for the Tallahassee Chan Center, she helps manage many of the center’s events, and volunteers for Guo Gu’s Dharma Relief effort.
Tom Ledermann
Program Coordinator
Tom is an advisor of the Board of Directors of the Tallahassee Chan Center and volunteers for most of the Center’s activities. He has been practicing at the center since August 2017 and did his first retreat with Guo Gu in 2018 before taking refuge and precepts in that same year. He has practiced in different traditions for several years before coming to Chan. He loves teaching Chan practices because he finds the techniques taught at the Tallahassee Chan Center very helpful in cultivating compassion and inner joy. Tom is a psychologist by training and works at Florida State University.
Gita Pitter
Volunteer Coordinator
Gita has studied under Guo Gu since 2010. The Chan teachings, practice, and the sangha continue to enrich her experience of life in many ways. She grew up in Sri Lanka and came to the US to attend college. Gita received a PhD from Florida State University and had a career at the State University System of Florida and later as an Associate Vice President at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). She is currently on the Advisory Board and is the Volunteer Coordinator for the Tallahassee Chan Center. She invites others to join the volunteer activities as a joyful practice of gratitude, generosity and being part of our community.
Kennedi Childs
Administrative Assistant
Kennedi began dedicated meditation practice in 2024 after attending a ten-day Vipassana retreat at Dhamma Pasava in Idaho. Later that year, she began practicing at the Tallahassee Chan Center, where she found resonance with the Chan approach and community. She now serves as the Administrative Assistant for the Center. Professionally, Kennedi is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT 200) and a doctoral student in Counseling and School Psychology at Florida State University, where her research explores meditation and contemplative practices.
The Board of Directors meets on the second Monday of each month at 5:00 PM at the Chan Center, in the foyer. If you wish to join the advisory board and attend the meeting, please contact us at Tallahassee.Chan@gmail.com
Advisory Board
We welcome those of our Sangha who have established a regular meditation practice and volunteer regularly at the Center to join our Advisory Board. Advisory Board members may attend the meetings of the Board of Directors but will not be voting members of the Board. The purpose of the Advisory Board is to give advice to the Board of Directors on large issues, and to include members with expertise relevant to the Board of Directors’ responsibilities.