Chan Hall Monitors

Amy Frey (Yan Cheng)

Amy began studying Buddhism in 2008 and started practicing Chan with Guo Gu in 2010. She took refuge in the bodhisattva precepts in 2013. She is a registered yoga teacher (RYT 200) with Yoga Alliance and also practices Nonviolent Communication (NVC) as taught by Marshall B. Rosenberg. These practices have enhanced her sense of health and well-being, and she enjoys sharing them with others.

Ben Woodsum

Ben has been practicing Chan since 2020. He lives in Tallahassee with his wife and two sons. He has served as a timekeeper since 2025. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, spending time with family, and coaching his son’s soccer team.

Corey Ghazvini (Kuan Neng)

Corey began practicing meditation in 2020 and attended his first intensive Chan retreat in 2023, when he also took the precepts. He continues to deepen his practice through retreats, study, and active participation in the sangha. He is a licensed acupuncturist, Chinese herbalist, Tai Chi practitioner, and active purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Marco Porcelli (Kuan Cheng)

Marco is a resident practitioner and the Maintenance Coordinator at the Center, assisting with technical setup, weekly sits, and other tasks. He is currently a Ph.D. student at Florida State University. He is always happy to meet new people and lend a hand whenever needed.

D. Mays (They/Them)

Mays was raised in the 1855 Treaty Territory of the Anishinaabe Nations in Northern Minnesota. They arrived at the Chan Center in 2024 as a practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism. After reading about Master Sheng Yen, Mays participated in a five-day silent retreat with Guo Gu and learned to embody deeper now-moment awareness. Since then, Mays has continued to strengthen their compassion for all sentient beings while studying the wisdom of the Chan tradition and the Lotus Sutra. Mays is dedicated to deepening their Chan practice as an expression of gratitude to Dharma Drum Mountain, Master Sheng Yen, the Tallahassee Chan Center, and the many teachers and guides who have shared the wisdom of their respective traditions.

Ben Naselius (Kuan Zhuo)

Ben began practicing Chan with Guo Gu in 2024 and took refuge in 2025 at the Tallahassee Chan Center, where he now volunteers as an Assistant Timekeeper. He is an urban planner by training and works in conservation planning locally.

Kiki Litchford (Kuan Xiu) 

After several years of meditation practice, Kiki attended her first seven-day Chan retreat with Guo Gu in 2023. She currently serves as Secretary of the Tallahassee Chan Center Board of Directors and is a regular volunteer and timekeeper. She relocated to Tallahassee to pursue master’s degrees in social work and public administration at Florida State University, graduating in 2023. Before moving to Tallahassee, she served in the Peace Corps in Zambia (2016–2018) and as an AmeriCorps VISTA (2018–2019). In her professional work, Kiki directs professional development for senior living providers in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

Vivek Moorthy

Vivek began his practice in the Vipassana/Insight tradition, primarily following the teachings of Sayadaw U Tejaniya. He has attended retreats at the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts and Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California. He began practicing Chan at the Tallahassee Chan Center after moving to the city in 2025. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Economics at Florida State University.

Kennedi Childs

Kennedi began dedicated meditation practice in 2024 after attending a ten-day Vipassana retreat at Dhamma Pasava in Idaho. Later that year she started practicing at the Tallahassee Chan Center, where she found resonance with the Chan approach and community. She serves as the Administrative Assistant and an assistant timekeeper. Kennedi is a registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and a doctoral student in Counseling Psychology at Florida State University, where she studies how meditation and contemplative practices can be integrated into healthcare systems to support whole-person health.

Katherine Lucas

Kat serves as Administrative Coordinator at the Tallahassee Chan Center (since June 2026). As a staff member, she supports the Center’s operations and coordinates community events while continuing her practice alongside her family. She began practicing Buddhism in 2021 and started attending the Center in 2022 with her husband and two children. Inspired by the Center’s teachings on mindfulness and compassion, she has deepened her connection to the community through guided meditations and events.