Our Board of Directors
Daryl Ackley
Eagle Point, Oregon
Daryl Ackley has been involved with KSC since 2001, formerly as the lawn mower guy at the farmhouse. He has been on the board for a few years and is currently serving as the KSC Treasurer. Daryl moved to Southern Oregon in 1975, raised his family here, and lives with his spouse, Sally, on 20 acres a few miles out of Butte Falls, Oregon. He retired from the State of Oregon as a vocational rehabilitation counselor for the blind and is the owner of an agency (ACES) that helps individuals experiencing intellectual/developmental disabilities find jobs in the community. Daryl is currently working on writing a poem on his personal experiences related to each of the 37 Practices of a Boddhisattva.
Barbara burns
Ashland, Oregon
Hailing from Washington’s Skagit Valley and Edmonds, Barbara studied English and Education as an undergraduate at the University of Washington. She later earned a Master’s in Traditional Chinese Medicine from SAMRA University in Los Angeles.
Her career has spanned teaching, hospitality/hotel, and arts public relations/marketing/communications in Seattle, San Antonio, and Southern California. She retired from her eponymous 21-year acupuncture practice in 2020, two weeks before COVID shut the world down. In 2024, after a brief visit to Ashland and 35 years in L.A., where she and her husband, Jim, raised his son, Wiley, they pulled up stakes and moved here, grateful for the thriving Buddhist, arts, and outdoor communities that have embraced them. They are multi-teacher, multi-decade students of Buddhism.
jim burns
Ashland, Oregon
Born in Chicago, Jim has spent most of his life in the West. He graduated from the University of New Mexico with an emphasis in English and Art History, then earned two additional degrees: an MBA from Thunderbird, an international business school now based at Arizona State University, and an MA in Broadcast Journalism from USC Annenberg School for Communication.
After two decades of fun and layoffs in publishing, he went on to a successful career in education, mentoring young journalists at the community college, college and high school levels, retiring as Communications Department Chair from Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles.
Buddhist Studies began in New Mexico and, sputtering occasionally, has inspired, encouraged, and humbled him ever since.
Kathy Gaines
Board Secretary—Medford, Oregon
Kathy has been a part of KSC since 2017. In July of 2022 she joined the Board of Directors and also assumed the role of secretary. In her professional career she worked in healthcare as a registered nurse in a variety of roles supporting patient care. This included patient care, staff education, organizational change and readiness and project management. In November of 2021 she retired after working 40 years at a local hospital. Her interests include all things gardening, learning new uses for flowers and herbs, reading and caring for her two dogs and two cats.
David Kennedy
Ashland, Oregon
David earned a B.A. in Anthropology, and an M.S. in Environmental Education, and has worked as a teacher, recreational aide, truck driver, warehouseman, professional (paid) actor, bookseller, botanist, gardener, school bus driver, hospital porter, and journalist. David’s personal interests include gardening, art, reading, science, music, understanding humans, animals, and the universe. David writes poetry, especially Haiku, cooks, has published many opinion pieces in local papers, and is a certified cat weirdo and all around animal lover. He’s been a Buddhist for about 45 years.
Barbara Mathieson
Ashland, Oregon
Barbara began meditating 30 years ago in the Zen tradition, but in 2014 she attended the annual KSC personal practice retreat and was immediately hooked. She currently practices at KSC with Calm Abiding, Green Tara, and Insight groups. She acts as a Zoom host, helps on the gardening team, and joined the Board in 2024. A retired English professor, Barbara enjoys spending time with her husband Tom in their garden and orchard, hiking, reading, attending theater and music events, and considering the ever-surprising human mind.
KRistienne McFarland
Co-President - Ashland, Oregon
"I was introduced to Tibetan Buddhism when I lived in Bodh Gaya, India as a teenager and have practiced off and on since then.
I have been coming to KSC since moving to Ashland almost 6 years ago. The first few years I was on the periphery, especially during the pandemic, but I have been seeking ways to participate more fully as a member of the sangha. I have taken part in the Insight group over the past two years and volunteered for a few events, as I have been able.
I finally am at a place in my life where I can practice regularly and seek to give back some of what I have gained by having access to KSC and the community it brings.
Professionally, I am a certified nurse midwife of many years and, since completing a doctoral degree, I have become a professor at OHSU in the School of Nursing. I now teach primarily in the graduate department entirely online and conduct academic research. This gives me more flexibility to participate in the activities of KSC.
My skill set (at least the part of it that would benefit KSC) includes communication, organization and knowledge development. Thirty-three years as a health care provider have given me a unique view on the world and how people can best be served through compassion and caring."
Matt phillipy
Medford, Oregon
After spending most of his adult life in big cities, Matt is enjoying living in the Rogue Valley. He has held an active CPA license since 2004, though most of those years since earning his license, he worked in the corporate world. He recently returned to public accounting by joining a long standing firm in the Rogue Valley. Matt spends most of his free time in the outdoors. His favorite activities are those that involve his daughters - skiing, swimming, soccer, and board games.
Martha Wilhelm
Co-President - Talent, Oregon
Martha has served KSC on the board since 2014, as well as in the capacities of Events manager, Garden team, Mahakala chopon, a practice leader for 4 Tantric Deities, former Dharma Kids leader, Phase Forward team member and Zoom host. She is a former public school educator. Martha’s interests include land stewardship, travels, visual arts, friendships and family, contemporary writings, dharma, and learning about aging with grace. She completed a pilgrimage to Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet in the fall of 2019.
jerry wujek
Ashland, Oregon
Jerry has been a part of KSC since 2021. He has been meditating and following the Buddhist path since 1993. He has a B.A. in Biology and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. He has carried out research in the areas of nerve regeneration, spinal cord injury, and Multiple Sclerosis. In 2004, he joined the National Institutes of Health where he managed the evaluation and funding of scientific research in vision and ophthalmology. In 2020, Jerry retired and moved to Ashland, where he enjoys vegetable gardening, reading, as well as volunteering at KSC for Morning Meditation, Calm Abiding Meditation, and Sunday Meditation.