Leadership & Community Updates at Shambhala Chicago

There were about 15 people who attended our community meeting on October 23rd, including those in-person and on Zoom. Bea Bosco facilitated and began with an update from the Revenue Generation team. As previously determined, our West Loop center is our biggest asset.

The remainder of the meeting was a participatory discussion where attendees were asked to share their perspectives of Shambhala Chicago. Our goal was to hear directly from the members and friends who care for and support our community about what their concerns are, how they feel Shambhala has changed, and what they value about the center. To those who attended: we thank you sincerely for your time and support.

Our next step is to identify a group of members who will join a volunteer committee that will work to better define our direction as an organization. Some meeting attendees volunteered to be part of this effort, and we are now seeking more community members who are interested.

To facilitate these efforts and guide us through this transitional period, we have appointed Bea Bosco as Interim Director of Shambhala Chicago. Bea is a long-time member of our community with extensive project-management experience. She has been a part of the Revenue Generation team and a participant in Governing Council meetings for many years, and is deeply knowledgeable of Shambhala’s present obstacles and goals. We are very excited to welcome Bea into this crucial leadership position.

–––

A note from Bea Bosco, Interim Director:

Dear Shambhala Chicago members and friends,

Since shortly after the start of the pandemic lockdown, a group of us, “the RevGen team,” have been meeting regularly to get a better understanding of our financial status, find ways to generate income, and make Shambhala Chicago financially stable. We have worked on membership, marketing, budgeting, and fundraising, and have reached a juncture where we need to find a way forward as a community.

I have two responsibilities: explore our financial options, and gather a team from our community to better define our identity moving forward. 

I will take the lead on looking at ways to monetize our building in the West Loop; exploring rentals and other alternatives to increase our income, as well as the sale of the building if necessary.

Just as important is to better understand who we are as a community. To answer this and other questions about our identity, I will facilitate a representative group from our community, including all perspectives, to guide the Governing Council in this transitional period. More information is to come.

If you are willing to help, please email me at [email protected]. It’s an exciting and important time to engage in these efforts.

Sincerely,

Bea Bosco
Interim Director