Meher Spiritual Center, Inc.

Board of Directors

Meher Center’s Board of Directors is the governing body of Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. The authority of the Board is derived from the Center’s By Laws. These By Laws, as written in 1960 and approved by Meher Baba, state:

The Board of Directors shall have sole and exclusive control and management of the affairs of the Corporation, and may adopt such rules, regulations and policies for the conduct of the Corporation as it may deem proper and not inconsistent with public law or these By Laws.

The original By Laws of the Center were approved by Meher Baba in 1960 after the Center was incorporated in 1959. Prior to incorporation, the retreat property had been owned by Center founder Elizabeth Patterson, who had gifted it to Meher Baba in the 1940s. Meher Baba deeded the property to the newly formed corporation in 1959. (see Meher Spiritual Center, Inc. Charter)

The board is self-perpetuating, that is, members are nominated by existing board members, and are approved for membership by board vote. Qualifications for membership are articulated in the Center’s Board Governance Policies. Board membership is comprised of individuals who have demonstrated both a commitment to the spiritual purposes of Meher Baba and a deep interest in the well-being of Meher Center, His home in the West.

Caran Bramlette – Secretary/Director

A South Carolina native, Caran Bramlette first heard about Baba in 1978.  That relationship has grown through the years with many trips to the Center and India.  Retiring from teaching MS science after 27 years she lives in Atlanta with her much loved dog, Beau and horse, Star.  She now spends her time playing her ukulele, singing, cycling, drawing and bugging her children, Clay and Jessie.  Life is good.

Buz Connor – Non-voting Director/Executive Director

Buz Connor has been a volunteer at the Center for over forty-five years, assisting Kitty Davy, Elizabeth Patterson, and Jane Haynes in various ways. He has been a follower of Meher Baba since 1971, when he fell in love with Baba in the Lagoon Cabin. He has had various career paths, including financial planning, community development, and, for the past twenty-five years, psychotherapy. He lives with his wife, Wendy Haynes Connor, in Myrtle Beach.

Johanna Gard’ner – Director

Johanna Gard’ner grew up in a Baba-lover family. Attending the first Youth Sahavas in 1991 inspired her to return as a camper and counselor for years, as well as to make extensive trips to Meherabad. She lives in Athens, Georgia, with her husband, Sean, and their two dogs, where she manages a sales and marketing team for a software company.

Linda Hansen – Co-Presiding Officer/Director

Linda Jean Hansen came to Meher Baba in 1971 through Henry Kashouty. She has served on the Youth Sahavas Committee since 1991. She worked at a nonprofit founded by Henry Kashouty to serve young people from 1973 to 2019. An artist and a consultant on the creative process, she lives in Newport News, Virginia, with Michael Hansen, her husband of fifty years.

Ananda Jones – Director

Ananda Jones lives in Manchester, Connecticut. She was born into a Baba family, was able to take many memorable family road trips to Meher Center as a child, and now enjoys making that same journey to Baba’s home in the West with her husband and two teenage daughters. Professionally, Ananda works in the nonprofit space, focusing on marketing, partnerships, and project management.

Bruce Kelsey –Co-Presiding Officer/Director

Bruce Kelsey has been a Baba lover since 1969. He lives in Hockessin, Delaware, and is a retired mental health therapist and agency director.

Andy Lesnik – Treasurer/Director

Andy Lesnik first heard of Meher Baba in 1968. He has lived in Myrtle Beach since 1970. He co-founded Sheriar Press and Sheriar Foundation and serves on its board. He also served on the board of Meher Fund for many years and currently serves on the board of the Chapin Company. He is a poet and the president of an advertising and public-relations firm.

Jasmine Patel – Director

Jasmine Patel grew up on the East Coast in a Baba lover family. Her mother’s side is related to Meher Baba and her mother and grandfather visited Baba often.  Jasmine has a private practice specializing in Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine in Portland, Oregon and is also a clinical faculty member..  She has volunteered for the youth sahavas and visited the Meher Spiritual Center 1-2 times/year all throughout her childhood and young adult life. She now lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, daughter, sweet dogs, and parrot.

Naozer Dadachanji – Director

Naozer Dadachanji grew up in India, in a Baba-lover family. He moved to the US in 1984 to attend graduate school in South Carolina, and since then has worked in financial services, first in Atlanta and subsequently in San Francisco. He has two children, Dara and Huma, and two stepchildren, Ryder and Autumn. He lives outside San Francisco with his wife Janine O’Neill. He remembers meeting Baba at the last public function in December 1968 like it was yesterday.

Richard Blum – Director

Richard Blum learned about Meher Baba while watching TV in his home in Pittsburgh in 1968. He has lived in Myrtle Beach since 1982, and since then has volunteered in various capacities at the Center. He is a retired from a career in software development, and is now focused on developing a framework uniting Baba’s cosmology with modern-day science. He serves on the board of the Meher Baba Foundation and is a member of the Heartland Initiative.

Sevn McAuley – Director

Sevn McAuley has been deeply connected with Meher Baba for most of his life. He currently lives in Asheville, North Carolina where he runs a software development company, teaches yoga, plays with his wife and kids, and volunteers on several non-profit boards, while trying to focus on living more and more in Baba’s ever beautiful presence.

Robin Shearer – Director

Robin Shearer is a retired juvenile court judge living in Athens Georgia. She first learned of Meher Baba in 2006, and immediately felt a deep connection and recognized her spiritual home in His love. Since retirement, she enjoys time with family and friends,  drawing, painting, taking community classes and traveling.

 

For questions or concerns, please contact the Executive Director: [email protected]