Gary Artim
I started zazen and Zen practice at San Francisco Zen Center in 1992. When I moved to the East Bay I found BZC and
was lay ordained in 1997 by Sojun Roshi. My wife Emily and I have lived in El Cerrito for 24 years. Over time I have taken on
various practice positions. You may remember me as the Tenzo, Kitchen Keep, Jikido, or Sesshin Director. These position have helped me to embrace the practice and our sangha members. Seeing new students and watching them become part of the community is a great joy for me.
My work-a-day career was as a systems and application programmer at various places. I ended my full time work at UC Berkeley working for a genetics researcher. I am now working as little as possible for a small lab. I love travel, swimming, movies, computers, and sesshins, etc.
I think my interest in the practice forms and wanting to
sustain our practice will motivate me to be of help on the board.
Thanks for your consideration!
Katy Guimond
When I came to BZC in 2008, I was drawn by our community practice and the accessibility of our teachers. I took lay ordination with Sojun Roshi in June 2010 and became a resident at BZC in 2012. I have been a board member since 2016, and I have really enjoyed engaging in reflection and discussion with the many dedicated people on the board and its committees. I have deeply benefited from our community and practice, and I hope I benefit BZC as a board member. In the past year I have been away from Berkeley for periods because I have been taking care of my parents. Sadly, my mother is reaching the end of her journey and I will be in Berkeley much more soon.
I see board practice as an opportunity to use my particular skills to support our practice place. In my professional life, I am an academic, activist, and consultant on housing and urban inequality. I teach about gentrification and urban change at the San Francisco Art Institute and UC Berkeley, I consult for nonprofit housing advocacy organizations, and I work with other active neighbors to push for more equitable and just development in the Bay Area. As a board member, I seek to “use my cognitive skills for good” in the governance of BZC. I hope to support our interconnected practice through my analytical and organizational skills as well as my love of connecting with people.
Tom Painter
I have been a member of the Berkeley Zen Center since 2010 and received lay ordination in 2013 from Sojun Roshi. I also serve on the Harmony, Ethics, and Reconciliation (HEAR) committee. I am interested in joining the board to help the sangha in whatever ways I can, and am particularly interested in increasing the diversity of our community, finding new ways of welcoming visitors, and starting a BZC teen program.
I have worked as a clinical psychologist since 1997, and live in Berkeley with my wife of 25 years and our 13 year-old son. I have served as the union shop steward at the Kaiser Richmond mental health clinic for the past nine years and also served as a training director there for many years. These experiences have increased my awareness of group dynamics and conflict resolution, and I hope these skills will be useful if I’m elected to the board. Being part of this wonderful sangha has enriched my life in myriad ways, and I hope to serve on the board to contribute more to our community and to support our practice together.