KAREN BASQUEZ (Year 2)

Karen is a retired special education teacher and spiritual director. She serves on both the California and Ghost Ranch faculty of Stillpoint. Karen is also a facilitator and trainer for the Samaritan Woman Retreat that consists of nine meditations based on the Samaritan woman’s encounter with Jesus at the well in John’s gospel. Each meditation is meant to lead you progressively through this story at many levels that will be personal to you. Through this retreat, Karen helps others experience a taste of this process through the use of meditations founded within Biblical, Benedictine, Ignatian and 12-Step spirituality and Jungian psychology.

MELINDA CAREY (Year 1)

Melinda is a graduate of Stillpoint's Art of Spiritual Direction as well as the Group Spiritual Direction course. She retired after thirty plus years working as a lay person in a multitude of positions for the Episcopal Church. Melinda relocated from Santa Barbara, California to Cumming, Georgia in 2020 to be near her grandchildren and has continued her Spiritual Direction practice there as well as facilitating a Group Spiritual Direction group for people in 12 Step Recovery.

ZACHARY JELLSON (Year 2)

Rabbi Zachary is Spiritual Director and Yoga Teacher who is passionate about helping people find meaning in their experiences.He offers personalized life cycle events as well as one-on-one Spiritual Direction for those seeking direction or connection, regardless of faith background. His work blends Jewish tradition with accessible, inclusive practices, honoring the diversity of each individual’s story. As a queer Rabbi, Zachary especially loves supporting LGBTQIA+ communities in marking sacred moments and deepening their spiritual lives. To learn more about his work or sign up for an online yoga class, check out his site https://www.ehad.one

RHONDA JOHNSON (YEAR 1)

Rhonda is a spiritual director and a graduate of Stillpoint’s Art of Spiritual Direction in 2020. She holds Master of Arts Degrees in Clinical Psychology and Intercultural Studies. Rhonda has worked in the non-profit sector for the past 34 years focusing on Youth who have left the Foster Care System and has fallen into homelessness as well as helping Service Providers who service our unhoused neighbors improve on the effectiveness of their programming for moving our unhoused neighbors into various housing resources.

Rhonda finds joy in companioning others as they walk their journey in discernment of their life choices and as they recognize how Spirit is moving in their lives. She is an avid reader and can get lost in books about memoirs, spirituality, health/nutrition, and mysteries. Rhonda’s spiritual community is All Saints Episcopal Church Pasadena and the Community of Divine Love, a Benedictine Monastery currently located in San Luis Obispo, CA, she is an Oblate with the Community.

Rhonda loves walking, hiking, practicing contemplative photography, writing, and spending time with family.

ANNA KEIM (Year 2)

Anna earned her Master’s in Education from Gonzaga University and her MDiv from The Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara at Berkeley and taught Spanish, Theology, and service learning in Catholic High Schools for 16 years.  She also completed one unit of chaplaincy training at UCSF.  Anna also did the year long 19th annotated version of the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises.  She received her certification in spiritual direction through Stillpoint’s Art of Spiritual Direction program.

VEL ROMAN (Year 1)

Vel worked in Social Services for 43 years before retiring last year.  Vel is a graduate of Stillpoint Spiritual Direction and Stillpoint Group Spiritual Direction Programs. Vel is a graduate of Compassion Based Soul Care: Internal Family Systems as a Model for Spiritual Companions.  She is a Certified Veriditas Labyrinth Facilitator and a Certified Trainer in Capacitar practices of Healing and Trauma Recovery, including collective and intergenerational trauma.  Vel is a Spiritual Director at the Mary and Joseph Retreat Center in Palos Verdes and has co-facilitated retreats there.  Vel enjoys yoga, body prayer, poetry and travel. Vel is active in anti-racism work, particularly within spiritual/religious circles.

RICK SFORZA (Year 1)

Rick is a spiritual director and graduate of Stillpoint's The Art of Spiritual Direction and graduate of Compassion-Based Soul Care: Internal Family Systems as a Model for Spiritual Companions. He worked as a photojournalist for 31 years. During that time, he discovered deeply listening to a subject would help put them at ease and yield better photos supporting his driving philosophy of photography, "every person, place, and thing will reveal the essence of who they are in a single moment." Rick spent 24 years as a military photographer, where he was the mental health coordinator for Airmen returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Here, he realized the potential for healing by listening to those searching for a connection with the divine. He is actively involved with Stillpoint alum Suzanne Edwards-Acton's online affinity group "My Work To Do." The group is designed to "help white people build stamina for discussing racism, systemic injustice, racial healing, reconciliation, and justice in their everyday lives." He practices yoga, and photography, enjoys nature, a good road trip, and plays guitar… "rather badly."

ZANDRA WAGONER (Year 2)

Rev. Dr. Zandra Wagoner is the Interfaith Chaplain at the University of La Verne. She is an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren and holds a Ph.D in Religious Studies. As Chaplain, she directs the multi-religious Office of Religious and Spiritual Life.  She is actively involved in interfaith efforts locally and nationally and brings her interests in eco-spirituality, meditation practices and spiritual direction into her work.  Dr. Wagoner teaches for the Philosophy and Religion Department, including introductory courses in religion and specialized courses in the areas of gender/sexuality, contemporary theology, interfaith cooperation, and the environment/animals in the study of religion. She is graduate of Sillpoint’s Art of the Spiritual Direction, a SoulCollage facilitator, a certified yoga instructor, and is currently a student learning the art of nature and animal communication.

RAVI VERMA (Year 2)

Ravi Verma is a spiritual director and has worked professionally with religious leaders, institutions and lay leaders for over twenty-five years. Ravi’s passion is to work with individuals and groups to build bridges between parts of ourselves, with others and the cosmos based on our connection to the Divine. Ravi, born in India, is involved in emergent spiritual formation and spiritual companionship processes that serve groups on the edges and seekers exploring their unique paths. Ravi is a past member of the coordinating Council of Spiritual Directors International (SDI), the first global learning network of spiritual directors in history and currently serves as a consultant to SDI.